Covestro – a renowned polymer solutions company has reportedly announced that it is developing and marketing brand-new polyether carbonate polyols which are created with the help of carbon dioxide (CO2), under the name cardyon™.
Along with Desmopan® 37385A the company now provides the first specimen of a new array of thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) that are contain polyether carbonate polyols created using CO2 technology.
According to a press release by Covestro, when compared to traditional TPU materials the new CO2 based TUP products have a significantly smaller carbon footprint and would be greatly helping in closing down the carbon cycle. The products also conserve conventional resources and as opposed to several bio-based materials do no clash with food production.
Georg Fuchte, a TPU expert at Covestro stated that with the new TPU products, Covestro customers could reduce their products’ carbon footprint and consequently would assume a pioneering role in sustainability with regards to their competitors. Fuchte further added that this is especially the case for companies that are in the consumer goods sector as they typically manufacture products that have a short lifespan.
Covestro reportedly intends to expand the new CO2 based TPU series with several variants of different hardness. Aproduct that has 95 Shore A hardness, for instance, whose melt cures quickly while processing is very well advanced in development. Reportedly, the company thus is aiming at applications where economic production within short cycle times is extremely important.
For the record, Covestro closely collaborates with research institutions and companies to utilize CO2 technology as the synthesis platform for other chemical raw materials. The company is currently working on new CO2–based polyols to produce rigid polyurethane foams to be used in automobiles, buildings’ thermal insulation and sports equipment.
Meanwhile, the company is also reportedly showcasing innovative developments in TPU on petrochemical basis which include glossy and uniform polyamide and TPU fibers used in knitted fabrics. Reportedly, due to the fibers’ unique feel they are commonly used in sports shoes. Reportedly, the fabrics could be economically produced in a single-knitting process.
