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New Product Announcement: Polyether Polyols
Global manufacturer of material solutions Covestro (Pittsburgh) recently introduced what the company is calling “more sustainable polyether polyols.”
Based on bio-circular raw materials, the polyether polyols, when combined with renewable toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and climate-neutral methylene diphenyl diisocyanatethe, offer raw material components to produce polyurethane (PU) foams.
Like TDI and MDI, the polyols are produced with the help of the mass balance approach using renewable precursors—from biowaste and residual materials—which are allocated to the products by calculation.
PU rigid foams with MDI provide efficient thermal insulation in buildings and refrigeration equipment.
With the more sustainable polyols, Covestro is also able to offer selective prepolymers for various adhesive applications. The introduced mass balance approach enables the gradual substitution of fossil-based raw materials by bio-circular alternatives, which further improves the sustainability in these applications.
According to the company’s press release, Covestro produces the polyether polyols in Dormagen, Germany, using the mass-balanced precursor propylene oxide from the shared site with LyondellBasell in Maasvlakte, The Netherlands. Both sites are certified according to the internationally recognized ISCC PLUS standard.
The two partners also reportedly produce propylene oxide and styrene monomer as part of a joint venture.
“With the introduction of both main components for polyurethanes based on alternative raw materials, we have reached another important milestone on the road to climate neutrality,” said Sucheta Govil, Chief Commercial Officer of Covestro. “We can now help customers in a variety of industries meet their climate goals and drive the transition to a circular economy. At the same time, we are reducing the CO2 footprint in various value chains.”
The polyether polyols and isocyanates can be used as a drop-in solution, meaning the raw materials can be quickly and easily integrated into existing production processes without the need for technical modifications.
