Surfboard Builders Go for Gold with Sicomin’s Bio-Based Resins

Tuesday, 15th May 2018

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Sicomin has received the ECOBOARD Project Gold Level qualification for its range of bio-based epoxy resins.

The certification applies to Sicomin’s GreenPoxy range that now consists of five resin systems.

The ECOBOARD Project is an independent third-party consumer-facing certification programme for surfboards, designed and managed by environmental non-profit Sustainable Surf. The programme’s focus is on helping surfers to make better buying choices and supporting board builders to make the shift towards more sustainable materials and technologies. Since the foundation of the ECOBOARD Project in 2012, more than 150,000 surf, kite and windsurf boards, plus SUPs, have been made by nearly 200 brands that carry the ECOBOARD Project Level One logo. This requires the use of either a plant-based, low-to-zero VOCs resin, or a core with at least 25% recycled or plant-based content.

ECOBOARD Gold Level is the latest and more stringent certification and all of the components in boards labelled ECOBOARD Gold Level must consist of ECOBOARD-qualified materials, such as Sicomin’s range of GreenPoxy resin systems. A significantly high percentage of the carbon content of these industry-proven formulations is from plant and vegetable origins, as specified in ASTM D6866 standard, and they represent over a decade of intensive development work.

The range includes:

GreenPoxy 56, a clear and waterproof epoxy system which contains over 52% plant and vegetable content, for tough and hard-wearing gloss laminates. It is suitable for laminating, injection moulding, filament winding, press processes and casting;
GreenPoxy 33, a clear laminate with high mechanical properties which is over 35% plant content. As a result of the latest innovations in bio-based chemistry, GreenPoxy 33 is able to achieve excellent wetting out properties, resulting in very low resin consumption;
InfuGreen 810, a very low viscosity, clear system for the infusion of small to very-large parts, including thick laminates. This room temperature infusion system has approximately 38% bio-based carbon content;
Surf Clear Evo, with the highest UV resistance of all Sicomin clear resins, for achieving a high gloss appearance on transparent laminates, clear carbon parts and decorative goods;
Foaming Epoxy, an advanced structural epoxy foam core for lighter boards and a high mechanical performance, helping to reduce the board’s carbon footprint.

“Our next generation bio-based epoxy systems represent a major step forward towards a petrochemical-free system derived from renewable resources, whilst delivering tough, strong and durable bonding on most surfaces and allowing easy processing,” comments Philippe Marcovich, President of Sicomin. “The auditing process for achieving ECOBOARD Gold Level was tough. We believe, however, that this certification illustrates the true sustainable contribution our products have to offer to the water sports, composites, winter sports industries, and beyond.”

“The ECOBOARD Project shows people all around the world that choosing a more sustainable product doesn’t mean sacrificing performance or quality,” comments Brett Giddings, Sustainable Surf. “The world’s best stand-up paddle athletes, like Zane Schweitzer and Connor Baxter, are winning world titles on Starboard ECOBOARDS made with Sicomin bio-epoxies. Kiteboarding legend Ruben Lenten recently launched the world’s first Gold Level kiteboard in partnership with Lieuwe and Sustainable Surf, proving ECOBOARDS also work in the air. There is really no reason to order anything other than an ECOBOARD.”

Image provided by Sicomin

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