cork facts

12 Surprising Facts About Cork That Will Amaze You

12 Surprising Facts About Cork That Will Amaze You
Dive into the fascinating world of cork as we unravel 12 extraordinary facts about this versatile and sustainable material. From being a key component in NASA spacecraft heat shields to gracing the floors of the iconic Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona, cork's uses are as diverse as they are surprising.
  1. The number of corks produced each year is enough to circle the globe a whopping 15 times! 
  2. Famous Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona boasts a cork floor, meticulously chosen to enhance acoustic qualities as well as to eliminate the sensation of coldness.
  3. The first bottle of Coca-Cola, between 1894 and 1899, was sealed with cork stoppers.
  4. In Ancient Greece, only priests were allowed to cut cork trees that were seen as a symbol of freedom and honour.
  5. NASA uses cork as a key component in the construction of the spacecraft's heat shields.
  6. Cork oak trees can live for more than 200 years, with the first harvest of cork bark typically occurring when the tree reaches about 25 years of age.
  7. Cork oak forests act like nature's superheroes, soaking up a staggering 14 million tons of CO2 annually. To put that into perspective, it's equivalent to removing the emissions from about 3 million cars each year!
  8. Hollywood uses cork for special effects, particularly in creating debris from explosions due to its lightweight and safe properties. In movies such as "Ghostbusters" and "Mission Impossible," cork has been employed as a material to simulate debris flying through the air during explosive scenes.
  9. The largest cork stopper ever produced measured 3.5 metres in diameter.
  10. Cork can be compressed to almost half of its size and still regain its original shape and volume when released, highlighting its remarkable elasticity.
  11. Annually, the world produces around 340,000 tons of cork, which could cover an area equivalent to approximately 2,200,000 football fields.
  12. Portuguese cork stoppers are highly regarded in the wine and spirits industry for their superior sealing properties which help preserve the flavors and quality of the whisky. Portuguese cork stoppers were chosen to close the world’s most expensive whisky, Dalmore Trinitas 64 which costs 118,000 euros a bottle. 
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