Zuzana Sediva - Alternative foaming agents

The majority of plastic foams are made from fossil-fuel based raw materials. These plastics are often cross linked polymers produced with synthetic additives (foaming agents, fillers, processing aids and others). Degrading over thousands of years, plastics represent a threat for the environment.

More sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based plastic foams are difficult to achieve due to limiting mechanical properties, higher costs and resource compatibility with the food/feed industries.

We pursue a low temperature high-pressure micro-foaming technology based on a novel water-gas foaming agent aimed at enhancing mechanical properties of bio-based plastics for various applications.