Materials manufacturer Covestro has been recognized by the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC) for its successful use of carbon dioxide in plastics production.
The company received the CEFIC's Responsible Care Award in the Environment category at an award ceremony in Florence on Oct. 7.
Research at the CAT Catalytic Center, funded by the two partners Aachen University and Covestro, saw CO2 used as a building block for polyols which, with polyisocyanates, are polyurethane foam feedstocks.
The partners developed a catalytic process enabling CO2 to react with propylene oxide.
Covestro commissioned its 5,000 tonnes-a-year demonstration plant in Dormagen, which uses 20 percent CO2 in its feedstock mix, in June. The CO2 used is a waste product from a neighboring chemical plant.
“We're proud and honored to receive this important recognition from CEFIC,” said Covestro's chief innovation officer Markus Steilemann.
“It shows we're on the right track using carbon dioxide as an alternative raw material and playing a pioneering role in this future-focused development.
“We're aiming to make a contribution to resource conservation and sustainability by producing as many types of plastic as possible using carbon dioxide,” he added.
