Method of making thermoplastic elastomer cork composite

A method for fabricating at least a portion of a midsole of a piece of footwear, the method comprising:

• (a) providing a plurality of cork particles in a volume;
• (b) adding an aqueous dispersion of thermoplastic elastomer to the volume to provide a mixture of the aqueous dispersion of thermoplastic elastomer and the cork particles;
• (c) agitating the mixture of the aqueous dispersion of thermoplastic elastomer and the cork particles;
• (d) heating the mixture of the thermoplastic elastomer and the cork particles;
• (e) allowing the mixture of the thermoplastic elastomer and the cork particles to cool;
• wherein steps (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) together result in a plurality of coated cork particles being coated in a first layer of the thermoplastic elastomer;
• and
• wherein the method further comprises:
• introducing the plurality of coated cork particles into a mold to form at least a portion of a midsole of a piece of footwear;
• applying pressure to the plurality of coated cork particles in the mold;
• and
• applying heat to the plurality of coated cork particles in the mold.

A method of fabricating a cork composite material, the method comprising:

• (a) providing a plurality of cork particles in a volume;
• (b) adding a dispersion of thermoplastic elastomer to the volume to provide a mixture of the dispersion of thermoplastic elastomer and the cork particles;
• (c) agitating the mixture of the dispersion of thermoplastic elastomer and the cork particles;
• (d) heating the mixture of the thermoplastic elastomer and the cork particles;
• and
• (e) allowing the mixture of the thermoplastic elastomer and the cork particles to cool;
• wherein steps (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) together result in a plurality of coated cork particles being coated in a first layer of the thermoplastic elastomer;
• and
• wherein heating the mixture of the thermoplastic elastomer and the cork particles comprises heating the mixture of the thermoplastic elastomer and the cork particles to a temperature below a glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic elastomer.

A method of fabricating a cork composite material, the method comprising:

• (a) providing a plurality of cork particles in a volume;
• (b) adding a dispersion of thermoplastic elastomer to the volume to provide a mixture of the dispersion of thermoplastic elastomer and the cork particles;
• (c) agitating the mixture of the dispersion of thermoplastic elastomer and the cork particles;
• (d) heating the mixture of the thermoplastic elastomer and the cork particles;
• and
• (e) allowing the mixture of the thermoplastic elastomer and the cork particles to cool;
• wherein steps (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) together result in a plurality of coated cork particles being coated in a first layer of the thermoplastic elastomer;
• wherein the method further comprises:
• (f) adding a dispersion of thermoplastic elastomer to the volume to provide a mixture of the dispersion of thermoplastic elastomer and the coated cork particles;
• (g) agitating the mixture of the dispersion of thermoplastic elastomer and the coated cork particles;
• (h) heating the mixture of the thermoplastic elastomer and the coated cork particles;
• and
• (i) allowing the mixture of the thermoplastic elastomer and the coated cork particles to cool;
• wherein steps (f), (g), (h) and (i) together result in the plurality of coated cork particles being coated in a second layer of the thermoplastic elastomer.