UK Industry Leader
Of cellular solutions
Global Accreditation
IATF16949 & ISO14001
Experience of
Over 50 years
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UK Industry Leader
Of cellular solutions
Global Accreditation
IATF16949 & ISO14001
Experience of
Over 50 years
Derived from the cork oak tree (Quercus suber), cork has remained a versatile material that has served numerous applications for centuries. But beyond its common connotations as wine bottle stoppers and flooring solutions, cork has enhanced into modern manufacturing with various material alternatives suiting specific industries and applications. In this blog, we’ll discuss different cork material types and properties to discover the best solution for your manufacturing needs.
Let’s begin by delving into the three types of cork material:
Beginning with our original cork material, we obtain natural cork on the phellem layer of bark tissue from the cork oak, where the tree gets harvested for commercial use, producing various products worldwide. A mixture of suberin (40%) with hydrophobic substances, cork is a lightweight, buoyant, and impermeable material with elastic and fire-retardant properties.
The unique cellular structure consisting of millions of tiny air pockets provides natural cork with these signature lightweight, flexible and resilient capabilities. Above all its applications, perhaps the most common and associated is its use as a wine stopper. We also see natural cork used regularly for industrial flooring, underlayment, and anti-vibration insulation for numerous types of machinery.
Another benefit of natural cork is its sustainable potential due to merely stripping the bark instead of cutting trees down. Therefore, across its 200-300-year lifespan, a cork oak tree can be harvested multiple times for generations. The UK saw an increase in natural cork imports in 2023, rising by 180% thanks to a positive shift to sustainable incentives.
A blend of natural cork with neoprene rubber, neoprene cork offers enhanced flexibility, durability, and chemical resistance. Integrating neoprene rubber allows the material to withstand harsher environments and temperature fluctuations.
Like neoprene cork, nitrile cork combines the properties of natural cork with nitrile rubber to provide excellent oil, fuel, and solvent resistance. Nitrile rubber maintains cork’s flexibility, resilience and versatility while enhancing its overall chemical resistance.
Due to its impermeable nature and lightweight flexibility, cork provides a superior sealant and insulation solution for multiple applications. Some of these applications include:
Cork gaskets cover a range of applications, including valve covers, electrical transformer gaskets and sumps. Depending on the cork material, cork gaskets will suit specific industry requirements. See which cork gasket material across natural, neoprene and nitrile best suits your specifications.
Widely used across the automotive and machinery industry due to their remarkable compressibility and resilient capabilities, natural cork gaskets provide a reliable seal for fluids and gases, especially when ensuring the long-term performance of machinery.
Natural cork gaskets also offer an excellent anti-vibration solution, reducing noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) to support vehicle and machinery dynamics.
Ideal for oil, fuel and chemical resistance, neoprene cork gaskets are commonly seen in the automotive, marine, and industrial sectors, preventing harsh substances from affecting machinery and equipment.
Common in automotive, aerospace, and manufacturing industries, nitrile cork gaskets are ideal for fuel, solvent, and oil resistance.
Whether covering gaps or expansion joints, cork strips help mask gaps between surfaces, especially for flooring solutions.
Natural cork strips support applications with vibration dampening and sound insulation. This benefit is ideal for reducing NVH for machinery and equipment while improving the overall operational efficiency, longevity and performance.
Neoprene cork strip offers excellent weather resistance to suit outdoor applications like window and door seals, with enhanced sound and thermal insulation.
With superior chemical resistance, nitrile cork strip supports applications used in laboratories and chemical processing facilities. Like neoprene cork strips, they also offer a suitable thermal and sound insulation solution.
Washers help keep screws secured while distributing loads between nuts and bolts over a larger area. Cork materials make ideal washers due to their anti-vibration capabilities.
Popular in plumbing and hydraulic systems, natural cork washers are often applied due to their impermeability and compressibility, preventing leaks and sealing joints in the process.
Where resistance to oil and chemical exposure is essential, neoprene should be your cork washer of choice. You can find neoprene cork washers used especially for hydraulic and pneumatic systems.
Perfect for joint sealing across hydraulics, pneumatics and chemical processing systems, nitrile cork washers provide chemical and oil resistance for leak-free functionality across your applications.
Common across pub tables or kitchen worktops, cork pads offer a shock absorption and heat-resistant solution for everyday applications. However, our three cork materials provide the following capabilities for manufacturing purposes.
Excellent cushioning for packaging and transportation, natural cork pads can protect delicate products and components from impact and damage during distribution.
We can find neoprene cork pads used for heavy-duty applications due to their enhanced durability and overall resilience. Neoprene cork pads also support machinery and equipment due to their shock absorption and anti-vibration capabilities.
Perfect for protecting your machinery and equipment from chemical exposure and abrasion, nitrile cork pads protect applications where resistance to oil, fuels and solvents is necessary.
Durable, waterproof, and cost-effective, cork tape provides a reliable and flexible product for sealing and insulation applications.
Natural cork tape can provide a protective barrier against moisture and contaminants while offering easy application for irregular surfaces.
As a superior seal against water, gasses and other liquids, neoprene cork tape is an ideal seam and joint sealant for outdoor and marine applications. Weather-resistant properties make neoprene cork tape an excellent choice for various environmental conditions regardless of extremity.
Nitrile cork tape provides an excellent seal solution for chemical processing plants and manufacturing facilities, offering superior oil, chemical and solvent resistance under low pressure.
At Ramsey Cellular Sealing Solutions, we offer an extensive range of natural, neoprene and nitrile cork solutions for numerous applications. With full conversion capabilities across material slitting, adhesive laminating, fabrication and assembly, we can provide a bespoke service, offering cork applications in custom widths, lengths, thicknesses and densities. As an IAFT 16949:2016, ISO 19001:2013 and ISO 14001:2015 accredited company, we ensure all our cork materials are industry-compliant and fit for purpose. For more details about how our cork materials and applications can support your manufacturing requirements, get in touch today.
Please feel free to get in touch, to speak with one of our team of experts or simply fill out our online contact form below. We look forward to hearing from you.
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Ramsay Rubber & Plastics Limited
Vulcan Road, Bilston
West Midlands WV14 7HT
T +44 (0) 1902 407150
F +44 (0) 1902 407160
