Technological watch

Covestro showcased a range of innovative solutions using polyurethane (PU) elastomers for various industries as well as to help customers achieve their sustainability goals at PU China 2021. This is in line with the company's commitment to build a Circular Economy for a more sustainable future, while promoting digital transformation for the benefit of customers.
Sustainable Materials for Offshore Wind Applications
Offshore energy generators require materials that are strong and durable. To this end, Covestro provides the offshore wind industry with materials that improve the lifespan of equipment installed in wind farms through subsea cable protection, cable kink protection, turbine protection and more.
On the other hand, these companies are also looking for ways to reduce their CO2 footprint. To this end, Covestro has developed a Desmodur® PU system made with a material based on the CO2 technology. The innovative solution enables processors to develop products that contain up to 20 percent carbon dioxide as a chemical raw material. They can replace some of the fossil-based raw materials previously used. Last but not least, this solution overall surpasses the previous material solution in its mechanical properties.
Circularity in Mining Applications
In the mining industry, the need for solutions to reduce overall costs and increase efficiency in terms of performance and durability is critical. In addition, as part of a global trend, the industry is seeking insights to improve its waste management and reduce its environmental impact. To this end, Covestro offers a high-performance solution that allows waste to be reintegrated into the production process.
In this solution, the steel insert of the screens is replaced by a grindable insert. After use, the screen is ground into particles, which are then incorporated into the Desmodur® PU system to produce the bottom layer of the screen. Covestro also offers a special device that can process the ground particles into the system. To produce a high-performance screen, the top layer of the screen is made with a Desmodur® based system specially developed for mining screens, which has excellent wear resistance. The screen produced in this way is fully recyclable, as it can be completely ground after use. Overall, this solution helps reduce the end-of-life cost of parts while ensuring the screen's technical performance.
Fulfilling Transportation Industry Demands
The transportation industry demands wheels that help keep logistics platforms moving. To deliver such performance with pinpoint accuracy 365 days a year, Covestro offers solutions for high resistance to dynamic loads combined with low wear for long-term performance with minimal maintenance. These solutions are based on Vulkollan® elastomers. For smaller loads, systems based on Desmodur® with an optimized price/performance ratio are suitable.
Baulé® Processing Machines
For all sizes of PU casting production, Baulé® processing machines offer the possibility of casting quality parts despite chemical or process limitations. These include Baulé® alpha machines – fully customizable and scalable machines that can be tailored to current processing needs. They can be further developed to incorporate features to meet future requirements. They also include Baulé® omega machines designed to meet the most demanding and specific requirements.
Baulé® quikmix: the practical hand caster for degassing and mixing When it comes to hand casting, small sacrifices in mixing and degassing can lead to failure in the more demanding systems. To avoid this problem and simplify the processing of challenging systems, Covestro has developed a planetary mixer with unique features. This Baulé® quikmix can be used to perfectly process all types of cast PU formulations.
Source: Covestro