US foam producer Woodbridge has developed a process to integrate biogenic carbon (biocarbon) in its purest form into the company’s polyurethane seating foam chemistry. The new product, TrimVisible Bio, is stated to enable a cradle-to-gate reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2 ) footprint for automotive seating foam without compromising material properties, performance and comfort.
The original TrimVisible (recognized for its black color) was released as a molded seat foam solution that provided a quality improvement and lower total seat system cost over existing products. TrimVisible LE was the second generation offering that established a benchmark for low volatile organic compound (VOC) and low odor performance in the industry. With the introduction of the company’s third generation, TrimVisible Bio, Woodbridge hope to build upon the product line’s success.
“With the launch of TrimVisible Bio, we are now adding carbon neutral foam products to our portfolio to help reduce global warming potential,” said Mike Irwin, VP, Advanced Product and Chemical Technology. “I am pleased that this will enable us to support our customers in reaching their supply chain carbon reduction goals while displacing fossil fuel-based chemicals with a completely sustainable alternative.”
Woodbridge partnered with a certified sustainable managed forest and developed a proprietary process to convert residue from lumber processing into a high-purity form of biocarbon. After a lifetime of net CO2 absorption, dead or decaying trees and forest waste are normally a source of CO2 emissions through decomposition or combustion as part of the biocarbon lifecycle. The Woodbridge process sequesters the biocarbon by effectively locking CO2 in a form that can be used to engineer solutions that significantly reduce the CO2 footprint of products.
