Biobased-Content TPE Brings Eco-Conscious Design to Yoga Mats
Hexpol TPE’s Dryflex Green TPE high melt strength and drawability helped Yoloha to easily produce its foamed yoga mats
A customized thermoplastic elastomer from the Dryflex Green family of biobased TPEs developed by Hexpol TPE is being used by yoga mats and accessories manufacturer Yoloha, Charleston, S.C. The TPE has 55% biobased content, supporting Yoloha’s sustainability goals, and its high melt strength and drawability allows for easy production of foamed mats and other extruded materials with a uniform foam structure.
According to Yoloha founder Chris Willey, the company has worked with most foams on the market including natural rubber, EVA and PU, but have discovered that TPE foam offers the perfect bled of support, durability and weight. “With that in mind, I discovered Hexpol TPE with their focus on sustainability. We quickly developed a great relationship and worked together to develop a customized material".
The Dryflex Green family of biobased TPEs contain raw materials from renewable resources, including by-products from agriculture rich in carbohydrates, especially saccharides such as grain, sugar beet or sugar cane. TPEs are available with amounts of biobased content to over 90% (ASTM D 6866) with hardnesses from 15 Shore A to 60 Shore D.
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