[Press Release] Technofinechem Successfully Develops Pellet-Type Foaming Agent, Turning Waste Plastic into Lightweight Automotive Parts

  Technofinechem, a company specializing in foaming agents, is moving forward with the full-scale commercialization of a natural-fiber composite foaming agent that helps recycle waste plastic into lightweight automotive parts. The company recently completed a proof-of-concept (PoC) with a global automaker, developing a technology that blends natural fibers, waste plastic, and a pellet-type foaming agent to produce sound-insulation pads.

  The sound-insulation pad incorporates Technofinechem's proprietary eco-friendly foaming agent as well as its recycled-resin-based, natural-fiber pellet-type foaming agent technology. In the felt manufacturing process using natural fibers and recycled composite materials, adding the pellet-type foaming agent causes it to expand 40 to 50 times under specific temperature conditions, filling the voids within the board structure and enhancing mechanical properties such as flexural strength. As a result, the product is lighter than conventional natural-fiber reinforced boards while delivering superior thermal insulation and sound-absorption performance.

  In particular, compared with conventional natural-fiber reinforced boards, it reduces raw material input by 25% and uses approximately 25% recycled feedstock, thereby lowering the carbon emitted during the parts production stage. A company official stated, "We have developed a high-temperature-stable pellet-type foaming agent that can foam while maintaining structural stability at around 230–250°C," adding, "We have confirmed that it maintains an expansion rate of up to 800–1,000% or more at high temperatures, without rupturing or shrinking."

  The company anticipates that, as interest in vehicle efficiency, fuel economy, and weight reduction grows, demand for pellet-type foaming agents will increase in high-temperature processes where conventional foaming agents could not be used. To strengthen its technological competitiveness, the company has registered one patent and filed three applications since 2021.

  The automotive industry is taking note of the fact that adding a pellet-type foaming agent to conventional high-temperature-based parts manufacturing can reduce carbon emissions by around 30%. In addition, because it uses waste plastic, the technology can help meet the "mandatory use of end-of-life-vehicle-based recycled materials in new vehicle production" requirement set out in the European Union's End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) regulation.

  The company plans to expand the applications of its pellet-type foaming agent to automotive natural-material interior trim, sound-absorption and sound-insulation components, thermal insulation boards, and high-performance lightweight structural materials. A company official stated, "The technology is being recognized as innovative in that it improves performance without adding weight, even while using recycled materials," adding, "Starting with supply to the automaker that conducted the PoC, we are planning a full-scale global sales push."

Source: MoneyToday  https://www.mt.co.kr/future/2025/07/25/2025072508113965313