Covestro to open automated lab for coatings, adhesives

Leverkusen, Germany – Covestro AG is set to open a specially developed automated laboratory for optimising coating and adhesive formulations.

The facility will focus on binders and crosslinkers as ‘critical factors’ in enabling the manufacture of products that are more sustainable and optimised, Covestro said 25 March.

The German chemicals supplier did not provide further details about the location or commissioning schedule, but said the facility will formulate water- and solvent-based systems.

The unit, it said, is designed to operate continuously, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, running “tens of thousands of tests” annually to optimise processes.

Binders and crosslinkers typically ensure properties such as hardness, adhesion, opacity, gloss, or durability of formulations typically comprising seven to 15 components.

Tests will also be conducted on raw materials, their formulations, applied films and under different climates simulated in the lab.

The automated facility, continued Covestro, will set a new standard in terms of number, variety, precision and testing speed and generate a large amount of data to improve formulations.

Collected data, combined with measurement data from existing studies, will be evaluated using special machine-learning algorithms to further improve formulations.

The lab will also employ AI to predict experimental results based on property goals and simultaneously verify them in the automated laboratory.

“This allows us to optimise existing formulations faster or even develop completely new formulations for and together with our customers,” said Thomas Buesgen, head of the laboratory.