High heels, low carbon: Rheom Materials unveils sturdy bioplastic
In Texas, Rheom Materials has introduced two biobased materials for footwear, including a bioplastic strong enough be used in high heels. Rheom’s Benree, made with 100% USDA-certified biobased content, is biodegradable under home-composting conditions. In trials with Australian footwear brand Bared Footwear, the material passed SATRA testing for high-heel applications, performing comparably to conventional acrylonitrile butadiene styrene plastic. Rheom is also exploring applications in toe puffs and heel counters.
Its Shorai Dura vegan leather, meanwhile, contains 76%-83% biobased content and has at least 55% lower carbon emissions than polyurethane leather, according to the company. Designed for footwear uppers, it withstood 500,000 Bally Flex cycles in testing for resistance to cracking from repeated bending, as well as 70,000 revolutions on a Martindale abrasion tester.
Category: Chemicals & Materials
