��AV Press

Dress with CO2

Tue, 02 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0200

Dress with CO₂: Two research projects have succeeded in making elastic textile fibers based on CO₂ and so partly replacing crude oil as a raw material. ��AV and its partners, foremost the Institute of Textile Technology at RWTH Aachen University and various textile manufacturers, are developing the production process on an industrial scale and aim to make the innovative fibers ready for the market. They can be used for stockings and medical textiles, for example, and might replace conventional elastic fibers based on crude oil.

The elastic fibers are made with a chemical component that consists in part of CO₂ instead of oil. This precursor called cardyon^® is already used for foam in mattresses and sports floorings. And now it is being applied to the textile industry.

“That’s a further, highly promising approach to enable ever broader use of carbon dioxide as an alternative raw material in the chemical industry and expand the raw materials base,” says Dr. Markus Steilemann, CEO of ��AV. “Our goal is to use CO₂ in more and more applications in a circular economy process and save crude oil.”

Sustainable production process

The fibers are made from CO₂-based thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) using a technique called melt spinning, in which the TPU is melted, pressed into very fine threads and finally processed into a yarn of endless fibers. Unlike dry spinning, which is used to produce conventional elastic synthetic fibers such as Elastane or Spandex, melt spinning eliminates the need for environmentally harmful solvents. A new chemical method enables carbon dioxide to be incorporated in the base material, which also has a better CO₂ footprint than traditional elastic fibers.

“The CO₂-based material could be a sustainable alternative to conventional elastic fibers in the near future,” states Professor Thomas Gries, Director of the Institute of Textile Technology at RWTH Aachen University. “Thanks to our expertise in industrial development and processing, we can jointly drive establishment of a new raw materials base for the textile industry.”

Development of the method of producing fibers from CO₂-based thermoplastic polyurethane has been funded by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). It will now be optimized as part of the “CO₂Tex” project, which is to be funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) so as to enable industrial production in the future. “CO₂Tex” is part of “BioTex Future,” a project initiative of RWTH Aachen University. The initiative is devoted to developing production and processing technologies to facilitate the future market launch of textile systems from bio-based polymeric materials.

Development partners display interest

What makes the CO₂-based TPU fibers so special is their properties: They are elastic and tear-proof and so can be used in textile fabrics. Initial companies from the textile and medical engineering sectors have already tested the CO₂-based fibers and processed them into yarns, socks, compression tubes and tapes.

The aim of launching CO₂-based textiles on the market is to promote a material cycle in the textile and clothing industry based on sustainable resources.

About ��AV:

With 2018 sales of EUR 14.6 billion, ��AV is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, construction, wood processing and furniture, and electrical and electronics industries. Other sectors include sports and leisure, cosmetics, health, and the chemical industry itself. ��AV has 30 production sites worldwide and employed approximately 16,800 people (calculated as full-time equivalents) at the end of 2018.

About Institute of Textile Technology (ITA) at RWTH Aachen University:

The Institute of Textile Technology (ITA) at RWTH Aachen University is involved in the project. The ITA is part of the faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the RWTH and conducts research in the fields of materials, production processes and products for technical applications of textile structures. It has a fully equipped technology center with about 250 textile machines and test benches across all textile process stages from spinning to joining. Furthermore, various laboratories (textile testing, polymer analysis) and workshops are staffed by experts (mechanics, electronic software and hardware).

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Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements that are based on current assumptions and forecasts issued by the management of ��AV. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in ��AV’s public reports which are available at www.covestro.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

First thermoplastic polyurethane based on CO2 technology

Thu, 11 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0200

Under the name cardyon™, ��AV is developing and marketing new polyether carbonate polyols that are produced with the aid of carbon dioxide (CO₂). With Desmopan^® 37385A the company now offers the first representative of a new series of thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) containing polyether carbonate polyols based on CO₂ technology.

Compared to conventional TPU materials, the new TPU products leave a lower carbon footprint and help close the carbon cycle. They also conserve fossil resources and, unlike many bio-based materials, do not compete with food production.

“With the new TPU, our customers can reduce the carbon footprint of their products and as a result play a pioneering role in sustainability vis-à-vis their competitors,” explains Georg Fuchte, TPU expert at ��AV. “This is especially true for companies in the consumer goods industry, which often manufacture products with a short lifespan.”

Excellent mechanical properties
Desmopan^® 37385A has a hardness of 85 Shore A. Its mechanical properties are at least at the level of conventional TPU grades of similar hardness, and even exceed some of them. For example, it has a tensile strength of 36 megapascals. The elongation at break reaches 660 percent (DIN 53504). The plastic is designed for extrusion, but is also suitable for injection molding. “The application spectrum covers typical applications of conventional TPU grades with comparable hardness and ranges from soles and upper shoe components to sportswear, handles and knobs to packaging for sensitive electronics,” says Fuchte.

Different product variants
��AV plans to expand the new TPU series with variants of different hardness. A product with a hardness of 95 Shore A, for example, whose melt cures rapidly during processing, is well advanced in development. “We are thus targeting applications in which economic production in short cycle times is particularly important,” explains Fuchte.

��AV cooperates closely with companies and research institutions to use CO₂ technology as a synthesis platform for other large-scale chemical raw materials. For example, work is underway on new CO₂-based polyols for rigid polyurethane foams that could be used, for example, in the thermal insulation of buildings, in automobiles and in sports equipment. At the Dormagen plant, ��AV already operates a production plant that produces CO₂-based polyols for flexible polyurethane foams. The latter are used in the commercial production of upholstered furniture and mattresses.

More TPU highlights at Fakuma
Yarn: ��AV is also showing innovative TPU developments on a petrochemical basis. These include uniform and glossy TPU and polyamide fibers for knitted fabrics. The fibers have a unique feel and are mainly used in sports shoes, where the use of knitted uppers is very fashionable. There are many possible decorative variations. The fabrics can be produced economically in a single knitting process, including automated production.

Surface structure: The outstanding imaging accuracy of TPU products of the Desmopan^® series has been established for decades. Unique surface structures can be created by using different technologies. ��AV is currently working together with its partner J. & F. Krüth in Solingen to open up almost unlimited possibilities for surface design with the help of innovative and fully digital 3D laser engraving.

About ��AV:
With 2017 sales of EUR 14.1 billion, ��AV is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, construction, wood processing and furniture, and electrical and electronics industries. Other sectors include sports and leisure, cosmetics, health and the chemical industry itself. ��AV has 30 production sites worldwide and employs approximately 16,200 people (calculated as full-time equivalents) at the end of 2017.

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Forward-looking statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by ��AV. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in ��AV’s public reports which are available at . The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

��AV – a pioneer in alternative raw materials

Mon, 28 May 2018 00:00:00 +0200

Around 4 to 6 percent of the oil produced worldwide is used in the production of plastics. As oil reserves are limited, alternative carbon sources are very high in demand. For years, ��AV has been increasingly using alternative raw materials to manufacture its products, by that also striving to reduce its dependence on fossil resources. The material manufacturer is thus meeting the growing interest in products on this basis and is presenting itself as a pioneer in terms of sustainability.

��AV has been using carbon dioxide as a building block for high-quality plastics since 2016, which saves part of the oil used to date. At the UTECH Europe 2018 trade fair, the company will be presenting examples for such entirely sustainable developments that contribute to the preservation of the planet and at the same time offer added value for customers and society.

CO₂ platform technology: broad raw material basis for the future
At the Dormagen site, ��AV operates a production plant for polyol, a precursor for flexible polyurethane (PU) foam, which is used in upholstered furniture and mattresses. Thanks to the new technology, up to 20 percent CO₂ can be chemically bound in the polyol, which saves a correspondingly large amount of crude oil. The products are offered under the name cardyon^®.

But this is only the beginning: ��AV is working closely with other companies and universities to open up additional possibilities for using the CO₂ platform technology; many of the projects are publicly funded. One focus is CO₂-based rigid PU foam for the thermal insulation of buildings, but applications in automobiles and sports are also moving into the spotlight.

Closing the carbon cycle
“Alternative raw materials such as carbon dioxide are an important part of our holistic approach, which covers the entire value chain of our products,” says Hermann-Josef Dörholt, Head of Sales for the Polyurethanes segment in the Europe, Middle East, Africa region at ��AV. “By using CO₂ we bring the important chemical element carbon back into the value chain and begin to close the carbon cycle.”

The process is also more advantageous in terms of the ecological footprint than conventional technology and contributes to the fulfillment of several UN sustainability goals – SDGs for short. It is also a successful example of ��AV's goal to invest at least 80 percent of its research expenditure on achieving SDGs by 2025. In other words, the technology has high carbon productivity when one considers the ratio of the amount of CO₂ used to the benefit achieved in the form of high-quality plastics.

On 30 May from 3.45 p.m. Dr. Christoph Gürtler and Dr. Jochen Norwig will give a presentation on this topic at the UTECH Europe 2018 conference, entitled “Broadening the raw material base of polyurethanes: new developments with CO₂ and pFA”.

Made entirely from vegetable raw materials: bio-based aniline
In addition, ��AV and its partners have developed a unique method for obtaining the key chemical product aniline from plant raw materials. The entire carbon content comes from biomass – the small quantity means there is no shortage of vegetable foodstuffs. According to external studies, if all plastics produced worldwide were made from renewable raw materials, the arable land needed for this would only account for 0.9 percent of the world's agricultural land.

The new two-stage production of bio-based aniline has already been successfully tested in the laboratory. Further developments are currently underway to use it on a larger technical scale. Aniline is an important feedstock for the chemical industry. It is used, among other things, as a component in the production of MDI, an important starting material for PU rigid foam for thermal insulation.

��AV has also developed new bio-based hardeners for PU coatings and adhesives and for polyurethane dispersions. For example, 70 percent of the carbon content of the hardener Desmodur^® eco N 7300 comes from vegetable raw materials.

About ��AV:
With 2017 sales of EUR 14.1 billion, ��AV is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, construction, wood processing and furniture, and electrical and electronics industries. Other sectors include sports and leisure, cosmetics, health and the chemical industry itself. ��AV has 30 production sites worldwide and employs approximately 16,200 people (calculated as full-time equivalents) at the end of 2017.

For more information please see .
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Forward-looking statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by ��AV. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in ��AV’s public reports which are available at . The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

����AV Press