Why Cork Naturally Mind-Blowing

Cork is the outer bark of the cork oak (Quercus Suber L.), a millenary tree that grows in the Mediterranean basin.

Harvested every nine years without felling or harming the tree, cork is one of nature’s most extraordinary inventions. Because it’s a natural plant tissue, cork is biodegradable, and its exceptional ability to retain CO2 makes it a champion of sustainability, a powerful ally against climate change.

Its one-of-a-kind chemical structure makes of cork one of the most mind-blowing materials on earth. At a microscopic level, cork is a hive-like structure of cells, where each multifaceted cell has the form of a tiny pentagonal or hexagonal prism. A single cubic centimeter of cork contains almost 40 million cells. Each cell is essentially made of suberin, which accounts for nearly half of the chemical composition of cork. Other compounds, such as lignin, polysaccharides, ceroids, and tannins are also present, although in less quantity. But this is only part of the equation. What makes cork special is what's inside: a gas mixture similar to air fills each cell, whose wall is coated with suberin. It's this incredible combination that gives cork its unique properties. Lightness, because cork is filled with gas, but also elasticity and compressibility, since cork is a combination of micro balloons, or micro pillows, gently pressing against each other.