SAN DIEGO, California and ETTEN-LEUR, Netherlands (October 2, 2013) — TECNIQ LLC, a leading developer of environmentally conscious materials and products, and SYNBRA BV, leading innovators in expanded rigid foam technology, announced today the creation of the worlds first certified 100% biodegradable and 99% bio-based surfboard foam.
“Surfboards have been overwhelmingly made out of petroleum products since the 1950’s,” says Rob Falken, TECNIQ’s Managing Director. “We’ve worked really hard to create an alternative that doesn’t compromise performance and that delivers tried–and–true characteristics for surfers, shapers, and glassers alike,” he continued.
The foam is produced in a patented process that utilizes converted locally abundant sugarcane biomass (certified GMO-free) provided by Corbion Purac that is polymerized by Synbra Technology BV and expanded into rigid foam by Synprodo BV. “For me, the best parts are that the foam is created entirely from a renewable resource and that dangerous chemicals are not used in production. This means the foam is drastically less toxic for the surfboard craftsmen during shaping” stated Falken.
Holding their companies to an examined approach, TECNIQ and SYNBRA will have full transparency in the life cycle of the surfboard foam. An independent Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has already been secured, as have certificates of validation including decomposition, compostability, bio-based content, GMO-free, and Cradle to Cradle. In addition to the environmental claims validations, the foam boasts the ultra-eco use of benign CO2 as the sole blowing agent in the expansion process.
The brand name for this new surfboard foam technology is BIÓM™ (pronounced BY-ohm). The first manufacturing site will be located in the Netherlands with production commencing in the third quarter of 2014. There are plans to develop US manufacturing in late 2014 or early 2015. In addition to surfboard foam, BIÓM™ will find use in stand up paddleboards, wakeboards, skimboards, kiteboards, and other types of watercraft. For more information please go to www.biomblanks.com.
About TECNIQ LLC:
Based in the San Diego, California, TECNIQ is a product development consortium with a specialty in intellectual property creation. The company develops environmentally conscious products and IP that disrupt the status quo.
About Synbra BV, Synprodo BV, and Synbra Technology BV:
Synprodo and Synbra Technology are part of the Synbra group. Synbra has a leading position in Europe regarding Expandable Polystyrene (EPS) for Sustainable Insulation Systems and Industrial Products & Solutions for a wide diversity of markets. Synbra Technology BV in Etten-Leur, The Netherlands, is the in-house polymerisation and R&D facility ‘Technology & Innovation’ and the centre of excellence in materials and product development. Synprodo BV, in Wijchen, The Netherlands, is active in the development, marketing and production of engineered moulded products used in the field of heating and ventilation, horticulture and protective packaging of food and pharmaceutical products. Its designed products offer an added value compared to traditional designs.
Recent examples of the Synbra group’s innovations are Xire®, an incombustible insulation material, DMAS electromagnetic absorbers and BioFoam®, the world’s first C2C certified biobased foam.
Synbra achieves a turnover of € 300 Million with about 1300 employees in The Netherlands, Germany, France, Denmark, the United Kingdom and Portugal.
RELATED LINKS:
For more Information
