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To meet objectives such as the sound insulation characteristics of timber structures and the comfort of residents, this study assessed an ordinary floor and three kinds of floating floors (Portuguese cork, graphite polystyrene sound insulation boards and expanded polypropylene plastic foam boards) in the same bedroom of a two-storey light wooden building. Adopting standard white noise and music noise excitation, structural design, theoretical checks and sound insulation tests of the floors were conducted. For the four floor structures, the sound insulation volume, sound pressure distribution characteristic spectrum of the building floor under different noise source environments, the frequency characteristics of the noise source, the multiple relationship of the sound insulation sound pressure level and the sound insulation mechanism were analysed. It was found that the sound pressure multiple of the space separating the upper and lower floors of the building was 8–18 times greater than that of the light wooden floor structure. The airborne sound insulation volume–frequency curves of the four floors, calculated by the transfer matrix method, were consistent with the actual measured values. The sound insulation effect was better in the low and middle frequencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cork-based adsorbents have been gathering interest from the research community since the 1990s. A first review was published on this topic in 2012. Still, in the last decade, novel activated carbons and biochars, in multiple applications, have been produced using cork as a raw material. This review presents these novel insights into the properties of cork, in its various forms, and how they relate to adsorption capacity. Details on new preparation methodologies and respective characteristics of cork-based activated carbons and biochars are thoroughly compared, and patterns are identified. Finally, the adsorption capacity of these materials in experimental conditions is reviewed for different compounds: heavy metals, organics, and gaseous pollutants. This review provides a complete picture of the kind and quality of different cork forms, their relative economic value, and how their conversion into activated carbons and biochars can contribute to a more circular economy by producing adsorbents that aid in the reduction of multiple pollution types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cork has been studied in many ways regarding its mechanical properties; however, no 3D analyses of the cellular structure have been performed at a cell-scale resolution. This paper presents the literature's first known non-invasive 3D characterization and simulation of cork at a cellular level. A sample was scanned with a sub-micron resolution X-ray microtomography (μCT), followed by a cellular characterization and numerical analyses of the compressive behavior. A region was discretized for explicit finite element analysis (FEA), to simulate the cork cells' compression behavior along their radial (R) and non-radial (NR) directions, followed by a qualitative analysis of the Poisson effect. μCT analysis revealed the presence of cork cells with irregular morphologies scattered into the main tissue. Using the intact cork geometry from the μCT, natural cell wall corrugations were confirmed as stress concentrators and the preferred path for bending in FEA. Thanks to the combination of μCT-based FEA at a cellular level, stress–strain results showed that the R direction has superior mechanical performance than the NR, with 43% higher elastic modulus, 40% higher elastic collapse stress, and 16% higher energy absorption efficiency, approximately. As the plateau regime starts, the NR model densifies more quickly due to the lack of cell lumen for the cell walls to fold into. Finally, the Poisson effect revealed that in NR, most of the material was displaced within the NR/NR mode, due to the greater availability of cell lumen for the cell walls to fold up, and the longer lateral cork cell walls, making the NR plane less stiff when bending. On the contrary, in the R, most of the material was folded and compacted internally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cork spot is a common physiological disorder in pear fruits, which has been found in some pear cultivars. Mineral nutrition imbalance in fruit is regarded as the principal influence factor for disorder incidence, with some ongoing confusion and controversy. In our research, we explored the cork spot characteristics in Japanese pear 'Akizuki' (Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai), adopted metabolome and mineral content analysis for healthy and disordered fruits, and made a correlation analysis of mineral and metabolites. Cork spots are mainly distributed on the outer flesh beneath the fruit peel. In cork spotted tissues, superoxide (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities, as well as malondialdehyde (MDA) content, increased. A total of 1024 known metabolites were identified from all the samples and more changes in metabolism were detected between normal and cork spotted flesh tissues. Correlation analysis displayed that Ca, especially the Mg/Ca in fruits, could be used to predict whether an orchard will develop cork spot disorder; Mg and B were associated with the appearance of symptoms, and the contents of Zn, Fe, and Mg, as well as Mg/B and Zn/B, might be strongly tied to the formation of cork spots in pears. This research provides insights into the occurrence of pear cork spot disorder and clarifies the role of minerals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zephyrus is the property of Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The water ingress plays an important role in building materials' degradation. The use of lightweight aggregates is interesting in terms of sustainability, because they reduce the density of cement-based materials, among other advantages. The development and use of new lightweight aggregates, such as cork granulates, is a current research topic. In the present work, water ingress performance of sustainable mortars which combined expanded and natural cork aggregates and cements with slag, fly ash and limestone has been studied. Mortars produced with sand and expanded clay were also prepared. Bulk density, water absorption, drying capacity and gel and capillary pores were studied. Tests were carried out at 28 days and 1 year. A good behavior has been generally observed when an addition was incorporated to the binder, especially slag or fly ash. Regarding the new non-standardized lightweight cork aggregates, mortars with natural cork showed lower water absorption and lower volume of permeable pore space in the long term than mortars with expanded cork. At one year, natural cork mortars had an adequate water absorption performance compared to those with expanded clay, which may be due to the high volume of small capillary pores (100 nm–1 µm) in natural cork mortars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing popularity of additive manufacturing technologies in the prototyping and building industry requires the application of novel, improved composite materials. In this paper, we propose the use of a novel 3D printing cement-based composite material with natural, granulated cork, and additional reinforcement using a continuous polyethylene interlayer net combined with polypropylene fibre reinforcement. Our assessment of different physical and mechanical properties of the used materials during the 3D printing process and after curing verified the applicability of the new composite. The composite exhibited orthotropic properties, and the compressive toughness in the direction of layer stacking was lower than that perpendicular to it, by 29.8% without net reinforcement, 42.6% with net reinforcement, and 42.9% with net reinforcement and an additional freeze–thaw test. The use of the polymer net as a continuous reinforcement led to decreased compressive toughness, lowering it on average by 38.5% for the stacking direction and 23.8% perpendicular to the stacking direction. However, the net reinforcement additionally lowered slumping and elephant's foot effects. Moreover, the net reinforcement added residual strength, which allowed for the continuous use of the composite material after the failure of the brittle material. Data obtained during the process can be used for further development and improvement of 3D-printable building materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the potential of using cork and olive stone waste as lightweight aggregates in repointing mortars for the rehabilitation of old buildings. For this purpose, mortar blends were prepared like 1/3 mortar partly replacing ordinary sand with different percentages of cork or olive stones aggregates with a grain size of 0-4 mm. The partial substitution rates are: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30% respectively with a constant amount of binder (Portland cement CEM I 42.5R). All Specimens prepared were remolded after 24h then cured in potable water at 20±2°C until the date of the test. In course of this research, the mechanical and physical features were highlighted while taking into account certain parameters such as consistency, fresh density, mechanical performance (compressive strength, tensile strength), durability (absorption in immersion, capillary water absorption coefficient and chloride penetration). The results demonstrated that incorporating 30% olive stone waste as a sand replacement in the mortar resulted in improved durability and long-term performance compared to control blends. Additionally, all mortars containing lightweight aggregates were lighter than the control mortar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Massive propagation of cork oak (Quercus suber) individuals tolerant to Phytophthora cinnamomi (Pc) is probably the most important challenge for cork production. Screening for resistance to Pc of ca. 200 seedlings obtained from a single cork oak tree that has survived the epidemic was performed by soil infestation. Twenty months after Pc inoculation, 33 seedlings survived from Pc infection and the four most vigorous seedlings were selected. The plants were forced to produce new shoots under controlled climatic conditions, and the new shoots were used to establish the plants in vitro by axillary budding. High axillary shoot proliferation rates were achieved by culturing the new shoots on Lloyd and McCown (WPM) medium, followed by subculturing for 2 weeks on 0.22 µM benzyladenine (BA) and for 2 weeks further on 0.04 µM BA. Addition of 20 µM silver thiosulphate (STS) increased the proliferation rates and improved the appearance and development of shoots. Rooting rates of 80–100% were obtained by culturing the shoots for 24 or 48 h on Gresshoff and Doy medium with ⅓ macronutrients plus 122.5 µM indole-3-butyric acid and subsequent transfer to root expression medium containing 20 µM STS. The results of this study optimize the micropropagation of a relevant and recalcitrant tree species in forestry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nowadays, as a result of globalization, markets are more competitive, and customers are more demanding. To respond to these challenges, organizations must develop mechanisms for continuous improvement in order to eliminate waste and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of processes. Thus, the present study carried out at an industrial unit responsible for the customization of cork stoppers for wines had as its main objectives to identify and eliminate or at least reduce waste; improve production and internal logistics flows; balance workloads; improve productivity; reduce lead time; motivate employees and promote the spirit of continuous improvement. Methods: The action-research methodology was used, whereby several cycles of data recovery and analysis, identification and implementation of opportunities for improvement, assessment and standardization were carried out. Therefore, the Total Flow Management (TFM) model was implemented, and several methods and tools were used, such as Value Stream Mapping (VSM), work measurement and 5S's. Results: Several wastes and overloads were identified, and some actions were implemented, such as workload balancing, layout changes, implementation of visual management and supermarkets. That said, it was possible to reduce lead time by 4 days, improve productivity from 26.63 ML (a thousand cork stoppers)/h to 35.75 ML/h, and promote flexibility. In addition, employees were motivated, and a culture of continuous improvement was fostered. Conclusions: This project demonstrated that it is possible to implement improvement actions, with good results, without high investments, as well as motivating employees and taking advantage of their best capabilities. Additionally, it was demonstrated that the use of TFM can be very useful in continuous improvement, with evident improvements in production and internal logistics flows. So, this project demonstrated the practical implementation of TFM regarding basic reliability, production and internal logistics flow, and the simultaneous use of several methods and tools to implement continuous improvement. Thus, significant improvements were possible on the factory floor, as well as improving employee motivation their personal development and encouraging the focus on continuous improvement. Therefore, it responds to the gap identified in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bio-oils produced from three different biomass sources, namely cork, pinewood, and olive stones, are evaluated concerning their suitability and prospects of including their electrochemical transformations in a biorefinery scenario for the production of added-value compounds. Different types and concentrations of electrolytes (e.g., H2SO4, KOH) are added to the bio-oils to increase the samples’ initially low ionic conductivity. The samples prepared by mixing bio-oil with 2 M KOH aqueous solution (50 vol.%) lead to a stable and homogeneous bio-oil alkaline emulsion suitable for electrochemical studies. The bio-oil samples are characterized by physicochemical methods (e.g., density, viscosity, conductivity), followed by analyzing their electrochemical behavior by voltammetric and chronoamperometric studies. The organics electrooxidation and the hydrogen evolution reaction in the bio-oils are assessed using Pt electrodes. Single- and two-compartment cell laboratory bio-oil electrolyzers are assembled using nickel plate electrodes. Electrolysis is carried out at 2.5 V for 24 h. Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Mass Spectrometry are applied to identify possible changes in the bio-oil samples’ chemical structure during the electrolysis experiments. Comparing the analyses of the bio-oil samples subjected to electrolysis with the blank samples demonstrates that bulk electrolysis significantly changes the bio-oil composition. The bio-oil obtained from cork biomass shows the most promising results, but further studies are required to understand the nature of the actual changes.

In this study, an analysis of the influence of extractives, suberin and lignocellulosic components on the pyrolysis decomposition and fire reaction mechanisms of a cork oak powder from Quercus suber L. is presented. The summative chemical composition of cork powder was determined. Suberin was the main component at 40% of the total weight, followed by 24% of lignin, 19% of polysaccharides and 14% of extractives. The absorbance peaks of cork and its individual components were further analyzed by means of ATR-FTIR spectrometry. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that the removal of extractives from cork slightly increased the thermal stability between 200 °C and 300 °C and led to the formation of a more thermally stable residue at the end of the cork decomposition. Moreover, by removing suberin, a shift of the onset decomposition temperature to a lower temperature was noticed, indicating that suberin plays a major role in enhancing the thermal stability of cork. Furthermore, non-polar extractives showed the highest flammability with a peak of heat release rate (pHRR) of 365 W/g analyzed by means of micro-scale combustion calorimetry (MCC). Above 300 °C, the heat release rate (HRR) of suberin was lower than that of polysaccharides or lignin. However, below that temperature it released more flammable gases with a pHRR of 180 W/g, without significant charring ability, contrary to the mentioned components that showed lower HRR due to their prominent condensed mode of action that slowed down the mass and heat transfer processes during the combustion process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed and tested two carbon–phenolic-based ablators for future Korean spacecraft heat shield applications. The ablators are developed with two layers: an outer recession layer, fabricated from carbon–phenolic material, and an inner insulating layer, fabricated either from cork or silica–phenolic material. The ablator specimens were tested in a 0.4 MW supersonic arc-jet plasma wind tunnel at heat flux conditions ranging from 6.25 MW/m2 to 9.4 MW/m2, with either specimen being stationary or transient. Stationary tests were conducted for 50 s each as a preliminary investigation, and the transient tests were conducted for ~110 s each to stimulate a spacecraft's atmospheric re-entry heat flux trajectory. During the tests, each specimen's internal temperatures were measured at three locations: 25 mm, 35 mm, and 45 mm from the specimen stagnation point. During the stationary tests, a two-color pyrometer was used to measure specimen stagnation-point temperatures. During the preliminary stationary tests, the silica–phenolic-insulated specimen's reaction was normal compared to the cork-insulated specimen; hence, only the silica–phenolic-insulated specimens were further subjected to the transient tests. During the transient tests, the silica–phenolic-insulated specimens were stable, and the internal temperatures were lower than 450 K (~180 °C), achieving the main objective of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potato tuber skin is a protective corky tissue consisting of suberized phellem cells. Smooth-skinned varieties are characterized by a clean, shiny appearance compared to the darker hue of russeted potatoes. The rough skin of russeted cultivars is a desired, genetically inherited characteristic; however, unwanted russeting of smooth-skinned cultivars often occurs under suboptimal growth conditions. The involvement of epigenetic modifiers in regulating the smooth skin russeting disorder was tested. We used smooth-skin commercial cultivars with and without the russeting disorder and three lines from a breeding population segregating for russeting. Anatomically, the russet skin showed similar characteristics, whether the cause was environmentally triggered or genetically determined. The old outer layers of the corky phellem remain attached to the newly formed phellem layers instead of being sloughed off. Global DNA methylation analysis indicated a significant reduction in the percentage of 5-methylcytosine in mature vs. immature skin and russet vs. smooth skin. This was true for both the smooth-skin commercial cultivars and the russeted lines. The expression level of selected DNA methyltransferases was reduced in accordance. DNA demethylase expression did not change between the skin types and age. Hence, the reduced DNA methylation in mature and russet skin is more likely to be achieved through passive DNA demethylation and loss of methyltransferase activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bark fulfils several essential functions in vascular plants and yields a wealth of raw materials, but the understanding of bark structure and function strongly lags behind our knowledge with respect to other plant tissues. The recent technological advances in sampling and preparation of barks for anatomical studies, along with the establishment of an agreed bark terminology, paved the way for more bark anatomical research. Whilst datasets reveal bark's taxonomic and functional diversity in various ecosystems, a better understanding of the bark can advance the understanding of plants' physiological and environmental challenges and solutions. We propose a set of priorities for understanding and further developing bark anatomical studies, including periderm structure in woody plants, phloem phenology, methods in bark anatomy research, bark functional ecology, relationships between bark macroscopic appearance, and its microscopic structure and discuss how to achieve these ambitious goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substrate and rhizosphere microorganisms are key factors affecting seedling growth; however, the effects of seedling substrates and rhizosphere bacteria on the growth of Quercus variabilis are not completely understood. Here, Q. variabilis seedlings were grown in substrates with and without cork flour, as follows: H substrate (charcoal soil/cork flour/perlite, 1:1:2), S substrate (cork flour/perlite, 1:1), and the control (CK) substrate (charcoal soil/perlite, 3:2). High-throughput sequencing and qPCR were used to investigate the effects of these substrates on seedling growth, physiological indices, and rhizosphere bacterial communities. Root and shoot weights of seedlings grown in H and S substrates were significantly higher than those of seedlings grown in CK. Moreover, H was conducive to chlorophyll synthesis in seedling leaves, and the transpiration rate and intercellular CO2 concentration of the leaves of seedlings grown in H were higher than those of seedlings grown in CK. The number of rhizosphere bacterial 16S rRNA copies was significantly greater in the case of seedlings grown in S than for those grown in H and CK. As well, rhizosphere bacterial richness was higher in seedlings grown in H and S than in those grown in CK. Thus, cork-flour-supplemented substrates are beneficial for seedling growth and development, seedling rhizosphere bacterial abundance and diversity, and the abundance of nitrogen and phosphorus metabolism-promoting microbial taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal insulating materials are such materials that do not allow the movement of heat through themselves. The material must have lower thermal conductivity to work efficiently as an insulator. Conventionally glass wool, calcium silicates, concrete, and processed wood particle boards are well‐known thermal insulators used for construction purposes. The thermal conductivity of glass wool is near about ~0.02–0.04 W/mK, and calcium silicates are also around ~0.08 W/mK. In contrast to these fabrication techniques, 3D printing or additive manufacturing has emerged as the most in‐demand fabrication method. The scope of versatility in shapes, design, dimension, and finish that 3D printing yields are enormous, and their performance is significantly comparable and, in some cases, better than conventionally prepared materials. 3D printing includes various methods such as FDM, SLA, SLS, DIW, and so on. Recent literature has shown the fabrication of thermally insulating material using raw materials like silk fiber, fly ash, cement, polymer composite, metal oxides, and so on, through additive manufacturing. These materials have very low thermal conductivity, as low as 0.03–0.08 W/mK for SLA and DIW printed silivoxel, cellulose nanocrystals composites having 0.08–0.09 W/mK and 0.04 for PU and cork composites. The low thermal conductivity values indicate their possible and efficient application as thermal insulators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural cork remains a favored option for sealing high-quality wine bottles, despite its high cost for wineries. The cork industry faces the challenge of certifying the quality and traceability of these corks, with physical–chemical characterization being a valuable tool in establishing these parameters. While cork taint compounds must be absent or in low concentrations, the volatile fraction of cork contains numerous compounds that, even in small amounts, can impact the wine's final aroma. Moreover, these volatile compounds are indicative of the geographical origin of the cork planks used to make the stoppers. In this work, a total of 68 volatile compounds (alkanes, terpenes, benzenic compounds, aldehydes, ketones, acids, esters, alcohols and furanic and pyranic compounds) from natural corks of different qualities and origins were identified, using a fast and sensitive technique: headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS). Based on these volatile compounds, it was possible to establish differences between corks of different origins, although no discernible differences were detected in the samples of differing visual qualities, as this is a subjective parameter largely dependent on the cork's external appearance. These findings show that the analysis of the volatile composition of corks via HS-SPME-GC-MS can be used as a quick tool for tracking their traceability and selecting the most appropriate parameters at each stage of processing to minimize the increase in unwanted compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emission, reduce the consumption of natural resources, and increase the sustainability of biocomposite foams, the present study focuses on the recycling of cork processing waste for the production of lightweight, non-structural, fireproof thermal and acoustic insulating panels. Egg white proteins (EWP) were used as a matrix model to introduce an open cell structure via a simple and energy-efficient microwave foaming process. Samples with different compositions (ratio of EWP and cork) and additives (eggshells and inorganic intumescent fillers) were prepared with the aim of correlating composition, cellular structures, flame resistance, and mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable materials are materials that are replenished naturally and can be used again and again. These materials include things such as bamboo, cork, hemp, and recycled plastic. The use of renewable components helps to reduce the dependence on petrochemical resources and reduce waste. Adopting these materials in various industries such as construction, packaging, and textiles can lead to a more sustainable future and decrease the carbon footprint. The presented research describes new porous polyurethane biocomposites based on used cooking oil polyol (50 per hundred polyol—php) modified with cork (3, 6, 9, and 12 php). The research described here demonstrated that it is possible to replace some petrochemical raw materials with raw materials of renewable origin. This was achieved by replacing one of the petrochemical components used for the synthesis of the polyurethane matrix with a waste vegetable oil component. The modified foams were analyzed in terms of their apparent density, coefficient of thermal conductivity, compressive strength at 10% of deformation, brittleness, short-term water absorption, thermal stability, and water vapor permeability, while their morphology was examined using scanning electron microscopy and the content of closed cells. After the successful introduction of a bio-filler, it was found that the thermal insulation properties of the modified biomaterials were comparable to those of the reference material. It was concluded that it is possible to replace some petrochemical raw materials with raw materials of renewable origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing threat of climatic crisis and fossil fuel extinction has caused a boom in sustainability trends. Consumer demand for so-called eco-friendly products has been steadily increasing, built upon the foundation of environmental protection and safeguarding for future generations. A natural product that has been used for centuries is cork, resulting from the outer bark of Quercus suber L. Currently, its major application is the production of cork stoppers for the wine industry, a process that, although considered sustainable, generates by-products in the form of cork powder, cork granulates, or waste such as black condensate, among others. These residues possess constituents of interest for the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, as they exhibit relevant bioactivities, such as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant. This interesting potential brings forth the need to develop methods for their extraction, isolation, identification, and quantification. The aim of this work is to describe the potential of cork by-products for the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry and to assemble the available extraction, isolation, and analytical methods applied to cork by-products, as well the biological assays. To our knowledge, this compilation has never been done, and it opens new avenues for the development of new applications for cork by-products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shear thickening fluids (STF) are a class of fluids whose viscosity significantly rises under external loads. The research on these fluids has been advancing in recent years regarding prospective practical applications, including developing impact-absorbing composites. Following the green agendas governments and legislators advocate, this study investigates the combination of STF and other sustainable materials. Cork is a naturally occurring cellular material with a negative carbon footprint and superior energy absorption properties. With varying concentrations of STF material, cork agglomerates were formed. As an innovative point, the analysed blends are homogeneous, contrasting with previous literary works. Samples contained from 0 to 30 wt.% of STF. A series of experiments were conducted in quasi-static and dynamic conditions (100 J impact tests) to determine the various mechanical responses. Increasing the concentration of STF (20 and 30 wt.%) will influence the mechanical behaviour of cork agglomerates by providing softer deceleration rates and dispersing more energy through disaggregation mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper builds on the growing interest in using walking interviews and visual methods to understand stories of place-making in migration. Walking offers a mobile way of being in the space that combines and connects our sense of self to objects, spaces and people who inhabit them. In this paper, I am using the recent approach in walking methods developed by O'Neill and Roberts (2020) called the Walking Interview as Biographical Method (WIBM hereafter) to discuss my experiences of conducting walking interviews with young male migrants in Cork, Ireland. The paper explores how 'city as home' is understood from a female researcher's perspective of or when doing research with male participants, and approaches WIBM from four perspectives: WIBM as temporal, WIBM as embodied, WIBM as spatial and WIBM's tacit mode. The paper's contribution is to detail the potential of WIBM's modes as a method of place-making in urban settings among migrant groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Haloanisoles in wine have devastating effects on the aroma and quality of the wine. 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA) was discovered and coined as "cork taint" in 1982. However, we now understand that there are many more haloanisoles that contribute to these musty odors, including 2,4,6-Tribromoanisiole (TBA), 2,3,4,6-tetrachloroanisole (TeCA), and pentachloroanisole (PCA). While TCA, TeCA, and PCA can all be traced back to the cork, TBA's phenol precursor is ubiquitous in building material as a fire retardant, making it a much larger vector. All haloanisoles have the ability to aerosolize and resettle onto surfaces in the winery, making this a very difficult problem to eliminate. This literature review will cover the multiple haloanisoles found in wine, their sensory impacts, their effect on wine quality, and current methodologies with regard to their analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For future spacecraft TPS (heat shield) applications, ablation experiments of carbon phenolic material specimens with two lamination angles (0° and 30°) and two specially designed SiC-coated carbon–carbon composite specimens (with either cork or graphite base) were conducted using an HVOF material ablation test facility. The heat flux test conditions ranged from 3.25 to 11.5 MW/m2, corresponding to an interplanetary sample return re-entry heat flux trajectory. A two-color pyrometer, an IR camera, and thermocouples (at three internal locations) were used to measure the specimen temperature responses. At the 11.5 MW/m2 heat flux test condition, the 30° carbon phenolic specimen's maximum surface temperature value is approximately 2327 K, which is approximately 250 K higher than the corresponding value of the SiC-coated specimen with a graphite base. The 30° carbon phenolic specimen's recession value is approximately 44-fold greater, and the internal temperature values are approximately 1.5-fold lower than the corresponding values of the SiC-coated specimen with a graphite base. This indicates that increased surface ablation and a higher surface temperature relatively reduced heat transfer to the 30° carbon phenolic specimen's interior, leading to lower internal temperature values compared to those of the SiC-coated specimen with a graphite base. During the tests, a phenomenon of periodic explosions occurred on the 0° carbon phenolic specimen surfaces. The 30° carbon phenolic material is considered more suitable for TPS applications due to its lower internal temperatures, as well as the absence of abnormal material behavior as observed in the 0° carbon phenolic material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of plant dyes in the textile industry has been very limited due to their limited sources, incomplete color space, and narrow color gamut, etc. Therefore, studies of the color properties and color gamut of natural dyes and the corresponding dyeing processes are essential for completing the color space of natural dyes and their application. In this study, water extract from the bark of Phellodendron amurense (P. amurense) was used as a dye. Dyeing properties, color gamut, and color evaluation of dyed cotton fabrics were studied, and optimal dyeing conditions were obtained. The results showed that the optimal dyeing process was pre-mordanting with liquor ratio at 1:50, P. amurense dye concentration at 5.2 g/L, mordant concentration (aluminum potassium sulfate) at 5 g/L, dyeing temperature at 70 °C, dyeing time of 30 min, mordanting time of 15 min, and pH 5. Through the optimization of the dyeing process, a maximum color gamut range was obtained with lightness L* value from 74.33 to 91.23, a* value from −0.89 to 2.96, b* value from 4.62 to 34.08, chroma C* value from 5.49 to 34.09, and hue angle h° value from 57.35° to 91.57°. Colors from light yellow to dark yellow were obtained, among which 12 colors were identified according to the Pantone Matching Systems. The color fastness against soap-washing, rubbing, and sunlight on the dyed cotton fabrics all reached grade 3 level or above, further expanding the applicability of natural dyes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural brightness of epoxy adhesives can be reduced by adding cork. Besides, when cork was magnetized, it was possible to move them depending on the properties required in each section of the adhesive bond (PAT354/2019). The main objective of this work was to study possible changes in the thermal properties of the adhesive due to the addition of magnetic cork particles. If changes were significant, the use of magnetic cork particles would be compromised. To this end, natural cork particles and magnetic cork particles, with two different particle size (53–38 and 250–125 μm) and percentage (1 and 5 v/v%), were compared as reinforcement material. Magnetic cork was obtained by co-precipitated coating, according to patent number WO2019025651. The thermal properties studied by Differential Scanning Calorimetry were activation energy of curing reaction, glass transition temperature (Tg) and thermal conductivity. Two different hardeners were studied and a factorial design (2k with k = 4) was carried out. It allowed to determine which variable or combination of variables had most impact on thermal properties. Results showed that the main parameter affecting thermal properties was the hardener, regardless of the kind of particle used. However, the presence of magnetic cork highlights further the differences found between hardeners. The conclusion of this study was that magnetic cork particles can be used as fillers in epoxy resin to make graded joints, since they do not affect the thermal properties of the resin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quercus suber L. bark (cork) is a sustainable material due to its ability to regenerate. The aim of this work was to explore cork powders, by-products of the cork industry, as sustainable sources of value-added compounds. Two types of cork powder were studied: coarse (P0) and fine (P1). A broad physicochemical characterization was carried out, regarding particle size, color, moisture content, hygroscopicity, pH, heavy metal content, NIR spectra, and volatile compounds. DPPH scavenging activity and total phenolic content were also evaluated for an ethanolic P1 extract. For both powders, Hg, As, Cd and Pb contents were below the acceptable limits and volatile compounds commonly used as fragrances were found in their composition. P1 had a smaller and more homogenous particle size, lighter brownish color, lower pH value, and lower moisture content than P0, and therefore appears to be more suitable for industrial application. P1 ethanolic extract also showed a high scavenging activity and a content of phenolic compounds of 50.46 ± 0.63 mg (as gallic acid equivalents) per g of extract. In conclusion, P1 cork powder seems to be a promising source of upcycled ingredients, such as fragrances and antioxidants, for the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dimethyl sulfide (DMS) is a flavor compound, characteristic of the truffle aroma in red wines, and is well-known to be a fruity exhauster. DMS comes from the degradation of dimethyl sulfide potential (DMSP) during winemaking. Up to now, little is known about the role of the closure on the DMSP degradation during ageing. For that purpose, the effect of four micro-agglomerated wine cork closures was studied on the DMS/DMSP equilibrium, along with six other volatile sulfur compounds (VSC), was investigated in six Shiraz wines. After three months of accelerated bottle ageing, DMS levels increased significantly in all bottles. The most permeable closures induced a lesser accumulation of DMS, suggesting that DMS could be dependent on the redox status of the wine. At the same time, the DMSP decrease was proportional to the permeability of the closures. For the first time, a possible implication of closure permeability on DMSP degradation was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Early-stage diagnosis is important to discover possible cancers in the human body. Bioanalytical methods are tools that allow for these studies. Biogenic amines are markers of several cancers in the organism, such as colorectal, lung and pancreatic. In this study, the determination of three important amines, putrescine (Put), spermidine (Spd) and cadaverine (Cad), was proposed. The use of Parallel-DPX-Cork is demonstrated for the first time in this type of application, permitting an effective methodology based on Green Analytical Chemistry (GAC) principles, with separation/quantification by GC–MS in human urine. Multivariate and univariate designs were applied, and the sample was prepared as follows: 10 min for alkaline hydrolysis under agitation with NaOH (2 mol L−1), added in a proportion of 1:8 (v/v) with the sample, at 60 °C, followed by 10 min of centrifugation at 3500 rpm, 5 min for derivatization with chloroformate isobutyl (180 µL), sample pH adjusted at 12; the extraction step was performed using 6 cycles, with 2 mL for each cycle (totalizing 12 mL of sample per experiment) and 25 mg of cork; the desorption step was carried out using 2 cycles with ethyl acetate (300 µL). LODs and LOQs were 15.2 and 50 ng mL−1 for all analytes. Intraday and interday precisions ranged from 2 to 22% and 9 to 28%, respectively. For the relative recoveries, the range was 62% to 130%. Five urine samples, collected from male and female volunteers, were analyzed using the methodology proposed, and the analytes concentrations obtained lower than LOQ and LOD.

Sandwich composites are often used as primary load-bearing structures in various industries like aviation, wind, and marine due to their high strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight ratios, but they are vulnerable to damage from Low-velocity-impact (LVI) events like dropped tools, hail, and birdstrikes. This often manifests in the form of Facesheet-Core-Debonding (FCD) and is often termed Barely-Visible-Impact-Damage (BVID), which is difficult to detect and can considerably reduce mechanical properties. In general, a balsa core sandwich is especially vulnerable to FCD under LVI as it has poorer adhesion than synthetic core materials. A cork core sandwich does show promise in absorbing LVI with low permanent indentation depth. This paper also reviews surface treatment/modification as a means of improving the adhesion of composite core and fiber materials: key concepts involved, a comparison of surface free energies of various materials, and research literature on surface modification of cork, glass, and carbon fibers. Since both balsa and cork have a relatively low surface free energy compared to other materials, this paper concludes that it may be possible to use surface modification techniques to boost adhesion and thus FCD on balsa or cork sandwich composites under LVI, which has not been covered by existing research literature.

In this study, the efficiency of mechanically alloyed Fe80Si10B10 in degrading basic red 46 azo dye is investigated. Moreover, the influences of different parameters, such as pH and time, on the elimination of the aromatic derivatives obtained as by-products of the fracture of the azo group are also analyzed. After beginning the reduction to the normal conditions of pH (4.6) and temperature, the experimental findings showed a discoloration of 97.87% after 20 min. The structure and morphology of the nanocrystalline Fe80Si10B10 powder were characterized by SEM and XRD before and after use in the degradation process. The XRD patterns of the Fe–Si–B powder after redox reaction suggest that the valent zero Fe of the alloy is the reducing agent. Powdered cork was then used as a biosorbent for the removal of the by-products generated, resulting in increasing removal percentages from pH 7 (26%) to pH 9 (62%) and a contact time of 120 min. The FTIR spectrum of the cork after adsorption shows a shift of the bands, confirming the interaction with the aromatic amines. The present findings show that metallic powders and natural cork perform well together in removing azo dye solutions and their degradation products.