Launching at the FachPack show in September, new BioFoam from packaging and plastic industrial products supplier Synprodo is said to be the first organically based, compostable foam with properties and design capabilities comparable with Styropor or rigid foam.
A rigid foam comparable with EPS, with a structure and appearance, and insulating and mechanical properties equivalent to those of Styropor, BioFoam is coloured green to distinguish it from EPS.
BioFoam can be reused without a loss of quality, is biodegradable under industrial conditions, and does not degrade at room temperature.
The foam is lightweight and insensitive to moisture, and is also resistant to mould and UV radiation.
Organic source
According to Netherlands-headquartered Synprodo, BioFoam is made of PLA sourced from sugar cane or cassava starch.
Lactic acid is heated and polymerised in several cleaning and processing stages before a hot melt granulation produces beads.
These are mixed with additives and subject to a further hot melt granulation before a propellant is incorporated.
Finally, the pellets are impregnated with CO2 in a pressure vessel, where they are expanded to BioFoam beads by a temperature change.
Certified
BioFoam has received certification from the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute for achieving high standards on sustainability and safety.
“BioFoam is the first biodegradable foam packaging in the world to receive this [Cradle to Cradle Certified Products Program] award,” says Peter de Bruijn, general sales manager at Synprodo.
“Our innovation combines high environmental compatibility with a variety of shapes and sizes – which makes it unique and suitable for a variety of applications.”
BioFoam is said to be continuously reusable without a loss of quality, and also helps to “significantly reduce” CO2 emissions, requiring even less energy in its manufacture than that required for EPS production.
Synprodo’s products will be available for trade visitors to view on Stand 558, Hall 7 at FachPack in Nuremberg, 24-26 September 2013.
