Bio-Fill an eco-friendly tyre filler solution

In applications where punctures are an issue, operators often rely upon polyurethane tyre fillers to ensure downtime is kept to a minimum. Yet with the introduction of Reach regulations and the growing significance attached to eco-friendly tyres, the need for a filler that is equally green is also increasing. German company PURinvent says it has the answer. During June’s Reifen show, Tyres & Accessories spoke with PURinvent managing director, Dr. Frauke Petry, about the firm’s patented Bio-Fill filler, a product she says fits the bill perfectly.

“Bio-Fill is the first polyurethane to have a high water content,” Petry explains. “This makes it naturally non-flammable. We also use renewable resources. Traditional fillers all contain aromatic oils; actually, this isn’t permitted any more but companies still include these in their products.”

Dr. Petry, a qualified chemist, says Bio-Fill uses the two-component one-to-one mixture typical of standard fillers, and in terms of performance there is absolutely no difference between Bio-Fill and traditional tyre fillers. As for potential applications, she says Bio-Fill can be utilised in every function where standard fillers are used, plus for some additional applications: “It is suitable for use, for example, in the construction and recycling industries. Furthermore, because it is odourless it is good for private applications, such as in wheelchairs.”

At present Bio-Fill is available in several countries, however the product has yet to enter the UK market. This is something Dr. Petry would like to rectify, not least as it would represent a “homecoming” of sorts for the product that was originally developed by her mother, also a chemist, many years ago. Petry elaborates: “We are a small, family business, which started in 2007. The decision to do so was a ‘pub decision’ made in England in 2003. We decided to do something with the patent my mother took out. Therefore I think the product should return to the UK.” 

Bio-Fill is able to be used at temperatures between -40 °C and + 125 °C and at speeds of up to 88 km/h or 55 mph, although a maximum of 56 km/h or 34 mph for sustained speeds is recommend. The substance weighs 0.97 kg per litre and has a Shore hardness of approximately 15-20 Shore A.