BASF (Ludwigshafen / Germany; www.basf.com) has extended its range of high performance foam products through the introduction of compostable particle foam “ecovio” EA. The material is predominantly biobased and, like all grades under the “ecovio” brand, it supports the biological cycle through its certified compostability. It consists of the biodegradable BASF polymer “ecoflex” and PLA, which is derived from corn or other sugar-generating plants such as manioc.

The properties of the particle foam make it particularly suitable for transport packaging for high-value or delicate goods, the company said. The product properties are similar to those of EPS and include high energy absorption and very good resilience even when subjected to multiple impact loads.

The material has a minimum thermal conductivity of 34 mW/m.K. and is suited to all thermal insulation applications in the transport sector. It can also be stored at temperatures of up to 100 °C over a period of several hours and is suitable for hot-melt adhesive applications. In addition, “ecovio” EA also displays good resistance in solvents including acetone. As a certified compostable product, it also does not contain any flame retardants.

In the future, BASF will also offer “ecovio” EA with approval for use with food. This will extend the range of applications to all of the areas in which foam is in direct contact with processed food.

Due to the high porosity and the surface area of the foam beads, the material degrades quickly in industrial composting plants. Composting tests have shown that cubes with an edge length of five centimetres and densities of 28 to 47 g/l break down within five weeks to form water, CO₂ and biomass. Prior to composting, the material can also be recycled in customary recycling processes.