CORK
Exploring Cork as a Biomaterial
This is a material exploration project that delves into the potential of cork as a sustainable biomaterial for product design. Recognized for its renewable and biodegradable properties, cork offers a unique combination of durability, lightness, and natural aesthetic appeal. This project explores the versatility of cork through the creation of a functional and tangible product, highlighting its potential in sustainable design.
The journey begins with an in-depth material study, examining cork's structural and functional characteristics. By leveraging cork's natural properties, the project aims to create a body armour that is not only environmentally friendly but also showcases the material's inherent beauty and practicality. The resulting design visualizes how cork can be effectively utilized in contemporary industrial design, promoting sustainability without compromising on style and functionality.
Project Type
Group Project of 3 | Biomaterial exploration
Program
New Materials | ECUAD
Output
Prototype
Materials
Cork, Fabric, Velcro
Co-Designers
Joseph Zou, Bill Sun
Year
2022
Cork’s properties?
Exploring cork as a biomaterial allowed us to experiment with its impact resistance and energy absorption properties. The journey involved multiple stages of experimentation with different natural binders and combinations to achieve the desired sponginess and structural integrity.
Impact Resistance & Energy Absorption.
Applications | Body protection armour or gear
Design Considerations | Thickness, flexibility, surface area
Experiment #1
Binder: Pine & Oak Tree Rosin
Ingredients: Cork (various sizes), melted rosin, water, cornstarch, rice flour
Outcome: The pucks were too hard, indicating a need for a spongier texture.
Experiment #2
Binder: Rice & Pasta
Ingredients: Cork (various sizes), blended rice, blended pasta, water, cornstarch, glycerin
Outcome: Achieved partial success with rice-based pucks retaining sponginess, while pasta-based pucks turned hard.
Experiment #3
Building on our success with rice as a binder, we experimented further with its use. The rice fat was crucial for cohesion and sponginess.
Next, we added milk as a second binder and created a larger puck for testing. While the puck was spongy, it had some brittleness under pressure. We then decided to boil milk and rice together to better integrate the fat, aiming to improve cohesion and flexibility.
Binder: Rice & Milk
Ingredients: Rice, milk, cornstarch, glycerin, cork (various sizes)
Process: Boiled milk and rice together, mixed with cork granules, applied minimal pressure
Outcome: Successful pucks with both rigidity and sponginess, exploring different granule sizes.
We made a larger puck using the same recipe without applying pressure and added coconut fiber for layer integrity. This didn't work well, as pressure was necessary. However, it showed that our rice and milk binder combination was effective, producing strong and squishy separate layers.
Experiment #4
Process: Boiled cork with milk and rice, mixed with cornstarch and glycerin, flattened on mold trays
Outcome: Strong and spongy samples, effective drying in the ventilation booth
Other than the molding, the samples from our last combination turned out very well. They were strong, spongy, and flexible. This is a good starting point before progressing into sandwich structures, as we now know which combinations work.
We found the ventilation booth more effective for drying than the cabinet due to better air circulation. Our next step is to layer the structures and see how they bind to support the final product we want.
Applications
“200,000 injuries related to snow sports happen EVERY year in Canada. That’s nearly 550 per day, which gives us a truer representation of how many injuries occur annually due to snowboarding.”
Falls Onto the Coccyx, Upper Legs, and Buttocks
Most snowboarding wipeouts result when the boarder lands directly onto their butt or lower back. This is especially the case for beginners who can’t maintain their balance. But even seasoned pros hurt these areas of their bodies, especially when wiping out on rotational tricks.
Back/Spinal
These injuries occur 5.1 times per 100,000 snowboarding visits, making them fairly rare. Even so, back injuries can lead to lifelong consequences, especially if you land on a hard object and break a bone.
Getting into some 3d modelling, we designed the 6 centre parts so that it can fit a range of demographics. We decided to do the scale by measuring different body types. Then we designed the 2 strips on the side to give it more surface area and we ended up having 16 parts in total.
We moved onto 3d printing the mold structure so that we can use it for vacuum forming
We did a test by replacing sticky rice with normal rice in the existing recipe we had. The sticky rice gave us some success helping to move forward.
Using that recipe, we patted in the mixture into the mold with very minimal pressure and the results turned out well.
The first pieces from our tests tuned out well fitting the scale we wanted, then we moved onto making the remaining parts.
We sewed the Velcro attachments to a piece of fabric for better visualization. While this was not our ideal outcome in terms of functionality and aesthetics, it was the highest level of fidelity we could achieve within our time constraints.
This project underscored the importance of experimenting with natural materials and sustainable practices. The journey from initial brainstorming to successful prototypes demonstrated the value of persistence and adaptability. Our spongy, flexible pucks showcase cork's potential as a viable alternative to traditional impact-resistant materials. This experience has broadened my material knowledge and inspired further exploration in sustainable design. By presenting cork as an innovative choice, this project paves the way for eco-conscious designers and consumers to embrace the future of sustainable design.