Covestro investing in pilot plant for recycling of elastomers

Leverkusen, Germany – Covestro AG has announced plans to build a pilot plant for the recycling of elastomers at its headquarters facilities in Leverkusen.

The “double-digit million euro range” investment will see Covestro build the “state-of-the-art” plant over a one-year period, the German polymers & chemicals company said 12 Dec.

The unit, it explained, will progress technological developments to advance recycling of Covestro’s Vulkollan-branded polyurethane elastomers.

Covestro said its chemical recycling process can enable the recycling of a mass fraction of more than 90% of the metarial from end-of-life products such as forklift tires.

Furthermore, it also helps reduce the carbon footprint of the recycled materials by “up to two thirds compared to virgin material," according to the materials producer.

Target applications include the reintroduction of Vulkollan materials into new automotive jounce bumpers and forklift tires via a mass balancing approach.

The pilot plant will have an important role in testing the process with various waste streams and with various end-of-life materials, said Markus Dugal, head of process technology at Covestro.

The unit, he added, will also serve as a platform for Covestro to engage with potential project partners and customers, for the development of a larger commercial recycling plant in the future.

“The pilot plant… marks an important milestone for our elastomer products,” added Dr Thomas Braig, head of Covestro's elastomers business.

With the scale-up of the new recycling process, Covestro is addressing the demand of its customers for end-of-life solutions and carbon footprint reduction, stated Braig.

Vulkollan elastomers are typically used in wheels for forklifts and bumper elements in railways, as well as vibration control elements and jounce bumpers in cars.