The original focus of the team was to use this material to create more breathable support devices (mattresses, cushions) for use in the healthcare environment. The combination of the excellent pressure re-distribution properties with the high level of ventilation, will make this the material of choice for healthy support devices.
After about a year in the project the team encountered an additional market that was up for a drastic change: the consumer mattress and furniture market was / is in need of novel cushioning solutions.
Within the mattress world polyurethane has been the material of choice for several decades now, yet the environmental burdens of this material are posing severe questions regarding its sustainability. Apart from the dishearthening toxicity of the raw chemicals to produce these foams, the end-products are difficult to recycle – with great effort a downcycle into less valuable applications is the optimum to achieve.