Covestro is a world-leading supplier of high-tech polymer materials: innovative, sustainable and diverse products.
Covestro AG is a German company which produces a variety of polyurethane and polycarbonate based raw materials. Products include isocyanates and polyols for cellular foams, thermoplastic polyurethane and polycarbonate pellets, as well as polyurethane based additives used in the formulation of coatings and adhesives.
BIO-BASED ANILINE
A scientific breakthrough for greater sustainability
Within the chemicals industry, aniline has multiple talents. For instance, it is used as basis for the manufacturing of medicines, dyes and plastics. Covestro needs aniline for the production of MDI, a main component in insulating foams. When it comes to the formulation of aniline, for the first time we have now developed a process to derive it completely from renewable raw materials instead of crude oil – a breakthrough.
“Deriving aniline from biomass is another important step towards making the chemicals and plastics industry more independent of the fossil raw materials that are in short supply.“
Dr. Markus Steilemann
Chief Executive Officer and responsible for all commercial functions and innovation
The industry currently wins aniline from benzene, a petroleum-based raw material. However, unrefined raw sugar, which is already derived on large scale as a renewable raw material from, for example, feed corn, straw and wood, can be used instead. The newly developed process uses a microorganism as a catalyst to first convert the industrial sugar into a precursor. The aniline is then produced by means of chemical catalysis in a second step. One hundred percent of the carbon contained in aniline thus comes from renewable raw materials.
This breakthrough enables a clear improvement in the CO₂ footprint of the production process, both with us and in our customers’ plants. The new process also brings direct economic benefits because a broader base of raw materials helps manufacturers to be more independent of the fluctuations of the market. And in a responsible way: the manufacturing of bio-based aniline only requires a small cultivation area and can be based on non-food feedstocks, even when it comes to supplying larger plants.
This opens up even further promise for the viable and sustainable production of polyurethane rigid foam which is widely used to insulate buildings and cooling devices.
Covestro adds partially biobased polycarbonate to sustainable product portfolio
Covestro adds partially biobased polycarbonate to sustainable product portfolio
Covestro is introducing a new polycarbonate film with more than 50 percent of its carbon content sourced from plant-based biomass. Makrofol EC is the first partially bio-based film in the company’s product portfolio.
Compared with a standard film made from petrochemicals, a portion of the oil-based primary products used up to now has been replaced by plant-based raw materials. As a result, the film’s CO2 footprint is reduced considerably.
“More and more customers are supporting sustainable products,” says Dr. Wieland Hovestadt, head of Research and Development in the Specialty Films division. “This is why research on bio-based products is an important priority for us.” The increased use of alternative resources for in-house production is part of a long-term strategic program that Covestro is implementing as it fully commits to the circular economy.
Makrofol EC has properties that are comparable in quality to standard polycarbonate films of the Makrofol range. It also features improved chemical and weather resistance as well as increased abrasion resistance. The film is suitable for further processing in standard processes. For instance, it can be easily printed on, laminated, coated and can be formed by thermoforming or high pressure forming (HPF) processes. It can be used in applications in the electrical, consumer and automotive industries, as is typical for conventional polycarbonate films.
HQ : Germany
