Total Energies Corbion has launched Luminy FOAM 50F, a bio-based high melt strength PLA grade designed as a lower-carbon alternative to PS in extrusion foaming applications (XPS) such as food packaging.
The new grade can be processed on existing XPS extrusion lines with similar throughput, aiming to allow converters to switch without significant capital investment. The company says foamed products made from Luminy FOAM 50F offer ‘comparable densities’ and functional performance to XPS while delivering at least a 70% reduction in carbon footprint.
Aimed at applications including trays for fresh products, meat, fish and food service packaging, the biobased material is said to be industrially compostable and recyclable. Total Energies Corbion adds that it is free from styrene, PFAS and persistent microplastics.
Apparently, the high melt strength of Luminy FOAM 50F allows stable foam processing without extra additives or chain extenders. The product is also FDA and Korean food contact approved and can be used for food-contact applications in the US. It is available globally for non-food applications in other countries.
Laurent Daligault, global packaging segment leader at TotalEnergies Corbion, commented: “Luminy FOAM 50F enables converters and brand owners to adopt a truly sustainable drop-in solution to XPS, both in terms of processing and product functionality. It is also good for our planet, with our sugarcane-based PLA delivering at least a 70% reduction in carbon footprint compared to XPS foam parts.”
In February, the company revealed an embossed, label-free PLA bottle for the South Korean beverage market, designed to integrate into a closed-loop recycling system established with Sansu. By integrating brand identification into the bottle wall, TotalEnergies Corbion says the design allows bottles to enter recycling streams without additional processing, supporting cleaner material flows and higher-quality recycled output.
More recently, researchers have converted waste sawdust into packaging foams with beeswax coatings, expected to match the strength and impact resistance of polystyrene alternatives in certain applications. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the study sourced fine processed wood powder or coarse unprocessed mill waste from Hadley Mill Works, then incorporated cellulose binders and cross-linking ingredients.
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