Behavior of Natural Cork Stoppers when Modifying Standard Corking Parameters: Three Practical Cases

$20.00

Behavior of Natural Cork Stoppers when Modifying Standard Corking Parameters: Three Practical Cases

C. Prades López, M. Sánchez-González

Abstract. In the elaboration of wine many factors directly affect the quality and properties of the final product, among them the choice of bottle and stopper. Standard cork stoppers measure 24 mm in diameter. This dimension determines the thickness or minimum caliper of the cork on the tree, which should be approximately 29 mm for the manufacture of one-piece natural cork stoppers. In Spain, an average of 54,614 tons of cork were produced per year in the period 2006–2013. However, both the thickness and quality of the cork has decreased, thus affecting the percentage of cork that can be used to manufacture natural stoppers, as well as the quality of the stoppers produced. This declining trend could be stabilized or reversed when new cork plantations enter into production following the reforestation of agricultural land. This work aims to address a current need that has arisen in the sector: to increase the percentage of cork stoppers of sufficient caliper and quality for the manufacture of one-piece natural stoppers. In order to increase the quantity of cork suitable for manufacturing natural stoppers, it is necessary to modify the corking diameters by reducing the diameter of the stopper and the compression rate, while ensuring the impermeability of the cork to liquids and gases.

Keywords
Cork, Bottleneck Diameter, Stopper Diameter, Compression Rate, Compression Force, Relaxation Force, Diametrical Recovery

Published online 9/20/2019, 8 pages
Copyright © 2019 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA

Citation: C. Prades López, M. Sánchez-González, Behavior of Natural Cork Stoppers when Modifying Standard Corking Parameters: Three Practical Cases, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 14, pp 20-27, 2019

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.21741/9781644900413-4

The article was published as article 4 of the book Cork Science and its Applications II

References
[1] Anjos O, Pereira H, Rosa ME. 2008. Effect of quality, porosity and density on the compression properties of cork. Holz Roh Werkst 66(4):295–301. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00107-008-0248-2
[2] Cork Quality Council. 2015. Industry Statistics. https://www.corkqc.com/pages/industry-statistics
[3] Fortes MA, Rosa ME, Pereira H. 2004. A Cortiça. IST Press, Lisboa
[4] Ghalem Amina, Barbosa Inés, Bluhraoua Rachid Tarik, Costa Augusta. 2018. Climate signal in cork-ring chronologies: case studies in southwestern Portugal and northwestern Algeria. Tree-ring research 74 (1): 15-27. https://doi.org/10.3959/1536-1098-74.1.15
[5] González-Hernández F, Gonzalez-Adrados JR, Garcia de Ceca JL .2012. Patente de Invención P200901750: Equipo para la medida de la fuerza de relajación de tapones tras el encorchado [Patent of Invention P200901750: Device for the measurement of the relaxation force of stoppers after corking].
[6] González Hernández, F., González Adrados, J.R., García de Ceca, J.L., Sánchez González, M. 2014. Quality grading of cork stoppers based on porosity, density and elasticity. Eur. J. Wood Prod. 72:149-156. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00107-013-0760-x
[7] Giunchi A, Versari A, Parpinello GP, Galassi S. 2008. Analysis of mechanical properties of cork stoppers and synthetic closures used for wine bottling. J Food Eng 88(4):576–580. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2008.03.004
[8] MAPAMA 1940 – 1971. ESTADISTICA FORESTAL DE ESPAÑA
[9] http://www,mapama,gob,es/es/desarrollo- rural/estadisticas/forestal_estadistica_forestal_1940_1971,aspx
[10] MAPAMA 2005_2013. ESTADISTICA FORESTAL DE ESPAÑA http://www,mapama,gob,es/es/desarrollo- rural/estadisticas/forestal_anual_otros_aprovechamientos,aspx
[11] NORMA UNE-EN 12726 – 2000: Envases y embalajes. Boca para tapón de corcho con un diámetro de entrada de 18.5 mm para corchos y cápsulas de seguridad.
[12] Ovando Paola. Campos Pablo. Montero Gregorio. 2007. Forestaciones con encina y alcornoque en el área de la dehesa en el marco del Reglamento (CEE) 2080/92 (1993-2000). Revista Española de Estudios Agrosociales y Pesqueros nº 214 pp 173-186
[13] Pereira H. 2007. Cork: biology, production and uses. Elsevier, Oxford. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-044452967-1/50013-3
[14] Prades C; Gómez-Sánchez, I; García-Olmo J; González-Hernández F;, González- Adrados JR. 2014. Application of VIS/NIR spectroscopy for estimating chemical, physical and mechanical properties of cork stoppers. Wood Sci Technol 48 (4): 811- 830. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00226-014-0642-3
[15] Rodney Keenan J. 2015. Climate change impacts and adaptation in forest management: a review. Annals of Forest Science 72:145–167. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13595-014-0446-5