Cork adds wood style without cutting trees

Korean supplier of interior components has a product that shares a key similarity with midcentury home den paneling.

Seoyon has developed parts that have a cork finish. Instead of being able to have only wood in a vehicle's interior, the supplier is positioning its cork-finished components as an eco-friendly, sustainable option that offers a high-end appearance that is also soft to the touch.

"This cork comes from the bark of cork wood," said YG Kang, senior manager at Seoyon America Corp. "We do not need to cut the cork wood. We are not killing the trees. We just strip out the bark and it grows back. It's sustainable."

The cork bark is cut into thin slices, ranging from 0.7 mm to 0.9 mm, for application as a veneer. The surface material is placed onto injected molded plastic, which gives it the structure required to be apart of a door trim, instrument panel or console.The process applies a water-based topcoat to protect the cork, which is permeable, from damage from scratches, stains or sunlight.

Its first production-vehicle application was on the door trim on the Hyundai Azera Hybrid, for the Korean market. Mike Lee, Seoyon engineering director, said any interior decorative surface could receive the cork veneer.

The attraction in styling comes from the cork's naturally occurring designs and patterns. But Seoyon is marketing a catalog of designs showing various colors and textures.

"The patterns and colors are almost limitless," Lee said. "Most of what the customer can imagination can be produced with cork."