BIOMAT identified the Building & Construction, Automotive, and Furniture & Bedding sectors as having a significant demand for nano-enabled bio-based polyurethane (PUR) foams. Thus, the Project selected these as the target markets for proof of concept of the developed services and technologies.

Through the established Open Innovation Test Bed (OITB), BIOMAT aims to accelerate and facilitate the uptake of these innovative materials. The main goal is to enhance Europe’s bioeconomy competitiveness and sustainability and replace the typical petroleum-based foams.

For the Building & Construction industries, the Project is producing waterproofing lining road tunnels, moulded insulation and sandwich panels. These will have reduced energy consumption, improved thermal and mechanical performance, and enhanced properties and capabilities, such as high heat and noise insulation, flame retardance, hydrophobicity and hydrolysis stability, and antifungal and anti-rotting.

BIOMAT also intends to make the European Automotive Industry, which is among the world’s biggest producers of motor vehicles, more environment-friendly. The Project paves the way towards safe and sustainable plastic-based car parts like seat cushions, headrests, and steering wheels. The result will reduce car energy consumption, CO2 emissions and life-cycle costs and improve reliability and durability. Besides, the materials will have enriched mechanical performance and fire, UV, chemical, hydrolytic and wear resistance.

Furthermore, a new generation of polymers is also being created for the Furniture and Bedding Industry for application, for example, in mattresses, upholstered sofas and chairs. The green foams with a structure based on open-cell will result in increased density, durability, flexibility, strength, fatigue resistance, form stability, air permeability, and body support. These are also Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) free.

BIOMAT is already preparing the next Open Call to allow companies to develop, upscale, and test the new nano-enabled bio-based polyurethane (PUR) foams for free. Application dates will soon be revealed.