Objective
An agglomerate cork is obtained by combining small cork particles, polyurethane, latex and wax. This mix is extruded and compacted, then it is homogenised in a heat chamber. The moisture contained in the raw materials plays a decisive role in the proper cohesion of the mixture. During the extrusion part of the production process, bars of compacted cork agglomerate are pushed through tubes by a piston. At the end of their route, the bars activate a blade which cuts them into rough stoppers or pieces. The pieces are collected and stored for 15 days, before passing through the polymerisation and stabilisation lines, to become definitive cork. The two main problems are the improvement of stabilisation and polymerisation process even the time of the agglomerate process. Another one is the cutting system, the blades have to go through an average of 3000 cuts per tube daily, the blades lose their sharpness breaking the cork most of the time. The bar is soft producing a displacement that makes an uneven cut. A tolerance of 3 4 mm. is necessary because the bar is not stabilised and the chemical products are not compacted enough. If it is achieved the bars go through another system which accelerates the stabilisation process in a short amount of time, or the combination of the chemical products, so that the bar arrives stabilised at the end of the route, it will allow the cutting system a straight and precise cut. The resulting pieces can pass directly to the lines of finished products without levelling. The main objectives of this project is to develop an adhesive which improves the properties of the agglomerate phase, rated in 15 days, which will raise the cutting process. Moreover, the formulation of the adhesives which will be mixed the original cork particles to produce the agglomerate. This will allow: a) To reduce from 15 days to a few hours the time necessary to stabilise the mix cork adhesive. b) To reduce from 3 4 mm. to 1.2 mm. the tolerance necessary during the cutting process. c) To produce an annual saving of 500 Kecu/year in the 25 SMEs of the European agglomerate cork sector, reducing the waste material without useful application and without any value in the market, and some environmental benefits of incalculable value. d) To improve the production process in the agglomerate cork industries. e) To reduce the storage of the mix cork adhesive until it is stabilised.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
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Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CRS - Cooperative research contractsCoordinator
6500 San Vicente de Alcántara
Spain