27
April
2018
|
00:00
Europe/Amsterdam
Innovation for sustainable growth
Summary
Polyurethane products and processes with improved environmental balance
More than 80 years after their "invention" by Dr. Otto Bayer, the application areas for polyurethanes are more versatile than ever before: hardly any other plastic can be found in so many areas of everyday life. According to forecasts, annual growth rates are likely to remain above the global gross domestic product. Polyurethane innovations, in response to global challenges such as population growth and urbanization, climate change, digitization and growing mobility, are an important driver of rising demand.
"For Covestro, such innovations are the key to sustainable growth," says Daniel Meyer, Global Head of the Polyurethanes segment. "With our developments we want to create added value for customers and society while minimizing the impact on the environment – in line with our mission to make the world a brighter place.”
Thinking in life cycles
Already at UTECH 2015, Covestro – then still known as Bayer MaterialScience – made an explicit commitment under the motto "Do You Think In Life Cycles?” to close material cycles in an ingenious economical and ecological manner and to evaluate complete life cycles. The company will be presenting current examples of such sustainable developments at Stands 520 and 530 at UTECH Europe 2018 from 29 to 31 May in Maastricht. The company also expressly supports the global sustainability goals of the United Nations, in short: SDGs.
"By using our CO2 technology for the synthesis of polyurethane raw materials, we have overcome previous limitations and have begun to close the carbon cycle in plastics production," explains Hermann-Josef Dörholt, Sales Manager in the Polyurethanes segment in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The products are marketed under the name cardyon®.
"In addition, we have developed a unique method for obtaining the polyurethane precursor aniline from vegetable raw materials," says Hermann-Josef Dörholt. Another example for the utilization of alternative raw material sources is polyols for sporting goods, which can be produced from paraformaldehyde and whose carbon footprint is superior to conventional polyol raw materials.
Innovative model to create affordable housing
Creating housing quickly, cost-effectively and sustainably is a global challenge in the face of population growth and urbanization. This is true above all in low-income and economically underdeveloped regions, but also in places where housing is scarce or expensive, such as in densely populated areas or cities with a high influx of refugees.
Together with industry partners, governments, authorities and society, Covestro develops solutions for affordable housing as part of an integrative business model and manages specific projects on site. Among other things, polyurethane sandwich elements are used, which are characterized by excellent insulating properties and give the building envelope the necessary strength. A current example is the "House of Nations", a multifunctional house in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany.
The company has been supporting projects to create affordable housing for long-term use in Asia and the Middle East for several years. The advantages of this model are to benefit over 10 million people by the year 2025.
Digitization in the polyurethane industry
The digitization of industrial processes continues to progress. In the plastics industry, it should take research and development, production, process chains, sustainability projects and customer contacts to a new level and ultimately contribute to increased business success.
This applies in particular to polyurethanes, whose product properties are determined in a complex manner by chemistry and process engineering. With the help of modern data management, these materials can be produced significantly more efficiently and precisely with the desired properties. Another pillar of Covestro's digital strategy is electronic trading platforms.
A leap in performance for pultrusion
Process optimization is also important in pultrusion, an important industrial process for the continuous production of continuous fiber-reinforced composite profiles. Together with partners, Covestro has significantly increased process speed and thus opened the door to broader industrial use.
Covestro offers the liquid polyurethane system Baydur PUL® for very robust profiles with very good thermal insulation properties, for example for windows. Another system, Desmocomp®, is characterized not only by good mechanical properties but also by excellent weather stability and is therefore intended for visible applications outdoors.
New elastomers and casting machines
At the adjacent booth – number 530 – the subsidiary Covestro Elastomers SAS is presenting versatile polyurethane elastomer formulations that meet high demands and which are easy to process. In addition, a new machine concept will be presented with which the application of the casting resins can be tailored to individual requirements. The concept is very flexible so that future needs can also be taken into account. The product range is supplemented by a comprehensive service package for customers.
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.
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/covestro
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. 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.
"For Covestro, such innovations are the key to sustainable growth," says Daniel Meyer, Global Head of the Polyurethanes segment. "With our developments we want to create added value for customers and society while minimizing the impact on the environment – in line with our mission to make the world a brighter place.”
Thinking in life cycles
Already at UTECH 2015, Covestro – then still known as Bayer MaterialScience – made an explicit commitment under the motto "Do You Think In Life Cycles?” to close material cycles in an ingenious economical and ecological manner and to evaluate complete life cycles. The company will be presenting current examples of such sustainable developments at Stands 520 and 530 at UTECH Europe 2018 from 29 to 31 May in Maastricht. The company also expressly supports the global sustainability goals of the United Nations, in short: SDGs.
"By using our CO2 technology for the synthesis of polyurethane raw materials, we have overcome previous limitations and have begun to close the carbon cycle in plastics production," explains Hermann-Josef Dörholt, Sales Manager in the Polyurethanes segment in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The products are marketed under the name cardyon®.
"In addition, we have developed a unique method for obtaining the polyurethane precursor aniline from vegetable raw materials," says Hermann-Josef Dörholt. Another example for the utilization of alternative raw material sources is polyols for sporting goods, which can be produced from paraformaldehyde and whose carbon footprint is superior to conventional polyol raw materials.
Innovative model to create affordable housing
Creating housing quickly, cost-effectively and sustainably is a global challenge in the face of population growth and urbanization. This is true above all in low-income and economically underdeveloped regions, but also in places where housing is scarce or expensive, such as in densely populated areas or cities with a high influx of refugees.
Together with industry partners, governments, authorities and society, Covestro develops solutions for affordable housing as part of an integrative business model and manages specific projects on site. Among other things, polyurethane sandwich elements are used, which are characterized by excellent insulating properties and give the building envelope the necessary strength. A current example is the "House of Nations", a multifunctional house in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany.
The company has been supporting projects to create affordable housing for long-term use in Asia and the Middle East for several years. The advantages of this model are to benefit over 10 million people by the year 2025.
Digitization in the polyurethane industry
The digitization of industrial processes continues to progress. In the plastics industry, it should take research and development, production, process chains, sustainability projects and customer contacts to a new level and ultimately contribute to increased business success.
This applies in particular to polyurethanes, whose product properties are determined in a complex manner by chemistry and process engineering. With the help of modern data management, these materials can be produced significantly more efficiently and precisely with the desired properties. Another pillar of Covestro's digital strategy is electronic trading platforms.
A leap in performance for pultrusion
Process optimization is also important in pultrusion, an important industrial process for the continuous production of continuous fiber-reinforced composite profiles. Together with partners, Covestro has significantly increased process speed and thus opened the door to broader industrial use.
Covestro offers the liquid polyurethane system Baydur PUL® for very robust profiles with very good thermal insulation properties, for example for windows. Another system, Desmocomp®, is characterized not only by good mechanical properties but also by excellent weather stability and is therefore intended for visible applications outdoors.
New elastomers and casting machines
At the adjacent booth – number 530 – the subsidiary Covestro Elastomers SAS is presenting versatile polyurethane elastomer formulations that meet high demands and which are easy to process. In addition, a new machine concept will be presented with which the application of the casting resins can be tailored to individual requirements. The concept is very flexible so that future needs can also be taken into account. The product range is supplemented by a comprehensive service package for customers.
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.
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/covestro
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. 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.