Cork Fabric
Historical Use and growth of industry:
The use of cork in textile manufacturing is a relatively new market segement, though it would be unfair to say it is really new. Cork has been used in an almost limitless number of ways, and as a textile product is just one of the more unique ones.
The production of cork fabric is relatively straight forward, though arguably quite complex. The harvesting of the cork mateial is done the same way for fabric use as it would be for using the cork raw material for any other application. Once peeled, it is boiled (forcing cellular expansion to maintain stability), and then flattened into a slab (or sheet). Then, depending on the resulting aesthetic desired (ie: the pattern needed for the fabric), a “recipe” using the various parts, pieces and slabs is created in a consolidated cork block with a urethane binding agent. The block is then placed on a slicer, and then a very thin veneer is cut. The veneer is balanced (meaning, equalized) to the textile base material, and then it is pressed together to form a homgenous and dimensional stable piece of fabric.
Compelling attributes of cork fabric:
Texture: both to the physical touch and visually, cork fabric offers a feel like no other. Though often compared to leather in its’ durability characteristics, there is nothing that feels exactly like it (since it is wood).
Natural – the fabric comes from eologically sound raw material, with physical and chemical properties that have yet to be duplicated by a man-made product or fabric. You can get a similar feel of leather without killing an animal in the process.
Stable – its physical and cellular structure gives it tremendous wear resistance, and it maintains excellent degradation ratings when exposed to harsh chemicals such as acid.
Hypoallergenic – having an extremely low surface dust absorption rating, it is immune to micro-organism proliferation (such as mites, etc.).
Waterproof – cork inherently has tremendous anti water absorption properties, and when this is coupled with additional surface treatments it can maintain waterproof characteristics.
Dirt Repellant – careful applied coating to the natural cork surface provide tremendous dust, dirt, and grease repellent characteristics.
Many backings – As mentioned below, there are a number of possible backing solutions that can fit almost any application.
Different options/types:
As referenced above in the section relating to how the product is made, there are a number of styles being made, and there are a number of others which could easily be made if the market requested them. Not only can you alter the recipes by component size percentage and the orientation of all those components, you can also dye some of the input materials so it effectively changes the look and feel. Basically, the number of aesthetic styles could be more or less limitless if the market demanded their development.
Beyond the aesthetic styles, there are also backing variations that affect where the material is most applicable in terms of use. These backing choices vary in name and availability by manufacturer, but tend to be available in derivatives suitable for almost any application. The coagulated polyurethane (known as PU) is a polyester/cotton blend with a urethane coating. Typically this is used for upholstery or leather type applications, where durability is of utmost importance, and there is a need for a tight stitch pattern. The PU can further be made into more variants, for different uses, by altering its’ thickness. For example, a thin backing (say 0.65mm in thickness) would be suitable for use in production of the aesthetic parts of shoes, but a thicker version (0.95mm) is beefier and could typically be used in shoe uppers (where more durability is needed) or in leather goods like handbags. Other backings often used are: polyester, cotton, polyester/cotton blends, paper, and non-cellulosic woven backings like nylon. Basically, if you have an application, there is likely likely a cork fabric option that would be applicable.
Comparison to traditional products:
The obvious difference when compared to other fabric material, the cork fabric is actually “wood”, while other fabrics are not. Obviously there are a multitude of types of fabric but the majority of them are either cellulose fiber based (cotton, hemp, etc.), petroleum based (polyester, vinyl, etc.), or made from animal skin (ie: leather). It essentially wears like leather, but has nothing to do with killing an animal to make it. It is surely the PETA (People of Ethical Treatment of Animals) answer to leather.
Since the cork fabric processing efforts are quite sophisticated, the wood base can be converted to a material that is as soft as velvet, extremely stain and scratch resistent, waterproof, and repellant to things such as dust and mite infestation.
Insider Knowledge and potential for market confusion:
Cork fabric is a great idea and a great material, but it is made in a process, and one needs to understand that the outcome of the product is the net sum of the steps and processes used in the manufacturing. The backing used on the material varies based on the intended use, and you need to make sure that the backing matches the use. Also, from a quality standpoint, there are people who can make cork fabric and then there a people who are really good at maiking the cork fabric. It is a question of expertise. We have tested a number of cork fabrics produced both in Europe and in Asia, and we have found that from a quality standpoint, the material found in Asia is inferior. The reason for this is processing – they have different equipment, and their source for the material is different. Some suppliers in Asia will source their fabric from Europe and make products from it, while others will try a turn-key operation that includes sourcing the raw cork, pressing it, veneering it, and then laminating onto the desired backing. Though the turn-key operation has cost savings potential (assuming quality is equal), in reality, there is value in being good at and understanding the processing methodology.
