Covestro's family of partially bio-based thermoplastic polyurethanes will henceforth be marketed under the name Desmopan EC. These products, which can incorporate up to 60% biocontent, are produced from bio-based succinic acid and bio-based propanediol (Bio-PDO). Compared to fossil-based TPUs, their carbon footprint is reduced by more than 20%, the company reports.
In the longer term, Covestro is aiming to gear its entire production and product range towards a circular approach - an effort that includes the increased use of alternative raw materials, for example from biomass, which is ‘consistent with our customers' wishes’, said Dr. Thorsten Dreier, Global Head of Covestro's TPU and films business.
The bio-based TPUs feature the same good quality and performance as the other products in the Desmopan range, and are suitable for a similarly wide range of applications, including the footwear industry. Covestro is also offering a grade certified with the BLUESIGN seal for particularly responsible and sustainable textile production.
Thermoplastic polyurethanes are inherently soft and elastic, eliminating the need for plasticisers, and characterised by properties such as high wear resistance and flexibility over a wide temperature range. Desmopan brand TPUs consist of linear polymer chains with alternating flexible and rigid segments. By modifying these phases, properties such as hardness, strength, stiffness, elasticity and low-temperature flexibility can be varied over a wide range.