Covestro has begun piloting a chemical process to recover foam from used mattresses. If successful, the plan will recover two key raw materials used to produce fresh foam.
About 30 million mattresses are discarded every year in the European Union. According to data from the trade agency EUROPUR, about 90% of the mattresses produced in the European Union each year contain 2-15 kilograms of polyurethane foam. A key challenge in recycling polyurethane from used mattresses is that it decomposes at high temperatures and therefore cannot be melted like other recycled plastics to make new products.
Covestro is developing a chemical recycling process to recover the two raw materials used in the production of polyurethane foam: polyols and toluene diamine (TDA), the latter being the precursor of toluene diisocyanate (TDI). It has already started operating a pilot plant to recycle polyols at its plant in Leverkusen, Germany. Then it plans to pilot a chemical process to recover TDA from the third quarter of this year.
A Covestro spokesperson said: “We need to optimize processes and develop products in an industrial simulation environment. Nevertheless, if these trials are successful, Covestro intends to build a factory in the next few years to allow customers to purchase materials in large quantities. ."
The recycling process starts with the collection of used mattresses, which are removed and the foam components separated. Some contain additives and fillers that hinder reprocessing. Sorting techniques that use dependent algorithms to identify different types of foam can perform this separation more effectively.
When asked for more details of the process, the spokesperson said: “The key step of this innovative recycling is the intelligent sorting technology that we developed together with our partners Redwave and Recticel. And our own patented recycling technology, first of all A chemical decomposition step to dissolve the foam flakes, followed by a purification step and hydrolysis to TDA, which requires further conversion to isocyanates."
Last week, Covestro’s chief operating officer, Sucheta Govil, said in an interview with the media that the company is committed to achieving a full cycle, but declined to give a target date, saying that it will depend on the entire supply chain and Changes in consumer behavior.
"The circular economy is a global guiding principle. There are two ways to solve this problem... because all these challenges need to be fundamentally rethinked. Production, consumption, and value creation must undergo major changes. The choice to continue to think in a linear fashion No longer exists. Linear consumption patterns must be overcome, and waste must be avoided as much as possible."
"The plastics industry and the people involved in the industry have knowledge of these materials and processes. I want to say that we have the responsibility — and the ability — to use our technology to vigorously support the transition to the much-needed circular economy.”
In addition, the chemical company Dow is also working hard to recover polyurethane from used mattresses, but only focuses on recycling polyols. Working with partners in France, its goal is to recycle up to 200,000 mattresses per year and produce polyols that can be reused in mattress foam. Its chemical recycling process is expected to produce recycled polyols for commercial reuse in the first half of this year.
Europe's first waste conversion chemical facility provides solutions for non-recyclable plastics
Johnson Matthey sets goals to reduce waste and improve the safety of the net-zero journey
Northwest Industries calls on the British government to take action to support green growth
The students received their first $5 million prize from Elon Musk’s Carbon Removal Award
Senior Process Engineer/Process Engineer
Dialogue with experts: watch recordings of our previous webinars and register for future online webcasts.
You don't have to be a chemical engineer to join IChemE. Our global membership community includes people from a range of disciplines who are interested in chemical engineering and/or have relevant experience. Our membership rates range from low single-time fees for students to annual subscriptions for professional members.
Learn about the latest news, opinions and work of chemical engineers. The following are the latest four issues. View a wider selection of archives from the magazine section of this website.
We provide readers with a series of flexible subscription options, and you will surely find a subscription option that suits your needs.
Senior Process Engineer/Process Engineer
Shell Oil, North Brabant, Netherlands,
Shell Oil Company, Metro Manila, Philippines,
Technologist-Process Engineer
Shell Oil Company, Metro Manila, Philippines,
Shell Oil, Louisiana, USA,
© 2021 Society of Chemical Engineers