| The most common use for cork remains as a | | | | acoustic purposes. Cork flooring is also easy |
| means of capping wine bottles. There are now | | | | to keep clean, requiring only vacuuming or |
| modern alternatives for this service, such as | | | | damp mopping. However, one caveat is that |
| plastic stoppers, but traditional cork | | | | since cork is a substance that expands and |
| stoppers remain the most popular choice for | | | | contracts, it is important that the humidity |
| wine purposes. In fact, it has been reported | | | | level in the building containing the cork |
| that cork accounts for only 15% of cork usage | | | | flooring be kept within a controlled range. |
| by weight, but 66% by revenue. However, cork | | | | |
| is not a one trick pony. It can be used for | | | | Cork is hypoallergenic, which makes it useful |
| some very interesting things outside of a | | | | for anything that comes in contact with human |
| wine bottle. | | | | skin. For instance, a company in Canada makes |
| | | | a computer mouse pad out of cork. Given that |
| Cork is a very unusual material in that its | | | | a computer operator's hand spends a lot of |
| cells are aligned in a honeycomb type of | | | | time on the mouse pad, this is an excellent |
| structure and filled with air, making it very | | | | option for someone with sensitive skin. |
| compressible and elastic. When pressed, cork | | | | |
| will return to its original shape. This | | | | In 2002, American John Pollack and his |
| property makes it useful for many purposes in | | | | partner Garth Goldstein made international |
| industry and the arts. | | | | news by successfully navigating a boat down |
| | | | the Douro River in Portugal that was made |
| One of the more common industry uses for cork | | | | entirely of cork stoppers. The project |
| is in the creation of low temperature | | | | demonstrated yet another interesting and |
| insulation, which is used to insulate things | | | | unusual use for cork, even without |
| like refrigeration pipes and water coolers. | | | | manufacturing it into any kind of particular |
| To make the insulation material, the cork is | | | | end product. |
| ground up, molded, and baked into the desired | | | | |
| shape. | | | | There has been concern in recent years about |
| | | | wineries switching away from cork. The reason |
| Cork is used in rockets. It has a high | | | | for the shift is that a cork stopper can on |
| degree of fire resistance, also making it a | | | | occasion ruin the taste of wine. Rather than |
| good insulation material for high temperature | | | | being a good environmental move, it is argued |
| environments. NASA uses cork in rockets to | | | | that the shift away from cork will be |
| prevent rocket fuel from getting too hot | | | | damaging to the environment. The reason is |
| during ignition. | | | | that without wineries using cork, the demand |
| | | | for cork would fall to the point that cork |
| Cork is a wonderful material for flooring | | | | forests would stop being maintained or |
| that is available in many colors and | | | | replaced altogether with more profitable |
| patterns. Cork is durable and can be | | | | products. Therefore, coming up with new and |
| installed on almost any floor. It provides | | | | innovative uses for cork may be critical to |
| excellent insulation for both thermal and | | | | its future. |