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I don't believe any of the current surf biofoams are any more biodegradable than regular PU (someone correct me if I'm wrong here). Just because a polymer comes from bio feedstock, that doesn't necessarily make it biodegradable. Same goes for our resin. We try to optimize the balance between sustainability and performance. Unfortunately, if you make something readily biodegradable, you by definition are making it easier to break down, which in turn can make it very weak from a mechanical standpoint. If you've tried those corn starch plastic forks and knives, and had them break when applying even a little bit of pressure, you'll know what I'm talking about. The bio-feedstock of our resin does start as something that is readily biodegradable, but by the end of processing, it ends up being not very biodegradable because we want it to last a long time mechanically, for performance reasons. By using reclaimed feedstock materials, we are really trying to reduce the carbon footprint, toxic by-products, and energy required to make our stuff. Hopefully at some point in the near future, either we, or someone else, will come up with a material that is both strong and readily biodegradable. Bioremediation (with microbes or enzymes) would be another interesting strategy to tackle waste.
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hey rey, long time no hear hehe something came up that you might like to hear about :
100% biodegradeable, it's made from coconut coir with commercially-available binders and can be made to match standard foam blank densities, sizes & rocker profiles. i'm sure you're familiar with the way intact coconuts float without taking in water. a way for the material to regain this property is to use a water-repellant binder that's also safe for handling & disposal (100% shop-to-garden safe). i'll have the world's first cocofoam blank before yearend to test my board-shaping skills hmm if it works i'm gonna need power tools next hehe " )
Hey surfiber, Where is this produced? It doesn’t appear to be monolithic and looks like layers. How would that remain ridgid? Do you have a link for more info?
two other versions offer more rigidity, IMO better suited for alaia-type boards, heavier guns & tow-ins and clearly more dense than the featured sample, having been made in one piece (monolithic). the above version can be sealed and/or laminated sans fiberglass if you can get jute cloth where you are.
per wikipedia, jute fiber is “composed primarily of the plant materials cellulose (major component of plant fibre) and lignin (major components of wood fibre). It is thus a ligno-cellulosic fibre that is partially a textile fibre and partially wood.”
jute cloth here in manila is available in 50-inch wide rolls, and upon testing it on my woven plant fiber-HWS prototype (http://www2.swaylocks.com/comment/1352229/Re-surfiber-HWS-DIY), it seems to work as is and would be a good match with cocofoam, as well as woven rattan cladding or bamboo veneer if you want it to look tropical, or wooden rails for superior rigidity.
i’m expecting the first blank before yearend and will upload the shaping thread + ride report thereafter. any orders and/or queries i guess can be accommodated by then? hehe
just sharing stuff i found here in manila which i figured would be of interest to foam shapers here at sways hehe. rey banatao (smsrfr) with his materials science background would be the ideal go-to guy for honest-to-goodness research " )
HWS folks on the other hand might also like this wood alternative made from good-as-agricultural waste coconut fronds :
the coconut tree is considered as “the tree of life” this side of the pacific and nearly every part of the tree is used for all sorts of stuff. i didn’t know fronds were of any use until i found this in last weekend’s regional trade fair, mounted by the local DTI (Dept. of Trade & Industry) to showcase the latest innovations from all over the country.
This is what I love about the Philippines! Resourcefulness! I think the limited resources there have forced you guys not to be spoiled by the limitless petrochemical industry we so rely upon elsewhere.
This is really cool! would love to see how this pans out. When you are ready, I know a whole crew of sustainable equipment builders in the Philippines who are dying to make stuff. Right now they are making bamboo bikes, but have interest in surfing and other water sports too.
How is glassing & adhesion to your core working out so far? Doesn’t soak up too much or too little? I think even as a core material for chambered or partially hollow boards, this could be cool. How light (density) can it be made, without falling apart?
i’ve until yearend to specify the properties for the blank i’m getting, i’m not yet done tabulating foam properties (of PU, PE, XPS, biofoam) to come up with the closest-to-ideal flex/rigidity, density, buoyancy, shapeability, non-toxicity, water impermeability, etc for the manufacturer to match. in lieu of fiberglass i’m using jute cloth, while a local off-the-shelf clear roof sealant can serve as spackle/sealer prior to lamination.
for chambered boards, the other 2 samples i found were strong enough to eliminate the need for an internal skeleton (spine & ribs in HWS), however the resulting weight could be an issue if you’re looking at making performance shortboards. if the required properties couldn’t be met before yearend, i could shape the heavier material as is to make myself an alaia hehe
I’m sure you know that it’s a long road from a concept like this to an acceptable foam, but it’s totally awesome that people are actually tryin’ it, and willing to refine it specifically for surfboards.
Getting industry acceptance seems to be notoriously difficult, take the whole MDI foam situation, let alone the “biofoam” blanks that are on the market already.
Problem is, or at least one of the major problems, PU foam is so refined and so entrenched, that it will take a real world-beater to topple it…
I’ll be looking out for these alternatives though, keep us posted on the progress!!!
IMO the key is to find a way to replicate the heft & feel of shaping foam, so that practicing shapers need not change their tools and methods once they adopt the alternative materials. no need to mention, they gotta be far cheaper to justify the switch " )
