Smart material tannin foam

What is tannin?

Tannins are secondary plant substances that are found primarily in the bark of trees and shrubs and have been used for thousands of years to tan leather.

Tannins are also found in foods such as red wine, green and black tea, and blueberries. Tannin can be extracted relatively easily from the bark of trees with the help of water. In a special process, the tannin powder obtained is foamed to produce a sustainable foam.

Factsheet tannin foam

Alternative to petroleum-based foams

Sustainable industrial foam

The advantages of the natural foam are obvious. Unlike petroleum-based products, tannin foam is non-flammable, has very good thermal properties, is extremely resilient and 100% recyclable. In addition, the waste product of tree bark can be put to more sensible use.

Tannin can replace existing materials made of EPP (expanded polypropylene) or PUR (polyurethane). Tannin can be used here as a single material or in combination with natural fibers.

Tannin can be obtained easily and in a resource-saving way
Tannin can substitute synthetic and petroleum-based materials based on renewable raw materials and at the same time significantly reduce emissions that are harmful to health

Areas of application

Tannin's potential applications span a wide range of sectors and industries:

Automotive industry
Mobility industry such as buses, trains, airplanes, etc. (heat and sound insulation, lightweight construction)
Construction industry (insulation and insulating materials)

In the automotive and mobility sector, tannin is versatile and can be used, for example, as a biodegradable adhesive and composite, such as for fixing leather on instrument panels. For a better feel of interior components (e.g. leathered components) in vehicles, elastic tannin foam with collagen incorporation can be an alternative to PU foam. Low density (89g/l) tannin foam can be used as a non-combustible potting system for battery cells in vehicles.