Overview:
Over two years work in the Advanced Concepts Group I lead the development of using e-PLA (expanded polylactic acid) foam to replace the EPS currently used in helmets. The e-PLA is industrial compostable and completely composts in 45 days. This technology performs the same as EPS in all conditions without changing current manufacturing tooling or machines.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXMjcXF2R7E
Case Study:
The impetus for this project was to find an alternative to the EPS foam used in helmets. EPS will not degrade over time and every helmet which has ever been made with EPS still exists and will still exist for thousands of years. I found this disturbing and set out to find an alternative.
It began with a crazy idea of using a Rice Krispy Treat as the framework for a new material. It is moldable, inexpensive and after some testing found that it performed well under impact. It however wasn’t practical for production. I then experimented with expanding rice. The rice could be molded under heat and pressure however the pressure required was such at such an extreme level it was deemed too dangerous. This led to finding new research on expanded polylactic acid (e-pla). A small firm in New Zealand figured out the process for making the foam but hadn’t made the leap into mass production. I worked with them over the next two years to develop the techniques to build a helmet and certify it. Along the way we found other materials, such as bamboo webbing to replace the nylon and cotton padding to replace the PU foam and brushed nylon inner padding. This ultimately lead to a sustainable product using materials which could be recycled or composted.