Bio-Based Color Flakes for Decorative Coatings and Design

BioPowder.com has recently launched a new line of natural color particles for design applications. With the goal of replacing conventional color flakes based on mineral substrates, Olea Colors offers a wide range of colors and grain sizes while setting new environmental standards.

Olea Colors was originally meant as a proof of concept in our endeavour to create a natural substrate for color flakes. Up to present, quartz-based color flakes have been the state-of-the-art solution for the development of colour coatings and polymer composites. The project has evolved into a full line of particles that can be produced on-demand. Alternatively, we provide manufacturers of color particles with the natural substrate made entirely from refined olive stones.

Applications of Bio-Based Colours in Architecture, Design and Construction

Recommended applications are:

Decorative infill granules, i.e. for flooring systems, terraria and gardening concepts
Stone carpets, decks, claddings and panels
Mortar, cement, plaster and cast systems
Asphalt and bitumen mixes
Vinyl compounds
Countertop and cast resins
Anti-slip and textured coatings

Natural Performance Particles from Circular Economy Resources

Olea Colors combine decorative qualities with exceptional features such as variety, strength/stability, mechanical resistance, resistance against scuffing and fade-protection when exposed to UV rays and chemicals agents. They have outstanding thermal and acoustic performance parameters and simplify the creation of seamless finishes.

Olea Colors can be used as an alternative for quartz colors in manufacturing industries to increase abrasion and scratch resistance. They support thin layering and can be applied to any type of surface, which makes them particularly suitable for sustainable renovation work.

The substrate solutions made by BioPowder.com have their origin on the olive tree. In a complex process, olives are compressed in the olive oil mill, which produces a solid residue. From this so-called olive cake, we extract the crushed fragments of olive stone in order to refine them into micronized granules and fine powders. Hence, the manufacturing process involves by-products only. No crops are required for this upcycling process, which transforms agricultural waste into high-performance materials.

Made-to-Measure Substrates and Bio-Granules for Colours

Depending on the application, we produce natural and coloured granules in a variety of grain size ranges. This enables a wealth of rheology and texture effects, possibly with anti-slip properties. Most common sizes include:

0-100 µm
100-315 µm
300-600 µm
600-800 µm
0.8-1.3 mm
1.3-1.7 mm
0.6-2 mm
1.3-3 mm

Olea Colors can be mixed with epoxy, polyurethane or polyaspartic resin in order to create seamless coatings that extremely resistant, with a recommended thickness that varies between 3 to 10 millimeters. The composition of the olive stone substrate allows for easy dying with plant-based or mineral pigments. In addition we provide hydrophobic particles using silane-based or other methods.

With our natural granules, we seek to contribute to more sustainability in material science and, above all, the replacement of microplastics. Substrates from fruits stones facilitate disposal and recycling of numerous end products, which may translate into cost and resource savings. Although biodegradable in nature, Olea Colors have a long lifespan and are truly multifunctional.

Whether you are creating design or functional coatings, please get in touch. We are keen on helping you find the ideal color particle solution. Our MOQs for color batches are low and we ship to any destination worldwide.