What are BiOH® Polyols?

We guess that you’re probably asking that question since "polyol" is not a word that most people use every day! BiOH® polyols are ingredients for flexible foam in products you use daily- furniture cushions, mattresses, mattress toppers, pillows, carpet cushion, and automotive seats. Traditional foam is made from petroleum-based chemicals. BiOH polyols are made from a renewable resource - soybean oil. Today BiOH polyols cannot replace all of the petroleum chemicals in these products, but we are leading the industry.

Replacing Petroleum with Renewable Materials

Current BiOH polyol technology is used to create foam products with typical levels of renewable content from 5 to 20%. Considering that only 3 years ago all of these products were 100% petroleum-based, we think this is a significant step! However, we’re not satisfied yet; the BiOH polyol team is committed to developing new chemistries that create products made with higher levels of renewable materials.

Tested Performance

The foam made with BiOH polyols performs like the petroleum-based foams you're used to. (In fact, the reason our customers can’t use more renewable content is because they want to ensure quality foam cushioning that will last.) Foams made with BiOH polyols have been used in the home furnishings industry since 2005 so they’ve been thoroughly tested. (Maybe you’re sitting on some right now!?!)

An Environmentally Friendly Choice

You get quality products that meet your needs while leaving a smaller environmental footprint. We’re in the process of updating our life cycle data but an earlier preliminary life cycle analysis indicated that manufacturing BiOH polyols requires 60% less non-renewable energy and results in less global warming emissions than manufacturing the petroleum components we replace. Additionally, for every 1 million lbs of BiOH polyols used, over 2200 barrels or 92,000 gallons of petroleum are saved.

Make a Difference

Although you won’t notice a difference with soy-based cushions in your furniture, you'll feel the difference emotionally from making a more sustainable choice. The positive environmental impact of one sofa made with soy cushions may be small. However, by asking for foams made with BiOH polyols in furniture, mattresses and other foam products, the impact from working together can be significant environmental savings for our families and future generations.