Covestro to invest in chemical recycling pilot plant for elastomers
Covestro announces investment plans to build a pilot plant for chemically recycling of elastomers made of Vulkollan.
Covestro proofs that also recycled elastomers meet the demand for high performance applications, such as forklift tires, in terms of durability and longevity.
The investment in the double-digit million euro range is used to fund the development and construction project of the state-of-the-art pilot plant at Covestro's site in Leverkusen, Germany. The construction is estimated to take about one year until technical completion.
The new chemical recycling process breaks down elastomeric end-of-life material into its chemical building blocks in order to obtain purified monomers that can be re-used for these materials with known and proven quality.
“The new chemical recycling process addresses the unique challenges of elastomer materials, which are trusted to be very resistant and long lasting. Downcycling is not an option for this high-performance application,” explains Markus Dugal, Head of Process Technology at Covestro.
Due to the high yield of the recycling process, end-of-life Vulkollan materials can be re-introduced into new automotive jounce bumpers and forklift tires via a mass balancing approach.
The technology enables to not only recycle a mass fraction of more than 90% of the end-of-life material like forklift tires, but also to reduce the carbon footprint by up to two thirds compared to virgin material.
“This technology allows us to recycle a high mass fraction of the end-of-life material and, in this way, to reduce the environmental impact of our elastomer production. It is a testament to Covestro’s innovative spirit,” Dugal added.
Covestro’s investment in elastomers recycling aligns with its broader strategic goals of reducing environmental impact, promoting circular economy principles, and maintaining its position as an innovation leader in the polymer industry.
