Woodbridge develops CO2 neutral automotive seat foam
Canadian Plastics
Automotive Canadian Plastics Research & Development SustainabilityThe Ontario-based company's 'TrimVisible BIO' displaces petroleum-based materials in polyurethane seating foam to produce net zero foam and reduce CO2 footprint.
Mississauga, Ont.-based foam technology developer 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, called TrimVisibl BIO, reportedly enables a cradle-to-gate reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) footprint for seating foam without compromising material properties, performance and comfort. According to Woodbridge officials, this technology contributes to the reduction in CO2 footprint for the lifetime of the vehicle.
The original TrimVisibl (recognized for its black colour) was reportedly released as a molded seat foam solution that provided a craftsmanship improvement and lower total seat system cost. TrimVisibl LE was the second generation offering that established a benchmark for low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) and low odor performance in the industry. TrimVisibl BIO is the third generation offering.
Woodbridge has 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,” Woodbridge officials said in an April 25 news release. “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. Woodbridge scientists have formulated chemistry to displace conventional urethane chemicals with biocarbon to manufacture TrimVisible BIO, a patent-pending technology that offsets the company’s Scope 1 CO2 manufacturing emissions to net zero.”
“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, Woodbridge’s vice president, advanced product and chemical technology.
Woodbridge has corporate headquarters in Mississauga and automotive headquarters in Troy, Michigan. The company has about 7,500 teammates in over 50 locations across 10 countries, and develops parts for automotive and non-automotive applications.
