Building & Construction
Building & Construction Thermal insulation makes an important contribution to climate neutrality Thermal insulation of buildings and the cold chain plays a vital role in saving CO 2 emissions and conserving fossil raw materials. Covestro is one of the leading raw material suppliers for one of the most efficient insulation materials used for this purpose for a long time: Rigid polyurethane (PU) foam. Given the ongoing climate change and the drastic measures required to combat it, its importance is currently growing once again. This is reason enough for Covestro to further increase the sustainability and insulating performance of its foams and develop innovative solutions for more effective production. Climate-neutral raw material for insulation For example, Covestro now offers one of the two main raw materials for PU rigid foam, renewable [1] toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), in a version that is climate-neutral [2] from the cradle to the factory gate: On balance, no CO 2 emissions are generated in the aforementioned part of the value-added cycle. This increase in sustainability is due to the use of alternative raw materials based on plant waste and residual oils, which are allocated to the products with the help of certified mass balancing according to ISCC PLUS. With such climate-neutral solutions, Covestro helps its customers achieve their own sustainability goals and master the transition to a circular economy. The products can be incorporated into existing process technology for the construction, refrigeration, and automotive industry customers without any significant changes. And with these polyols, Covestro is now able to offer selective prepolymers for various adhesive applications. Small refrigerators with plenty of interior space In the cold chain, too, rigid PU foam has been the insulating material of choice for decades to keep food from spoiling efficiently and permanently. In the future, it will be important to not only further increase the insulation performance, but also to have the largest possible interior space in which to store a lot of refrigerated goods, and yet limited external dimensions of the refrigerator. Here, PU vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) offer an advantageous solution: they take up little space but provide efficient insulation with low energy consumption and CO 2 emissions. Even at the end of their useful life, PU VIPs still reduce the carbon footprint: Thanks to their use, refrigerators are made from only a few different materials and can be recycled more easily. More effective and sustainable production of insulation elements For the production of rigid foam insulation boards and metal sandwich elements, customers have to spread a PU reaction mixture on a top layer. Covestro has developed an innovative technology using casting rakes that enables a uniform distribution of the liquid mixture, simplifying the production process but also increasing the quality of the insulation elements. Insulation Board Fastline (IBF) technology also reduces out-of-spec batches and production waste – waste that would otherwise have to be disposed of or recycled. The casting rakes can be easily integrated into the existing production. 26 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/22] Vol. 17
Efficiently insulated windows The efficient thermal insulation of doors and windows naturally makes another important contribution to reducing energy consumption and CO 2 emissions from buildings. While multi-pane windows made of insulating glass have proven themselves in practice, for a few years now, composite materials made of polyurethane resins in combination with glass fibres using pultrusion technology have been providing excellent insulation of window and door frames. They also give them good strength and fire resistance. 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. There, the two partners produce propylene oxide and styrene monomer as part of a joint venture. Both of the above-mentioned sites are certified according to the internationally recognized ISCC PLUS standard. “With the introduction of both main components (TDI and MDI) for polyurethanes based on alternative raw materials, we have reached another important milestone on the road to climate neutrality,” says 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 CO 2 footprint in various value chains”. AT https://www.covestro.com/ Building & Construction [1] The more sustainable polyether polyol as well as the renewable TDI are produced with the help of the mass balance approach using renewable raw materials – from biowaste and plant residues – which are mathematically attributed to the product. [2] Climate neutrality is the result of an internal assessment of a partial product life cycle from raw material extraction (cradle) to the factory gate (Covestro gate), also known as cradle-to-gate assessment. The methodology of our life cycle assessment, which has been critically reviewed by TÜV Rheinland, is based on ISO standards 14040 and ISO 14044. The calculation takes into account biogenic carbon sequestration based on preliminary data from the supply chain. No compensatory measures were applied. 23–25 May • Siegburg/Cologne 23–25 May • Siegburg/Cologne (Germany) renewable-materials.eu The brightest stars of Renewable Materials The unique concept of presenting all renewable material solutions at one event hits the mark: bio-based, CO2-based and recycled are the only alternatives to fossil-based chemicals and materials. ORGANISED BY NOVA-INSTITUTE SPONSORED BY COVESTRO1 RENEWABLE MATERIAL OF THE YEAR 2023 First day • Bio- and CO2-based Refineries • Chemical Industry, New Refinery Concepts & Chemical Recycling Second day • Renewable Chemicals and Building Blocks • Renewable Polymers and Plastics – Technology and Markets • Innovation Award • Fine Chemicals (Parallel Session) Third day • Latest nova Research • The Policy & Brands View on Renewable Materials • Biodegradation • Renewable Plastics and Composites INNOVATION AWARD Call for Innovation Submit your Application for the “Renewable Material of the Year 2023” Organiser Award Sponsor Contact Dominik Vogt Conference Manager dominik.vogt@nova-institut.de bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/22] Vol. 17 27
