Experimental study of natural cork and cork agglomerates as a substitute for expanded polystyrene foams under compressive loads

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is a material that widely used in energy absorbing applications, especially helmets, despite its non-renewable origin. Cork and derivatives, however, are proposed as substitute for foam due to their renewable origin easy recyclability. In spite of the low-environmental footprint cork there insufficient data on mechanical behaviour. Consequently, under dynamic quasi-static loads, four different-density EPS, natural five different products with grain sizes heat treatments were tested. They compared terms stress–strain specific curve, volumetric capability absorb energy, average decelerations peak deceleration. Finally, EPS foams cannot recover initial shape upon deformation low resilience capability. This important applications such which bound be subjected multiple impacts. However, could have this would therefore more suitable certain applications.