Customizable foam substrates for sustainable cleaning applications
Corumat offers a tailorable foam manufacturing process that produces microcellular substrates from thermoplastics like PLA, with adjustable cell sizes (0.1–100 µm) and over 50 tested additives. This enables recyclable, compostable, or biodegradable cleaning products that can rival or outperform conventional melamine sponges.
Overview
Corumat, Inc. has developed a flexible, patented manufacturing process for producing microcellular foam substrates that can be tailored for a wide range of cleaning applications. The technology enables the production of foams with cell sizes ranging from 0.1 micrometers to 100 micrometers, using nearly any thermoplastic polymer. Corumat is currently most experienced with compostable polylactic acid (PLA) as a base material, making the resulting substrates well-suited for sustainable cleaning products. By incorporating more than 50 different additives to date, the company can tune foam properties from flexible to rigid, opening the door to cleaning products that are recyclable, compostable, or biodegradable while delivering competitive or superior cleaning performance compared to conventional options such as melamine sponges.
Technical specifications
- Tunable cell architecture: Cell sizes adjustable between 0.1 µm and 100 µm to match specific cleaning performance requirements
- Material versatility: Compatible with a broad range of thermoplastics, with primary expertise in compostable PLA
- Additive flexibility: Over 50 additives tested and incorporated to modify mechanical, chemical, and surface properties
- Property range: Foams can be produced with characteristics ranging from flexible to rigid, depending on application needs
- Sustainability profile: Enables substrates that are recyclable, compostable, or biodegradable, addressing end-of-life concerns of conventional cleaning products
- Patented process: Proprietary manufacturing process developed by a materials science company with experience scaling production
Technology readiness level
The technology has been validated through extensive manufacturing pilots, including $700k in pilot production work for large corporations. Corumat has secured over $5 million in non-dilutive grant funding from agencies such as the EPA, the National Science Foundation, and the USDA to support further development and scaling. The next validation phase will benchmark the custom foam substrates against commercially available melamine sponges on wall-cleaning tasks, systematically testing different additive formulations and iterating until a recyclable, compostable, or biodegradable alternative with superior performance is achieved. This positions the technology at an advanced development stage, ready for collaborative pilot trials and co-development with cleaning product manufacturers.
About Corumat, Inc.
Corumat, Inc. is a materials science company founded in 2013 that specializes in micro-engineering sustainable, plant-based materials to replace conventional plastics. The company uses a patented manufacturing process to create lightweight, durable, and heat-stable structures that require significantly less material than traditional petroleum-based plastics. Its primary focus is on decarbonizing the packaging and waste industries through products that are compostable and often carbon-negative. The company's technology is versatile, with applications spanning food service packaging, sporting goods, transportation materials, and building insulation.
Corumat addresses critical environmental challenges by developing the Big Green Loop, an ecosystem designed to divert food and organic waste from landfills and convert them back into compostable packaging. This approach aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat ocean plastic pollution by creating profitable waste infrastructure. The company has demonstrated its technology through pilot programs and collaborations with research institutions, including the USDA. Corumat has successfully secured over $5 million in non-dilutive grant funding from organizations such as the EPA, the National Science Foundation, and the USDA to support its research, development, and scaling efforts.
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