Cork

Cork Pads

Advanced Seals & Gaskets Ltd supply cork in most grades including natural or bonded with neoprene, nitrile and synthetic rubber, all of which can be converted into a range of products including pads with a choice of plain or self-adhesive finishes, or even laminated to one of our other materials. Our cork pads are produced on-site using drawings or measurements provided by our customers, ensuring the final product is to their exact specification.  Depending upon the size and quantity of pads required, one of many presses, bandsaws or CNC machines can be used to manufacture the final product, from one-off samples to multiple batch runs. Depending upon the size of the cork pad required, they can be supplied as loosely cut parts, or kiss-cut on rolls where a high quantity is required or for use on fast-paced assembly lines.

What are Cork Pads?

Cork consists of cork grains compressed together either with a liquid binder (natural cork) or bonded with rubber granules to create a flexible material with additional properties. Cork pads are from stock sheets or rolls, often used in the same way as a gasket, whereby they are used to create a seal between uneven surfaces and fill irregularities. Our pads can be produced as squares or rectangles with the option of radius corners, and also as circular or oval-shaped pads or ‘discs’, in a range of thicknesses. Manufacturing pads in-house even means we can supply them in a plain or self-adhesive backed finish and even laminate multiple types of material together to create bespoke and unique variations. 

Why use Cork Pads?

Cork pads are extremely versatile and available in many grades each with different properties, for this reason, cork can be found used in a multitude of industries and applications, from a basic coaster, through to gaskets in fuel tanks. Cork pads have excellent insulation and anti-vibration properties, it is water-resistant, dust-free does not support mould growth and has excellent recovery following compression. Corks pads can be found within the automotive, aerospace and engineering industry for vibration and sound absorption and to seal against oil and chemical leaks, but also found in many households as coasters or notice/pinboards.

Different Grades

Advanced Seals & Gaskets Ltd can offer several grades of cork pads for use within various industries each with its own unique characteristics, depending upon the material with which it is blended.  

Natural Cork –  a combination of grains of cork and a liquid binder known as ‘agglomeration’ to adhere the particles together. Natural Cork is relatively cheap compared to sponge and rubber and can be used as a simple noticeboard, coaster, air/dust/water seals, in thermal insulation, acoustic and anti-vibration applications.

Resin-bonded cork – a lightweight, flexible cork, produced using cork granules bound together using a synthetic resin. This grade of cork is resilient to certain acids and is often used in water retaining applications.

Nitrile bonded cork – manufactured using a combination of cork and nitrile rubber granules, giving a speckled appearance. Gaskets made from this material can be used where oil and fuel resistance is required, or where high-temperature resistance is required, industries include automotive and general engineering.

Neoprene bonded cork – Neoprene bonded cork is a combination of cork and neoprene rubber granules, bound together. This grade has the same speckled appearance as the Nitrile Bonded cork, but with different properties, with the addition of the Neoprene rubber, the cork is suited to sealing at higher temperatures and resistant to weathering and oil.  Neoprene Bonded cork is suited to oil, engineering, electrical, anti-vibration and soundproofing applications.

Benefits of Using Cork Pads

As there are many grades of bonded cork they come with countless advantages. Not only is cork aesthetically more appealing and provides lighter less intrusive characteristics than most other synthetic materials, but it is also non-toxic and not harmful to health so easy to work with without the need for protective clothing. Cork is water-resistant, resistant to mould and damp, extremely fireproof and has excellent sound, vibration and thermal properties. Cork pads can be supplied in specifically cut sizes, laminated together to produce non-standard thickness, laminated to other materials for added properties and used in prototyping to cut and manipulate to create the correct functioning gasket, pad or strip. For more information about the advantages of cork pads please get in touch.