17
October
2018
|
00:00
Europe/Amsterdam

First biobased coating hardener for lightfast polyurethane coatings

Summary

Pioneer for alternative raw materials

At eMove360° Europe 2018, the international trade fair for Mobility 4.0 in Munich, Covestro was awarded one of the coveted MATERIALICA Design + Technology Awards 2018. With the world's first biobased hardener for lightfast polyurethane coatings, the company managed to prevail in the “CO2 Efficiency” category.

For years, Covestro has been increasingly using alternative raw materials to manufacture its products, also to reduce its own 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.

Improved ecological footprint
“Our hardener is of similar high quality to its petrochemical counterparts,” explains Hiep Tran, project manager for the biobased hardener in the Coatings, Adhesives, Specialties segment at Covestro. “With a biomass proportion of 70 percent, however, it achieves a 30 percent better ecological footprint than comparable fossil products.”

In addition, its properties are also comparable, enabling processors to use formulated coatings on their systems with minimal adaptation costs. Coatings based on Desmodur® eco N are equally suitable for automotive, plastics, wood, furniture and industrial coatings.

Promising drop-in solution
Along with alternative raw materials, industries such as the automotive industry rely above all on energy savings and the possibility of using existing processes and plants – at competitive prices for the products they use.

The polyurethane raw material Desmodur® eco meets all these requirements: The hardener is produced from fermented feed maize and thus conserves fossil resources. Compared to conventional products, several process steps are saved during its manufacture.

First near-series car paint job
Last year, a project team consisting of employees from the vehicle manufacturer Audi, the BASF Coatings division and Covestro reached a new milestone: for the first time, Audi Q2 test bodies were successfully coated with a clear coat of the bio-based hardener. The application took place at the Ingolstadt plant under near-series conditions on existing systems. One of the vehicles was exhibited at the European Coatings Show from 4 to 6 April 2017 in Nuremberg.

Desmodur® eco N is just the beginning: Covestro is expanding its product range to include a large number of variants with different properties – such as the recently launched water-soluble product Bayhydur® eco, which is perfectly tailored to the requirements of high-performance waterborne coatings. At the same time, Covestro and its partners are working on the development of next-generation biobased raw materials from cellulose and waste biomass.

Renowned award
The MATERIALICA Design + Technology Award is presented to products and concepts that meet demanding criteria such as intelligent material selection, competent engineering, a high degree of innovation and convincing design. The prize has been awarded since 2003 and addresses designers and engineers alike. eMove360° Europe 2018 is one of the world's leading technology trade fairs for sustainable mobility solutions.

About Covestro:
With 2017 sales of EUR 14.1 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 worldwide and employs approximately 16,200 people (calculated as full-time equivalents) at the end of 2017.

For more information please see www.covestro.com and https://www.emove360.com.

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Forward-looking statements
This news 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 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.