Covestro
We hear often about problems around plastic bags, bottles, and other single-used plastics, but not as much about polyurethane (PU) foam, used in mattresses, shoes, and upholstered furniture among applications. One PU supplier, working independently as well as with partners in the U.S. and Europe, is aiming to help create a circular supply chain where this material would be eternally recyclable.
Covestro, an engineering polymer company and supplier of polymers, is developing a process it calls “smart chemolysis,” a chemical way to break down PU to its original building blocks. The process lends itself more to dealing with this complicated material than traditional thermal processes because this polymer can’t be broken down by melting. So rather than use heat, Covestro’s technology, now in pilot stage, leverages catalysts and process optimizations (e.g., optimizing temperature and pressure) to break down the material.