Synbra EPS Beads and PS Compounds, E-PLA and BioFoam

Synbra Technology, which is located in Etten-Leur, the Netherlands, specialises in the manufacture of EPS beads and PS compounds, and is the largest EPS recycler in Western Europe. The company was founded in 1957 and polymerisation started in 1973. EPS recycling commenced in 1992.

EPS beads

As part of the Synbra Group, it finds most of its EPS bead customers with companies that supply in the industrial products and packaging solutions sector – such as Isobox Technologies, Synprodo Packaging, Styropack UK and Styropack Denmark – as well as in the sustainable insulation systems sector, with companies like IsoBouw Dämmtechnik, IsoBouw Systems, Vencel Resil and Styrolit. Selected EPS grades are supplied to companies outside the Synbra group as well. For the individual websites of these companies, please see the regional offices page.

We are situated on the River Mark, and preparations are being made to change the transportation of styrene from trucks to barges. This serves to prepare for a growth of capacity in line with Synbra Group requirements.

BioFoam® E-PLA foam

Biofoam, a foamed product made from high-quality polylactic acid (PLA), is a development product of Synbra Technology which complements the company’s wide range of polystyrene foam products. It offers excellent performance in properties such as shock absorption, insulation value and moulding shrinkage.

It is made by expanding PLA-based microbeads with a size of 0.7mm-1.0 mm or 1.0mm-1.6mm to typically 25kg/m³, and moulding these beads using custom-made moulding equipment. The first parts are expected to be on the market with preferred customers by the end of 2009.

Styrex® EPS beads

Styrex EPS beads are produced in regular (406R, 607R, 607RC, 710RC, 1016RC) and flame-retardant grades (406F, 607F, 710F, 1016F, 1619F, 1822F and 1923F).

A fully equipped laboratory for polymerisation is among the tools used more and more to support innovation and lead to the development of special PS grades and EPS foam grades.

A true specialty is a family of perfectly round extremely EPS beads with a raw bead diameter of 1.6mm, 1.8mm, 2mm or 2.2mm and after expansion to 50g/l at a diameter of 3mm to 5mm is used for wastewater treatment. These beads also find applications for making drainage boards.

In 2007 a record quantity of EPS beads was used by Isobox Technologies to fill the Achères water treatment system of Veolia water, to purify water for eight million Parisians.

Styrex Color and Shock® EPS beads

Adding to our range of innovative foam products are Styrex Color and Shock® beads. Color EPS is created through coloured EPS and is widely used for shape moulding of food trays, wine shippers and seed trays.

Shock® beads are a European solution to allow low VOC production of buffer material used for multiuse packaging. It serves as a replacement for high VOC-refrigerated materials. It also offers a direct alternative for EPP. It is sold as a foam product to other Synbra Group companies.

Xire® EPS and expanded glass composite

Xire, the incombustible composite of EPS and expanded glass, was developed jointly with IsoBouw Systems and is made in Etten-Leur. Depending on its composition it meets Euroclasses C, B and A2 for fire-resistant products. Xire is marketed by sister Synbra group companies.

PS compounds and PS foil

Customers for PS compounds and PS foil are found worldwide. Special GPPS, LIPS, MIPS and HIPS grades (also fully transparent HIPS) exist for usage in the manufacture of shoe sole, picture frames, additives and CD-case injection moulding.

These grades are also suited for HIPS sheet extrusion for thermoforming food packaging, floor heating panels and horti trays for propagation and orchid growing. GPHV grades are used by our customers to reduce the cost of raw material in their recipe.

EPS waste

EPS waste from various European countries is processed using the homeward journey of our haulers that have delivered EPS.

High-temperature PS grades and EPS grades

The continuous drive for innovation recently led to the development of new high-temperature PS grades and EPS grades. This new line of HT products is based on NORYL® resin supplied by General Electric’s advanced materials division.

In solid form it is used as high-temperature microwavable packaging, high heat shielding and oven transport trays, as well as sterilisation trays for operating theatres that meet medical standard 93 / 42 / EEC, used to replace particle shedding cardboard.

Applied as foam, the HT-EPS is a replacement for dytherm / caril and finds application in steam sterilisable horti trays and boiler insulations.