Aircraft cabin upholstery leather BioPRO

syntheticnatural

Overview
BioPRO is a patented moulded, protein-based upholstery and seat foam engineered as a sustainable alternative to conventional synthetic foams for aviation seating applications. It is formulated to provide improved durability, reduced weight and long-term dimensional stability while lowering lifecycle environmental impact through the use of recovered protein content.

Key differentiators

• Moulded, single-component construction for consistent shape, comfort and support without multiple cut components.
• Protein-based chemistry containing 20% recovered protein content to reduce reliance on petrochemical additives.
• Free from PFAS, melamine, bromine and titanium phosphate.
• Engineered for weight savings to improve operational efficiency and reduce fuel consumption and emissions.
• Produced using in-house CAD and tooling to support flexible NPD and specialist seating applications.

Manufacturing & design
BioPRO is manufactured from bespoke moulds for exact-fit parts and minimal material waste. The moulded process reduces assembly complexity compared with conventional cut-foam constructions that can require many separate components. Density and hardness are adaptable to specification for diverse aircraft seating requirements.

Performance
BioPRO exhibits natural intumescence and flame resistance, forming a thermal barrier that slows flame spread. It demonstrates significantly improved burn resistance relative to conventional competitor foams and has been tested to aviation and fire standards including CS/FAR 25.853. The formulation avoids internal abrasive chemicals that can shorten foam service life, supporting lower maintenance and longer in-service performance.

Consistency

• Thickness variation across batches: 1.1%
• Indentation variation across batches: 1.1%
• Uniform hardness variation across batches: 0%

Material sustainability
BioPRO contains approximately 20% recovered protein-content from manufacturing streams, is PFAS-free and does not contain melamine, bromine or titanium phosphate. At end of life the material is fully recoverable to support circular lifecycle management.

Expertise
The product is developed by Muirhead, combining decades of foam industry knowledge with Muirhead’s heritage in seating and leather to deliver integrated seating solutions. BioPRO is available as foam-only or as part of a complete seat assembly paired with covers.

Technical specifications

• Denomination: BioPRO (patented, moulded protein-based foam)
• Density range: 47–90 kg/m³ (minimum availability at 47 kg/m³)
• Shore hardness: 20–70 (measured at 47 kg/m³)
• Composition: contains ~20% recovered protein-content from manufacturing processes
• Flame/fire performance: tested to CS/FAR 25.853 (manufacturer claim of ~60% better burn resistance vs closest competitor)
• Certification: stated certified to EN 455452:2020+A1:2023 (requirement R21) at Hazard Levels HL1, HL2 and HL3
• Free from: PFAS, melamine, bromine, titanium phosphate
• Manufacturing: moulded, single-component (reduces number of components vs conventional cut foams)
• Consistency metrics: thickness variation 1.1%; indentation variation 1.1%; uniform hardness variation 0%
• End of life: fully recoverable to support circular lifecycle