In their pursuit of quality yoga mats made from high levels of renewable materials, Yoloha chose to work with HEXPOL TPE.
![Yoga mats made with HEXPOL TPE biobased material Yoga mats made with HEXPOL TPE biobased material](https://interplasinsights.com/downloads/11518/download/Yoloha%20Yoga%20Mat%20-%20HEXPOL%20TPE%20copy.jpg?cb=c2cd919b70366652587a5a670a2b252a&w={width}&h={height})
Yoloha
Yoga mats made with HEXPOL TPE biobased material
To support Yoloha's sustainability goals, HEXPOL TPE developed a customised material from the Dryflex Green family of biobased thermoplastic elastomers (TPE). The TPE has 55 per cent biobased content. It has a high melt strength and drawability to easily produce foamed materials with a uniform foam structure. Foaming brings lightweight advantages and cushioning in applications such as mats, protective clothing, and seating.
Yoloha founder Chris Willey said: "I have worked with and tested most foams on the market from Natural rubber, EVA, PU, etc., and I have found TPE foam to be the perfect blend of support, durability and weight. With that in mind, I discovered HEXPOL TPE with their focus on sustainability. We quickly developed a great relationship and worked together to develop a customised material."
The Dryflex Green family of biobased TPEs contain raw materials from renewable resources, including by-products from agriculture rich in carbohydrates, especially saccharides such as grain, sugar beet or sugar cane. TPEs are available with amounts of biobased content to over 90 per cent (ASTM D 6866) with hardnesses from 15 Shore A to 60 Shore D.
Kathrin Heilmann, technical sales for sustainable TPE at HEXPOL TPE, added: "We're proud to work with Yoloha on this project. We aimed to achieve a high biobased content while keeping mechanical performance and processability. The material shows a good foamability for mats and other extruded products."