Carbon Dioxide Set to Be Used as a Raw Material: CO2 in Foam Components

Carbon Dioxide Enters Use as Raw Material: CO2 Application in Foam Components

Material producer Covestro has begun supplying a new product based on carbon dioxide. The first tanker departed from the company's Dormagen facility near Cologne, Germany. Covestro officially started production at the Dormagen plant, which opened last summer. The facility uses the climate gas to produce an important component for foams used in mattresses and upholstered furniture. In this process, CO2 serves as a new raw material, replacing a portion of the petroleum on which the precursor is based, as shown in this article. This process, which pioneers sustainability and scientific progress, has now entered industrial production.

A New Milestone Reached

Project Manager Dr. Karsten Malsch said "We have reached another milestone. The plant is operating smoothly and the first shipment of our new flexible foam component made with CO2 is going to the customer" and continued "We have been working toward this moment since we conducted our initial research a few years ago. We are very excited that we have reached this point and we are using this excitement as motivation to continue our efforts in this area." Covestro is working to integrate even more carbon dioxide into its products. At the Dormagen facility, where the precursor is in the form of "polyol," the CO2 content is approximately 20%. Other projects have managed to reach more than 40% in the laboratory. Covestro is also making efforts to use carbon dioxide in the production of products other than flexible foam. Potential products previously tested in the laboratory include precursor materials for rigid foam and elastomers. The company is also taking a positive view of licensing the technology. This technology will help preserve limited petroleum resources while reducing purification that is energy and emissions intensive in industrial processes.