Reinventing thermal protection
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Reinventing thermal protection Insulation and ablative materials

Cork, an exceptional raw material Cork is the outer bark of the cork oak tree (Quercus Suber L.), the 100% natural plant tissue covering the trunk and branches. It consists of a honeycomb-like structure of microscopic cells filled with an air-like gas and coated mainly with suberin and lignin. One cubic centimeter of cork contains about 40 million cells. Cork is also known as “nature’s foam” due to its alveolar cellular structure. It has a closed-cell structure making it lightweight, airtight and watertight, resistant to acids, fuels and oils, and impervious to rot. It is sustainably...

Applications Amorim Cork Composites has been manufacturing and supplying cork-based materials used in Thermal Protection Systems for the Aerospace Industry since the dawn of the space age. Our materials application portfolio ranges from Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB) to Expendable Launch Vehicle Systems (ELVS) that require thermal isolation and ablative thermal protection systems in various locations. Expendable Launch Vehicle System (ELVS) Cryogenic tanks Rocket engine Rocket engine Solid Rocket Booster Nose cone (air stream) Frustum (air stream) Forward Skirt Main parachute Support system...

Process friendly Custom materials Proven technology • Easily bonded to most substrate materials, using common adhesive systems. • Can be trimmed and machined with regular tools or equipment without the need for any specific protection equipment. • Easily covered with specific coatings or varnishes. • Easily integrated on sandwiches (CFRP composites); no need for complex fitting techniques. • Materials are made of cork granules agglomerated with special phenolic binders that can be tailored to suit a particular requirement (fire-proof, anti-fungi, etc). • Sheet thickness according...

Success Records Since the dawn of the space age, Amorim Cork Composites has been supplying sheet materials or specially graded cork granules to the aerospace market worldwide. “60’s” Scout Mercury Spacecraft Gemini Spacecraft Saturn V “90’s” Space Shuttle Ariane 4 Titan IV Pegasus XL “Today” Mars Rovers Delta IV Beagle Pegasus XL Ariane 5 Atlas III-A Atlas V Vega Falcon 9 IXV Spacecraft