The plant-based synthetic material PEF is being investigated for use in bedding, pillows, mattresses, and furniture upholstery. Chemical company Avantium from Amsterdam is doing this together with Heynen Systems from Lelystad, a specialist in technical textiles. Until now, the material, which is being marketed under the brand name releaf, was primarily mentioned as an alternative to PET in bottles and packaging.
Heynen has developed a first prototype of a cushion incorporating releaf. It will be shown on June 4 and 5 during Interzum Forum Italy in Bergamo, a trade fair for the furniture industry and suppliers. This is an exploration: the companies want to test how PEF behaves in applications with comfort foam and upholstery fabrics.
From packaging to interior
PEF stands for polyethylene furanoate and is made from plant-based sugars. Avantium converts these sugars into FDCA, the main building block for PEF, using its own technology. On the market, the material is called releaf. In packaging, PEF is primarily considered a potential alternative to PET. It is bio-based and, according to the chemical company, effectively blocks oxygen and carbon dioxide, ensuring that beverages and food in bottles and packaging stay fresh longer.
Different requirements apply to bedding and furniture. While low costs, high volumes, and rapid processing are key for a bottle, comfort, wear resistance, and a long lifespan are paramount for a pillow, mattress, or sofa. Moreover, a material must fit into existing production lines. Therefore, for producers, not only sustainability matters, but also price, reliability, and processability.
Testing in comfort foam
Heynen specializes in technical textiles and machinery for the comfort foam industry. The company supplies systems that encapsulate foam cores in elastic textile, a technique found in mattresses, pillows, upholstered furniture, and car seats. This encapsulation reduces friction between the foam and the outer cover, which can extend a product's lifespan. By testing releaf in such an application, the companies are investigating whether PEF is also suitable for products that last for years, and not just for packaging.
Biobased materials are seeking a broader market
For Avantium, the move into interiors is strategically relevant. The company is working on scaling up FDCA and PEF and is starting up the world's first commercial FDCA plant in Delfzijl. The more applications emerge for PEF, the larger the market for the material, and the sooner large-scale production becomes profitable. A new material should not be dependent on a single market. Bottles and packaging remain important, but interiors, furniture, and technical textiles can add new markets to this.
Hidden fossil fuels in the home
The collaboration also reveals how many fossil raw materials are hidden in products where you wouldn't immediately expect them. Furniture, mattresses, and pillows contain many synthetic materials, as well as in foam, textiles, and protective layers. This particular market could be interesting for the biobased economy, as it involves large numbers of products that remain in use for a long time.
At the same time, these products are often composed of multiple materials, which makes reuse and recycling more difficult. The manufacturer calls releaf a plant-based and circular polymer, but for a mattress or sofa, collection and recycling are harder to organize than for a bottle. This requires cooperation between material producers, furniture makers, textile companies, and waste processors.
Photo: releaf x Tricover cushions – 1 by Natasha Lachapelle-Lampkin
