CEFIC Honours Covestro for Using CO2 as a Raw Material
Covestro has been recognised by the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC) with the “Responsible Care Award” in the Environment category for its use of CO2 in plastics production. Covestro has recently started using carbon dioxide to produce a key component for making polyurethane foam thanks to an innovative process that saves on the petroleum-based raw material traditionally used.
“We’re proud and honoured to receive this important recognition from CEFIC,” said Covestro’s Chief Innovation Officer Dr. Markus Steilemann. “It shows we’re on the right track using CO2as an alternative raw material and playing a pioneering role in this future-focused development. We’re aiming to make a contribution to resource conservation and sustainability by producing as many types of plastic as possible using carbon dioxide,” he added.
CO2 is extremely inert, so harnessing it represents a scientific breakthrough in the chemical industry. Thanks to the right catalyst and process technology, Covestro is now able to produce a new precursor for polyurethane foam with 20 % CO2. An initial production facility opened this year at the company’s Dormagen site in Germany. If all goes according to plan, the new material will soon reach end customers in the form of mattresses and upholstery. The carbon dioxide replaces petroleum and its derivatives, on which the chemical industry is otherwise almost entirely based. This broadens the industry’s raw material base while also dispensing with petroleum processing and … .
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