Thermal Insulating Characteristics of Cork Agglomerate Panels in Sustainable Food Buildings

Over the last few years, the building industry has been focusing on research, on the construction of passive houses and on the use of natural, local materials that are non-toxic, recyclable and can assure high thermal insulation. Cork is a natural material whose qualities have been known since ancient times and which fully meets sustainability requirements. Cork granulate is a sustainable solution that recycles a waste product, which substantially keeps the characteristics of the original material, turning it into a resource for manufacturing new products, such as insulating panels made up of cork agglomerate, which are increasingly used in the building sector. In this paper, certain thermophysical parameters of six panels of cork agglomerate are evaluated. The tested panels of granulated cork showed thermophysical characteristics similar to those of the cork bark and even highlighted a higher diffusivity value than natural cork. Ultimately, it may be assumed that the panels of agglomerated cork are a suitable and sustainable solution particularly for the thermal insulation of buildings in hot climate areas and where a healthy environment is required, e.g. where agri-food products are processed and stored.