Lear introduces soy-based foam for auto industry

Automotive interior supplier Lear Corporation today announced it has developed SoyFoam, a soybean oil-based flexible foam material for automotive interior applications. The product's advantages, according to the announcement, include a lower environmental impact to produce. The soy-based foam material is up to 24% renewable as opposed to traditional non-renewable petroleum-based foam, and it offers the potential for reducing foam costs.

Ford Motor Company was the first automotive manufacturer to express an interest in soy foam for automotive applications and the first to demonstrate that soy-based polyols could be used to make foams capable of meeting or exceeding automotive requirements.

In 2004, a partnership was formed between Ford and Lear to commercialize SoyFoam applications, with initial work concentrated on the molding of headrest and armrest components.Lear also is collaborating with the United Soybean Board - New Uses Committee (a group of 64 farmers/agricultural industry leaders), Urethane Soy Systems Company, Bayer Corporation and Renosol Corporation on SoyFoam development.