Effetto Mariposa’s new sealant is plant-based and biodegradable

Accessories and repair label Effetto Mariposa has lifted the curtain on a new Italian-made plant-based sealant, which is said to be fully biodegradable.

Dubbed Végétalex, the new blend utilises finely ground olive stones, blended with cellulose fibers, held together by xanthan gum as a foundation for its formula. As a result, the formula is totally free of ammonia or other aggressive chemicals, nor is it toxic or corrosive. Végétalex doesn’t contain macro or micro plastics, nor rubber particles.

Able to fill gaps of up to 5mm in a fast and apparently permanent way, Effeto Mariposa’s engineers have tweaked the formula to deliver protection for over six months in most conditions. This makes it also suitable for inner-tube applications and application with CO2 cartridges.

Végétalex has been finely tuned to obtain a high mobility, so that a small quantity goes a long way in terms of coverage of the inner surface of the tyre. For Végétalex, Effetto suggests using about 20% more than the quantities recommended by the iCaffelatex app for Caffélatex. As an example, for a 29×2.10 (54-622) tubeless-ready tyre iCaffélatex recommends a minimum of 70 ml (approx. 2 ½ oz.) of Caffélatex or 84 ml (approx. 3 oz.) of Végétalex.

Végétalex will be available starting September 2020, delivered in 1,000ml bottles, which will retail at £24/$29.99/€24.99. Bike shops in the UK will be able to obtain stock via distributor Upgrade Bikes shortly.