Product development firm Cambridge Consultants has developed new foaming technology said to provide a low cost alternative to volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Traditionally, for products like shaving foams and hair mousse, a VOC (typically propane or butane) is liquefied inside an aerosol can together with a foaming agent and the solution to be dispensed. The VOCs are liquefied at the pressure within the can and are expelled through the nozzle as vapour when the valve is opened; the expanding gas puffs the foaming agent up to form a froth. However, some regions are reducing the use of VOCs in aerosols; California’s Environmental Protection Agency already has limits in place for VOCs in aerosols, while Europe has limited the levels of VOCs in paint products with similar legislation imminent for deodorants and antiperspirants.
Alternatively, Cambridge Consultants’ new foaming technology does not require any dissolved or liquefied gasses, with the foam formed with compressed air or nitrogen. According to the company, the bubbles produced are a fraction of the size of a grain of sand (less than 40 microns in diameter), providing a creamy texture. However, the cost is claimed to be lower than traditional products, and products using the new technology can still be manufactured on a standard aerosol production line.
“Our technology provides an environmentally friendly alternative that will enable companies to get ahead of the impending legislation and gain first mover advantage,” said Mark Nicmanis, senior technologist at Cambridge Consultants. “It doesn’t require VOCs or flammable propellants, which allows the use of low cost, attractively shaped PET bottles without presenting a fire hazard for warehouses. PET bottles typically cost half as much to produce as aluminium cans. And on top of the environmental benefits of doing away with VOCs, PET bottles can be recycled and have half the impact of aluminium cans.”
Nicmanis adds that the solution also gives manufacturers the ability to foam things that are traditionally difficult to foam, like foundation.