Covestro Launches Advanced Chemical Recycling Pilot Plant For Elastomers In Germany
Covestro has officially inaugurated a new pilot plant at its Leverkusen site in Germany. With an investment of tens of millions of euros, the project advances the novel recycling process for its high-end polyurethane elastomer, Vulkollan®, from the laboratory R&D stage to pilot-scale operation.
According to the company, Vulkollan is a key material for forklift wheels, railway buffer components, automotive rebound limiters, and vibration-damping elements. This type of elastomer is essential for ensuring the safe, reliable, and long-lasting operation of vehicles and industrial equipment.
Covestro states that this recycling process can chemically decompose certain end-of-life Vulkollan® materials to obtain purified monomers for reuse. The process achieves a material mass recovery rate of over 90%, and can reduce the carbon footprint by up to two-thirds compared to fossil-based virgin materials.
The newly built pilot plant will be used to test various waste material streams, optimize recycling processes, and collect key data for subsequent industrial scale-up. In addition to Vulkollan®, Covestro plans to leverage this facility to develop circular solutions for other specialty cast elastomers and thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU).
Covestro stated that this investment further solidifies the position of its Leverkusen site as a hub for sustainable materials innovation, supporting the company’s goal of achieving a fully circular economy.
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