#Recycling / Circular Economy

2022-04-07

Covestro builds a bridge to the circular economy at ACS 2022

Decovery® in an exterior wood stain application – a plant-based solution for a beautiful, long-lasting exterior. © Covestro

Covestro, a leading materials company, will exhibit its portfolio of sustainable coating solutions at the American Coatings Show 2022 in Indianapolis, helping pave the way for a shift to the circular economy. The company’s 2021 acquisition of the Resins & Functional Materials (RFM) business of Dutch company Royal DSM was a major driver of this year’s offerings, significantly strengthening the efforts of Covestro in sustainable solutions and cementing its position as a leading supplier of sustainable coatings and adhesives.

Renewable feedstock

Reduced reliance on fossil raw materials

Purposeful innovation

More than 50 years of manufacturing experience of Covestro have also played a key role for this development. Going forward, solutions sourced from sustainable materials will be a key component of their overall portfolio. Sustainable coating resins represent an attractive growth market that aligns with the ultimate goal of the company to move to a fully circular economy, meeting the world’s materials and coatings needs while reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Covestro is excited to collaborate with its customers on the journey to the circular economy as new material solutions transform urbanization, mobility, and their impact on climate change.

Alternative raw materials made using biotechnology

One of the most exciting results is the fruit of work of the company with pioneering biotech company Genomatica to successfully produce the first significant volumes of a plant based version of HMDA (hexamethylene diamine). HMDA is a key precursor for several coatings, adhesives, and a widely used type of nylon (nylon-6,6). 2 million tons of HMDA are used each year, but until now it has been manufactured exclusively from fossil feedstocks. This new process is expected to be able to produce ton-quantities of high-quality material in the near future, helping the automotive, construction, furniture, and textile industries become that much more sustainable going forward.

"Our partnership on this innovative technology allows us to significantly reduce our dependence on fossil feedstocks," said Martin Vlak, Head of Sales & Market Development – North America Coatings & Adhesives at Covestro. "With a purely plant-based HMDA, we can significantly advance our corporate objective of CO2-neutral production."

Several examples of Covestro’s sustainable products are on display in their booth (#2529). Covestro will be showing off Desmodur® eco N 7300, an isocyanate clearcoat hardener whose carbon content is 70 percent sourced from biomass instead of fossil fuels. This sourcing reduces the carbon footprint of the hardener by around 30 percent, compared to conventional solutions using the same application process, with no compromise in performance or quality.

Partially bio-based resin for high-traffic flooring

A third product, Decovery®, is an up to 52 percent partially plant-based flooring resin. Covestro has long experience in resin technology for flooring. Their engineers know better than anyone how traditional bio-based paints have struggled to meet the tough criteria required for high-traffic flooring. Extensive testing has shown that Decovery® has equal performance in durability, chemical resistance and wear resistance when compared with current fossil-based products in the market.

"The emerging line of sustainable and plant-based products of Covestro is the result of our long-term goal of becoming the leading provider of sustainable coating solutions," says Vlak. "Markets are increasingly asking for more environmentally compliant products based on renewable raw materials without compromising functionality. But it’s about more than growth from a margin perspective. It’s about growing sustainably with the right kind of product innovation that brings us to carbon-neutral production. A truly circular economy is within our reach if we remain committed to this level of focus and innovation."

Covestro, FILK Freiberg, and OUT e.V. develop flexible, conductive polymer smart textile system

As the smart textiles market continues to grow across healthcare, personal protection, sportswear, and automotive applications, developers are seeking new ways to integrate electronic functionality directly into textiles, without the rigidity and complexity of conventional wiring. To address this challenge, FILK Freiberg Institute, an independent research institution with expertise in polymer coatings for textile applications, collaborated with Optotransmitter-Umweltschutz-Technologie (OUT) e.V. The joint project, funded under the German Industrielle Gemeinschaftsforschung (IGF) program of the Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWE), focused on developing flexible, conductive polymer surfaces for next-generation smart textiles.

Covestro to exhibit solutions for a more sustainable and productive textile industry at Techtextil 2026

Covestro will present a broad portfolio of material innovations for textile coatings, adhesive films and thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) at Techtextil 2026 (Hall 11.0, Booth C79). The exhibits will demonstrate how advanced solutions can enhance durability, recyclability and manufacturing efficiency across applications such as automotive, infrastructure, protective apparel and sportswear. A particular focus will be on more sustainable coating technologies, including antimicrobial systems based on INSQIN® in combination with AGXX from Heraeus Precious Metals, as well as the integration of Pontacol® thermoplastic adhesive films into Covestro’s offering.

Covestro showcases monomaterial concept in autonomous SUE People Mover

UE | STUDIOS has unveiled the fully autonomous electric minibus “Self-driving Urban E-Shuttle” (SUE), placing strong emphasis on sustainable material design. Developed within a project funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) and the European Union, the vehicle will begin public road testing this year. At the core of the concept is the consistent use of recyclable monomaterials to improve circularity at end of life.

Covestro and Heraeus Precious Metals collaborate to enable safer, more sustainable antimicrobial textile coatings

Laboratory tests reveal that AGXX antimicrobial surface technology from Heraeus Precious Metals is fully compatible with Impranil® PU dispersions which are part of the waterborne INSQIN® textile coating technology from Covestro, paving the way for more sustainable antimicrobial textile coatings. This discovery comes at a key moment for the textile coatings industry. As the sharing economy continues to grow, more people are coming into regular contact with high-use surfaces, creating ideal conditions for bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms to thrive.

Reju opens its first R&D Center in the U.S. in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania

Reju, the company specializing in textile regeneration, today announced the opening of a Research and Development (R&D) Center in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, the company's first proprietary research center in North America. Located within Technip Energies' existing Advanced Materials and Catalysts research center, the lab will allow Reju to accelerate the rollout of its recycling technologies and develop its next-generation circular solutions.

New skills for a circular textile economy

Based on the results of a comprehensive analysis, the Erasmus+ project Skills4Circularity is developing three practical training modules covering recycling technologies, eco-design for the circular economy and sustainable manufacturing. The content of the first module, Recycling Technologies, has now been developed and validated together with industry representatives. The module provides participants with knowledge of regulatory requirements, material sorting and the preparation of textile waste for recycling.

Itema reaffirms its commitment to the Syrian textile industry at NasTex 2026

From July 18th to 21st, Itema will exhibit at NasTex at the Damascus Fairground (Hall 11 – Stand C02), marking its return to one of the Middle East’s historically significant textile markets. Itema will showcase advanced weaving technology designed to support the competitiveness and technological evolution of Syrian manufacturers and announces a new partnership with Growfast Agency as the sole agent of Itema in Syria.

KARL MAYER's HKS 2-SE Expands Possibilities for Premium Stretch WARP KNITS

Warp knitted fabrics with a woven look are more in demand than ever in the fashion and apparel industries. Stretch WARP KNITS, in particular, impress with their freedom of movement, breathability, and virtually wrinkle-free wear – thereby opening up new style worlds such as smart casual or business casual. When it comes to the highly efficient production of premium-quality stretch WARP KNITS, the HKS 2-SE has long been the machine of choice. KARL MAYER’s best-selling tricot machine produces standard elastic fabrics characterized by high gauges, smooth, delicate surfaces, and a soft hand feel.