Covestro Thermal Insulation Polyurethane Helps Facilitate Cold Chain Development

● Reducing foam aperture by 40% max. improving thermal insulation by 10% ● Improving transport loss rate of fresh fruits and vegetables ● Reducing power consumption and saving energy

An aged society, dwindling birth rates, single-person households, and other changes in our demographics have had an impact on the dieting habits and cultures of the Taiwanese general public. The pursuits of ease and efficiency have resulted in the new diet demands of eating less, buying less, and convenience of preparation and storage. In recent years, convenience stores in Taiwan and some of the fresh food industries are looking at opportunities in the frozen food sector, and have invested over NT$100 million into low-temperature logistics centers, and freezer logistics parks.

In order to facilitate the cold-chain development, improve the thermal insulation of freezing equipment, further reduce the rate of food-product loss during transport, and conserve power, Covestro has developed a rigid polyurethane foam: the Baytherm® Microcell technology which offers low thermal conductivity and excellent thermal insulation performance. Moreover, it improves the production efficiency without additional equipment investment. Refrigerators using Baytherm® Microcell technology save both energy consumption and production cost.

According to the statistics published in the 2018 Food Industry update by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the total production value of the frozen food industry was up to NT$70 billion; the total production volume reached 74.1 tons in 2017, and the growth continues to rise . Despite the acceleration in the end consumer demands, the overall frozen food industry still faces a deficiency in low-temperature transport logistics and the deployment of freezing equipment. Furthermore, it is possible that the transport process might create food safety issues by spoiling the food through unstable temperature control or low freezing efficiency.

Efficient Energy Conservation, Outstanding Thermal Insulation
Over 95% of the global refrigerators or refrigeration equipment adapt rigid polyurethane foam for thermal insulation.The insulation properties are better if the foam size is smaller. Therefore, the rigid polyurethane foam Baytherm® Microcell, developed by Covestro, helps to reduce the traditional foam size up to 40% (only several millimeters in diameter), and its thermal insulation can be improved up to 10%. “Polyurethane plays a significant role in food preservation at the global stage,” said Alec Yang, Head of Polyurethane, Covestro Taiwan. “The new Microcell technology by Covestro with reduced pore size of the polyurethane material can improve thermal insulation, reduce the rate of food loss, and further optimize the use of related hardware facilities in the frozen food industry chain.”

Comparing to the polyurethane used by other freezing equipment manufacturers, Baytherm® demonstrates different properties by changing its formula.

● The Microcell Low Thermal Conductivity Cabinet Formulation System uses Covestro’s Microcell technology. While balancing all the other performance requirements, the product further reduces the coefficient thermal conductivity and enhances thermal insulation performance. Furthermore, it is also compatible with all kinds of blowing agents with excellent processing and demolding performance, which is an ideal insulation solution designed primarily for high-end refrigerators and freezers.

● The Low Density Cabinet Formulation System is also equipped with outstanding dimension stability, mechanical strength, and other physical properties. It can also reduce the density of the foam and lowers the the filling weight of the material that therefore makes it a value-for-money product.

● The Door Formulation System offers outstanding mechanical stregth and processibility, which is customized for door production lines to meet various applications for doors. It is also adaptable to specific needs on coefficient of thermal conductivity and density based on different cabinets, helping achieve the target energy-efficiency class of refrigerators and freezers.

The Baytherm® polyurethane technology not only improves the overall properties of rigid foam, it also does not require additional investments in production equipment, and has been widely well-received in the home appliance industry.

About Covestro:
With 2018 sales of EUR 14.6 billion, Covestro 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. Covestro has 30 production sites around the globe and as of the end of 2018 employed approximately 16,800 people (full-time equivalents).

This press release is available for download from the Covestro press server at www.covestro.com. Photos are available there for download as well. Please acknowledge the source of any pictures used.

For more information please see https://www.covestro.tw/zh-tw

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Covestro AG. 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 Covestro’s public reports. These reports are available at www.covestro.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to make them conform to future events or developments.