Sustainable dental products maker Tio (Berlin / Germany; www.tio.care) says it has created a toothbrush with bristles made of filaments from “Vestamid” Terra brand bio-based polyamides manufactured by compatriot speciality company Evonik (Essen; www.evonik.com). The resin is obtained partly or entirely from castor oil, a raw material that is neither foodstuff nor animal feed and whose cultivation does not compete with that of food crops.

The polymers include PA 6.10 and 10.10 grades with different property profiles. Filaments made from them are said to offer high-performance, for example, in terms of abrasion resistance while being flexible and elastic at the same time, and they hold their shape and do not break. The material is reportedly also suitable for different diameters, such as those for softer or harder bristles.

Tio is said to be keen on using Vestamid Terra for other components of the toothbrush, with initial trials underway for the handles and heads.