Valorization of virgin cork by the design of cork-plaster composites

Abstract

The aim of this study is to develop a composite insulation material based on plaster and virgin cork from Corsica which has an insufficient quality for cork stoppers. This paper presents the results of design and characterization. In this study, six cork-plaster mixtures with a C/P ratio of 0.025; 0.05; 0.075; 0.10; 0.15; 0.20 were produced. The cork-plaster composites were compared with a reference sample without cork particles in terms of properties. It was observed that the compressive and flexural strength, density, and thermal conductivity decrease with the increase of the cork content. The value of thermal conductivity (0.460 – 0.168 W/(m⋅K)) shows that virgin cork-plaster composites can be used in building applications as non-structural material.