Cork - raw (cork forestry)

Emissions generated by the activity within the product supply chain as described in ecoinvent v3.10. The product 'raw cork' represents the raw bark of cork oak (Quercus suber). Cork is a very light material with a density of 0.12 to 0.2 kg/m3. Cork is further characterized by high elasticity impermeability low thermal and electrical conductivity and high resistance to wearing. Cork production in the ecoinvent database represents production in a silvipastoral extensive management system as common in Portugal. Cork oaks are stripped the first time when they are about 25 years old. The so-called 'virgin cork' from the first stripping is of poor quality and thus of minor value. Afterwards the trees are stripped at intervals of about ten years until the oak is 150 to 200 years old (in Portugal 140 years is the maximum rotation period in commercial cork production). The harvesting of cork is done manually using special knives and axes. Raw cork is used for the manufacturing of cork stoppers or agglomerates which are used for insulation and flooring materials. The cut-off classification is allocatable product. The activity type is ordinary transforming activity. The reference product amount is 1.