ECO FOAM MATERIALS RANGE

Polyurethanes (PUs) are widely used in many applications, such as insulation materials, automotive parts, bedding and furniture, electrical, flotation, packaging, and structural materials. PU foam is made through the reaction of isocyanates and polyols. Currently, both polyols and isocyanates are mainly derived from petroleum resources. However, due to increasing concerns over the depletion of fossil fuels and their negative impacts on the environment, there is growing interest in the exploration for renewable feedstocks to replace petroleum derived polyols either partially or completely with bio-based polyols for the production of PU foams.

A number of vegetable oils have been used to prepare PU foams, such as soybean oil, palm oil, castor oil, rape seed oil, linseed oil, However, some of these vegetable oils are produced on a very limited commercial scale. Bio-based polyols can also be produced by conversion of abundantly available biomass into bio-oils using chemical, thermochemical or biological methods.

We are researching, testing and investing in foams made from plant-based bio-oil and recycled materials. An example of this is castor beans, a non-food source that doesn’t compete with food crops and uses very little water to grow. The rapidly renewable plant has been naturalised in warm climates all over the world and can grow ten feet in a single season. The use of castor oil reduces the need for petroleum and uses fewer natural resources to produce. It with potentially allow us to provide our customers with eco-friendly, reduced petroleum solutions with uncompromised functionality and performance, while limiting the impact on the planet.

We are also offering polyethylene materials which have been made from at least 30% recycled material. Our suppliers are currently reviewing and developing products not yet achieving 30% recycled content to understand if these can also be commercially produced.

It is our aim to introduce Bio-based Adhesives which are clean, sustainably sourced bio-based raw materials. We are committed to becoming a greener manufacturer and are always researching new sustainable innovations to help meet our climate goals, one of these is the use of bio-based and vegan adhesives.