Polymers from renewable raw materials show the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by saving fossil resources, giving more benign production processes, and using raw materials that took up CO2 during photosynthesis. Processes like biotechnological fermentations work at low temperatures and produce less waste. Biobased chemicals (e.g., 1,3-propanediol) are being produced cost efficiently at scale. Covestro is interested in chemicals that are more sustainable than their petro-based counterparts, using these to produce high-performance products which can be cost efficient. Biobased chemicals are produced by biotechnological or catalytic conversion of renewable feedstocks such as saccharides. Covestro is evaluates technologies at an early stage in order to identify the potential of the new process. Covestro is working with leading partners along the value chain to develop production of these chemicals, use them for product developments and ultimately bring high-performance products to the market. Biobased polyols are known to be useful for polyurethanes suitable for diverse applications including building insulation, cold chain and piping insulation, mattresses or sport shoes. Natural oils like castor and soybean oil, or sugars and glycerol are used to make polyether polyols. Covestro has developed new biobased polyols based on biobased chemicals such as succinic acid. Now Covestro has developed pentamethylene diisocyanate, a new isocyanate, 70 percent of the carbon content comes from biomass without generating any direct competition for food production. The first biobased polyurethane crosslinker based on this molecule has been launched commercially. This is the first plant-based aliphatic polyurethane hardener to be used for coatings, adhesives and other applications. Covestro has developed fermentation technology for the potential production of biobased phenol. The company is looking at ways to build biobased content into polycarbonate plastics. The pathforward in this endeavor will depend on the economic feasibility of the changeover as well as the benefit that may accrue from having a lower carbon footprint for the production process.

Progress towards sustainable polyurethanes and polycarbonates built from biobased chemicals

251st National Meeting (2016)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.