TotalEnergies Corbion, a company specializing in the production of PLA-based bioplastics, has launched Luminy® FOAM 50F, a new high melt strength polylactic acid (PLA) grade designed as a lower-carbon alternative to polystyrene (PS) in extrusion foaming (XPS) applications such as food packaging. The material can be processed on existing XPS extrusion lines while maintaining comparable throughput, allowing converters to adopt it without significant capital investment.
As regulations restricting the use of expanded polystyrene packaging continue to be introduced across multiple markets, demand is growing for alternative materials capable of meeting both performance and sustainability requirements. Foamed products made with Luminy® FOAM 50F offer densities and functional performance comparable to XPS while delivering at least a 70% reduction in carbon footprint.
The new material is intended for applications including trays for fresh products, meat and fish, as well as food service packaging.
Bio-based by origin, Luminy® FOAM 50F is industrially compostable, recyclable, and free from styrene, PFAS and persistent microplastics. Thanks to its high melt strength, the material enables stable foam processing without the need for additional additives or chain extenders.
"With polystyrene bans accelerating, this is one of the first solutions positioned as a true industrial-scale replacement rather than a niche material," said Laurent Daligault, Global Packaging Segment Leader at TotalEnergies Corbion. "Luminy® FOAM 50F enables converters and brand owners to adopt a truly sustainable drop-in solution for XPS, both in terms of processing and product performance. In addition, our sugarcane-based PLA delivers at least a 70% reduction in carbon footprint compared with XPS foam products."
The product has received food contact approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the relevant South Korean authorities. It can therefore be used in food-contact applications in the United States and in countries that follow FDA or Korean food-contact regulations. In other markets, it is currently available for non-food-contact applications.