About 4% to 6% of the world's oil is used for the production of plastics. Due to limited oil reserves, the demand for alternative carbon sources is very large. Over the years, Covestro increasingly uses alternative raw materials to produce Its products, and efforts to reduce reliance on fossil resources. This material manufacturer is therefore also in response to the growing problem of energy consumption of products, and regards itself as a pioneer in sustainability.
Since 2016, Covestro has been using carbon dioxide as a building material for high-quality plastics, thus saving some of the oil used so far. At the UTECH trade fair in Europe in 2018, the company will contribute to the protection of the planet. Sustainable development provides examples while providing added value to customers and society.
Carbon dioxide platform technology: To provide a broad base of raw materials for the future
At the Dormagen site in Germany, Covestro operates a production plant for the production of polyols, which is the precursor of flexible polyurethane (PU) foam. Flexible polyurethane foam is used for upholstered furniture and mattresses. Thanks to this new technology Up to 20% of the carbon dioxide can be chemically combined in the polyol, thus saving a lot of crude oil. These products are supplied in the cardyon® series.
But this is only the beginning: Covestro is working closely with other companies and universities to open up more possibilities for the use of CO2 platform technology; many projects are funded by the government. One of the key is based on carbon dioxide rigid polyurethane foam Used in the field of construction, but applications in the automotive and sports fields are also becoming the focus of attention.
Close the carbon cycle
'Alternative raw materials like carbon dioxide are an important part of our overall research. It covers the entire value chain of our products,' said Hermann-Josef Dorholt, head of polyurethane sales in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. 'By using carbon dioxide, we Brings important chemical elements back to the value chain and begins to close the carbon cycle.
This process is also more advantageous than conventional technologies in terms of ecological footprint and contributes to the realization of several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, abbreviated as SDGs (Sustainability Development Goals). This is also a successful example of Covestro, the company’s The goal is to spend at least 80% of research expenditures on achieving sustainable development goals by 2025. In other words, when considering the ratio of carbon dioxide used for high-quality plastics, the technology has a very high carbon productivity.
Completely made from plant material: Bio-based aniline
In addition, Covestro and its partners have developed a unique method to obtain the key chemical product aniline from the plant raw material. The entire carbon content comes from biomass - a small quantity means no shortage of vegetable foods. External studies, if the plastics produced in the world are made from renewable raw materials, then this required arable land accounts for only 0.9% of the world's agricultural land.
The new two-stage production of bio-based aniline has been successfully tested in the laboratory. Further development is currently underway to use it in a wider range of technologies. Aniline is an important raw material for the chemical industry. It is used as a production MDI. The important component is an important raw material for polyurethane rigid foam.
The company also developed new bio-based curing agents for polyurethane coatings, adhesives and polyurethanes. For example, 70% of the carbon content of the curing agent Desmodur® eco N 7300 comes from plant materials.