22/9/2017 Water filter made from bioplastic - Fraunhofer UMSICHT

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Press Release

Award-winning water filter made from bioplastic

Press Release / 20.10.2014

Soma is the first designer water filter in the world made from natural resources. The bioplastic used
for this filter is Bio-Flex, a material developed by Fraunhofer UMSICHT in cooperation with FKuR.

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22/9/2017 Water filter made from bioplastic - Fraunhofer UMSICHT

It all started with an oops. When Mike Del

Soma Water filter: Glass carafe with water filter made
from bioplastic Bio-Flex.
Ponte, founder of Soma, hosted a dinner party, he
was unwilling to place a cheap plastic water filter
on his nicely set table. Instead, he decided to pour
the filtered water into a glass wine decanter.
But as he poured, the lid of the water pitcher fell
off, causing water to gush all over the kitchen
floor. The idea for Soma was born in this moment:
to combine a pure, modern design with a
sustainable and holistic approach. However, the
requirements were not trivial.

Somas designers spent a long time searching for a

suitable material for the filter unit. This material
needed to be functional, but also made from
Filter unit from Bio-Flex S 9533 with active carbon
from coconut shells. renewable resources and biodegradable when
disposed of. Soma finally obtained what they were looking for from bioplastics specialist FKuR. The bioplastic
Bio-Flex S 9533 used in the manufacture of the water filter has been developed in cooperation with
Fraunhofer UMSICHT and FKuR and is based on the bioplastic PLA (polylactic acid).

For us it was important to develop a material running on conventional injection molding equipment, explains
Hendrik Roch, Fraunhofer UMSICHT. But pure PLA is rigid with relatively low impact strength. By means of an
intelligent additive package and our special compounding technology we have been able to develop a PLA
compound meeting all requirements, says Carmen Michels, Managing Director of FKuR.

The filter unit is composed of a casing made from biodegradable Bio-Flex S9533 and contains absorbent
carbon derived from coconut shells. Customers receive a fresh filter from Soma every 60 days. For each filter
sold, Soma donates to the nonprofit organization charity: water, which provides access to clean drinking
water to people in need. Thus, the Soma water filter meets all of founder Mike Del Pontes requirements as a
beautiful and sustainable water filter that gives back.

The filter is proven to reduce chlorine, taste and odor through its special filter system and fulfils all
requirements of the NSF/ANSI standard 42 of the Water Quality Association.

The Soma water filter with glass carafe has already received several awards. Never has the pleasure of delicious
water been as easy.

Bioplastics

Bioplastics are a unique class of materials which are based on renewable resources and/or enable the
biodegradation of products made from these polymers.

Contact
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22/9/2017 Water filter made from bioplastic - Fraunhofer UMSICHT

2017 Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety, and Energy Technology UMSICHT

Online in Internet; URL: http://www.umsicht.fraunhofer.de/en/press-media/2014/water-filter-bioplastic-

bioflex.html

Date: 22.9.2017 14:15

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