2, 4, 6-trichloroanisole evolution during cork stabilization: The contribution of a Masters´ student internship to the resolution of an industrial problem

A successful internship developed in the scope of a Masters in Chemical and Biological Processes in an industrial environment is presented. This practice has proven to be a great instrument to improve students´ skills and practical competencies. In addition, this collaboration generally results in great benefits to industry. A national cork stopper producer hoping to greatly improve its knowledge on the cork stabilization process and trace the evolution of contaminants signed an agreement for a Masters´ student internship. An experimental project was implemented in order to monitor the contaminant 2, 4, 6-trichloroanisole, responsible for the traditional “cork taint” in wine during the cork stabilization process. The conclusions obtained in this preliminary study revealed a marked decrease in the contaminant content during the stabilization period of eight months reinforcing the idea that stabilization has an important role in the final quality of the cork stopper. Mean reduction values of 87 and 71% after 167 stabilization days were obtained in planks with or without yellow stain respectively. Similar values of contamination in both types of cork planks were observed after a stabilization period of five months, although the initial levels of contamination were quite different.