ZymoChem's BAYSE™ Becomes First Bio-Based Superabsorbent to Match and Outperform Petroleum-Based Materials
New research paper reveals breakthrough performance data and successful consumer trials for a biodegradable alternative to the plastics at the heart of billions of diapers, period products, and incontinence pads produced each year.
ZymoChem releases performance data on its revolutionary bio-based super absorbent
San Leandro, Calif., March 31, 2026 - Every year, the global hygiene industry uses more than three million metric tons of superabsorbent polymers (SAP), the tiny granules that lock moisture away inside diapers, period pads, and incontinence products. Nearly all of it is made from petroleum, and once used, it persists in landfills for centuries. Today, ZymoChem, a biotechnology company developing sustainable chemicals from renewable feedstocks, released a research paper demonstrating that its bio-based and biodegradable SAP, branded BAYSE™, is the first of its kind to fully match, and in key ways surpass, the absorption performance of conventional petroleum-based materials.
“The hygiene industry has been waiting for a bio-based SAP that doesn’t make compromises. BAYSE is that material.
These results confirm that sustainability and performance are no longer in tension; manufacturers can now choose both.”
The Problem with Today's Superabsorbents
Superabsorbent polymers are among the most ubiquitous and least visible plastics in modern life. Polyacrylate, the standard material used, is a fossil fuel derivative and non-recyclable, non-biodegradable, and essentially permanent in the environment. For years, the hygiene industry has sought a bio-based replacement. Until now, every candidate has fallen short on performance. BAYSE changes that.
What the Data Shows & What It Means for Manufacturers
ZymoChem commissioned independent third-party testing of BAYSE against a leading petroleum-based SAP across all critical performance metrics.
The results show that BAYSE:
Outperforms under pressure. When compressed, as diapers routinely are during normal infant use, BAYSE outperformed conventional materials, meaning less leakage and less moisture against skin.
Absorbs faster. BAYSE locked away fluid twice as fast as the leading petroleum-based alternative. For thicker fluids relevant to period and postpartum care, it was up to 3.6 times faster, reducing the time moisture lingers against skin, the primary cause of irritation.
Holds more, uses less. BAYSE delivered strong holding capacity without the typical trade-off between gel strength and absorption volume, giving manufacturers efficient material with no need to bulk up the absorbent core.
These results were validated on an actual industrial diaper manufacturing line. ZymoChem produced infant size 4 diapers across four different absorbent core designs, and every single one passed. The best-performing design held fluid so effectively that when pressure simulating a sitting or sleeping baby was applied to a fully saturated diaper, virtually no moisture returned to the surface. Total fluid capacity surpassed engineering targets by a wide margin.
The Bottom Line for the Industry
The global SAP market is dominated by the hygiene sector, with infant diapers alone accounting for 65% of total consumption, followed by adult incontinence (15%) and period care (10%) (Source). Until now, previous bio-based SAPs have never been able to compete on performance, leaving sustainability-minded brands without a credible alternative.
For any brand or diaper manufacturer developing a bio-based product, BAYSE is no longer a question of "if," but "when." It is the first bio-based SAP that can go head-to-head with petroleum-based materials on every metric that matters, and it slots directly into existing manufacturing lines without supply chain reformulation.
“If you are competing in the bio-based hygiene space, this is the material you need. ”
To download ZymoChem’s full white paper, please visit the Research Library found at www.zymochem.com/research.