Have You Used Polyurethane Products Made from Carbon Dioxide as a Raw Material?

Currently, a team at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research (Fraunhofer IAP) in Germany has developed a non-isocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) using carbon dioxide as a raw material. This material has been successfully processed into adhesives, foams, and pipes.

In a recent interview published by Fraunhofer IAP, Christoph, a research assistant in the Polymer Synthesis Department...Dr. Herfurth stated that this work was carried out under the CO2NIPU project.

CO2NIPU is a sustainable, safe, and innovative material that uses carbon dioxide for non-isocyanate polyurethanes, with material properties tailored for a wide range of applications.

According to Herfurth, this development was completed in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institutes UMSICHT, ICT, and IFAM.

It uses carbon dioxide and amines derived from chemical recycling of polyurethane to create a more sustainable version of polyurethane with "customized material properties."

Carbamates were initially synthesized from carbon dioxide to replace isocyanates as components of thermoplastic polyurethanes. This formed a "modular system" that allows better control over material properties. The synthesis was then optimized to enable processing at a pilot plant scale.

According to Herfurth, a key driving factor is the tightening of EU regulations on isocyanates. Since 2023, only trained personnel are allowed to handle substances with isocyanate content exceeding 0.1%, which has prompted researchers to develop a synthesis method that does not use toxic isocyanates.

Another motivation is the shift from fossil fuels to renewable carbon, utilizing captured carbon dioxide and recycled polyurethane waste.

He added, "By specifically incorporating carbon dioxide into the material structure, we not only reduce climate-damaging emissions but also actively contribute to the carbon circular economy."

Fraunhofer's life cycle and toxicity assessment indicates that NIPU is more sustainable and can be certified as biocompatible.

Herfurth stated that industrial-scale production is feasible because the synthesis method is similar to traditional PET polycondensation, and the new NIPU production is compatible with current production lines.

He pointed out that an important milestone was the realization that our non-isocyanate polyurethane materials are as versatile as traditional polyurethanes.

The team has also developed reactive NIPUs for coatings, foams, and adhesives, which can replace traditional thermoplastic polyurethanes in many fields and open up new applications, such as absorbable NIPU fibers for medical use.

Looking ahead, researchers see potential in multiple fields as NIPU offers energy efficiency in processing and advantages in temperature-sensitive applications.

In medical devices, their high batch-to-batch consistency and low crosslinking can improve the performance of flexible implants and biocompatible tubing.

In the automotive and packaging industries, NIPU may also support the transition to recyclable, lightweight, and high-performance materials.