Technical Specifications of Cork

If you want to get technical, we can go that route, too. SeaCork flooring doesn’t compress or shrink over time. It rebounds from just about anything. That’s typically all you really need to know. For all you engineers out there, we present the following:

Chemical Composition

45% Suberin : a complex fatty acid, and the principal component of cork, responsible for its elasticity.
27% Lignin : An integral part of the cell walls of cork.
12% Polysaccharides : The part contributing to the texture of cork.
6% Tanins : Determining its characteristic color.
5% Ceroides : The hydrophobic part which helps to ensure its impermeability.
5% Various : Minerals, water, glycerin, etc.

Technical/Physical Characteristics

Thickness: 8 mm, grooves 4 X 4 mm or 5/16″ thick, grooves 5/32″ X 5/32″
Density:
400 kg/m3 or 25lb/ft3
Compressibility: 15-20%
Traction: min. 15 d.N/cm² or 2.2 lbf/in²
Lengthening: less than 10%
Weight: 3.2 kg/m² or .65 lb/ft²

Thermal Insulation Qualities

(Measured at 20° C or 68° F)
Specific Heat: > 1500 J/kg.K or .36 Btu (IT)/pound/°F
Thermal Diffusivity: < 1.60.10-7 m².S
Thermal Conductibility: 0.05/0.06 W/mK or .38 Btu (IT) inch/hour/foot²/°F