Muirhead, a creator of aviation leather, has unveiled BioPRO Foam, a new, fire-resistant, protein-based material for aircraft seating. With this new product, Muirhead is able to provide a full seating solution, reduce lead times, and simplify the supply chain process by unifying operations for customers.
The 20 per cent bio-content material is made using hydrolysed collagen, a by-product from Muirhead’s leather manufacturing, and differentiates itself from standard seat foam by not containing ‘forever chemicals’ such as melamine and PFAS.
The development process involved Muirhead chemically bonding collagen to the foam chemistry to reinforce the material and elongate its lifespan by eliminating internal abrasion. Instead of the foam being cut from blocks, BioPRO is moulded to the specifications of the client, reducing waste and creating a fully customisable product.
“By incorporating our own bio-protein into the foam’s chemistry, we’ve eliminated the need for harmful additives while improving durability,” said Dr Warren Bowden, Head of Innovation & Sustainability at Muirhead and Scottish Leather Group. “This sets a new benchmark for next-generation seat foam technology and reflects our commitment to vertically integrated, circular manufacturing.”
Earlier in the year, Muirhead announced a new integrated service model that provided an end-to-end solution for seating, including design, testing, and production.
Photo: Muirhead
