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Paving the Way for Sustainability through the Use of Cork-Based Materials

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Engineering and Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 4 May 2024 | Viewed by 3229

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Ricardo J. Alves de Sousa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Aveiro, Campus Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Interests: green composites; cork; numerical simulation; biomechanics; metal forming
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce a new Special Issue of the journal Sustainability, “Paving the Way for Sustainability through the Use of Cork-Based Materials”.

Cork is a natural cellular material. Cellular materials have been used in many applications over the last several decades, from aerospace to construction, medicine and architecture, and are currently very popular, given their excellent cost/properties ratio. For these kinds of applications, several mechanical, thermal and acoustic properties must be taken into account.

After the rapid spread of oil-derived cellular materials such as expanded polystyrene, expanded polypropylene, EVA, etc., environmental concerns are pushing governments, consumers and producers to seek more sustainable materials.

This Special Issue aims to collect original contributions related to developing cork-based materials and their applications. The following topics are welcomed and not limited to:

- Development of cork-based composite materials;

- Carbon footprint and life-cycle assessment of cork-based products;

- Evaluation of material properties (mechanical, thermal, acoustic, etc.);

- Study of cork materials at different length scales;

- New cork-based solutions as a sustainable alternative;

- Sustainability of the manufacturing processes of cork-based products.

This Special Issue is in cooperation with the 4th International Conference on Cork Science and Applications (CSA 2023) (for more information, please click: http://corkscience.web.ua.pt/).

Dr. Ricardo J. Alves de Sousa
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cork
  • composites
  • sustainable materials
  • carbon footprint
  • eco-friendly

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 1059 KiB  
Article
Novel Sustainable Alternatives for the Study of the Chemical Composition of Cork
by María Verdum and Patricia Jové
Sustainability 2024, 16(2), 575; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16020575 - 09 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 676
Abstract
Cork is a natural and renewable material extracted from the cork oak Quercus suber L. (1) Background: The cellular structure and chemical composition of the plant wall give cork its physical and mechanical properties. Chemically, the composition of cork is principally dominated by [...] Read more.
Cork is a natural and renewable material extracted from the cork oak Quercus suber L. (1) Background: The cellular structure and chemical composition of the plant wall give cork its physical and mechanical properties. Chemically, the composition of cork is principally dominated by the presence of suberin as the main structural cell wall component and affected by its close association with other components. The usual chemical analysis of cork has been partially adapted from wood and other lignocellulosic analytical methods and it is a method with extensive procedures. This study aims to (i) find quicker and more sustainable methods for testing the cork chemical composition, (ii) conduct extraction tests using alternative techniques, (iii) optimize alternative methodologies, and (iv) validate the proposed sustainable methodologies. (2) Methods: Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) are explored as alternative systems to the traditional method. The percentages of the extractives obtained via MAE are lower than the percentages obtained by means of the classical composition. (3) Results: However, the percentages of suberin are very similar in both methods: 46.39% in the case of the classical composition and 45.11% in the case of microwave-assisted extraction. No significant differences are observed between the content of the extractives in the dichloromethane, ethanol, and water obtained via ASE and the results obtained with the classical methodology. (4) Conclusions: MAE and ASE are faster methods; they use less solvents and provide more reproducible results than the classical chemical composition methodology. These data pave the way for novel sustainable alternatives relative to the studies of the chemical composition of cork. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Paving the Way for Sustainability through the Use of Cork-Based Materials)
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11 pages, 1883 KiB  
Communication
Safeguarding Cork’s Beauty and Longevity: Innovations in Deposition of Protective Thin Films
by Belgacem Tiss, Diego Martínez-Martínez, Catalina Mansilla, Joel Borges, Martin Andritschky and Luís Cunha
Sustainability 2023, 15(24), 16701; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152416701 - 09 Dec 2023
Viewed by 877
Abstract
Cork is a sustainable natural material widely used as a wine stopper. However, some other uses, such as wall coverings, flooring, bags and shoes, face UV damage. To mitigate this issue, we explored the deposition of TiO2 and ZnO thin films via [...] Read more.
Cork is a sustainable natural material widely used as a wine stopper. However, some other uses, such as wall coverings, flooring, bags and shoes, face UV damage. To mitigate this issue, we explored the deposition of TiO2 and ZnO thin films via magnetron sputtering on glass and cork substrates. Both films displayed uniformity and the lack of any discernible cracks or voids, remained transparent in the visible region, and offered UV protection. Thus, TiO2 and ZnO blocked UV light with a wavelength of up to 310 nm (Eg = 4 eV) and 370 nm (Eg = 3.3 eV), respectively. Exposure tests, under a sun simulator lamp, revealed that the uncoated cork showed noticeable color changes, even when located under a glass substrate. The TiO2 coating did not prevent cork discoloration, while ZnO prevented it. This study highlights ZnO thin films as a durable solution to safeguard cork materials from UV damage and extend their usability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Paving the Way for Sustainability through the Use of Cork-Based Materials)
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17 pages, 3034 KiB  
Article
Shear Thickening Fluids in Cork Agglomerates: An Exploration of Advantages and Drawbacks
by Guilherme José Antunes e Sousa, Ana Rita Santos Rocha, Gabriel Ferreira Serra, Fábio António Oliveira Fernandes and Ricardo José Alves de Sousa
Sustainability 2023, 15(8), 6764; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086764 - 17 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1147
Abstract
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, [...] Read more.
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. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Paving the Way for Sustainability through the Use of Cork-Based Materials)
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