SleepTech Magazine / March – April 2017

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“We have to change the way we
look at CO2, and we will. Using
it as an alternative source of raw
materials is a solution to some of
the biggest challenges of our time
– finding a replacement for finite
fossil resources such as oil and
gas and closing material cycles.
Thanks to our innovative process
and the launch of our production
operations in Dormagen, we see
ourselves as a pioneer in this
area – true to our vision ‘To make
the world a brighter place’,” said
Covestro CEO Patrick Thomas at
the opening ceremony, which
was attended by more than 150
guests from business, science and
politics.
Long-term perspective
“This method of using carbon
dioxide as a raw material is an important
step as we move toward
a sustainable future. The German
Federal government is promoting
the use of CO2 as a raw material
in order to expand the chemical
industry’s raw materials basis and
open new avenues to sustainability,”
emphasized Thomas Rachel,
Parliamentary State Secretary
from the German Federal Ministry
of Education and Research. It
supported Covestro’s technology
financially in the research and
development phase.
Professor Ernst Schmachtenberg,
Rector of RWTH Aachen University,
added: “Making efficient use
of the carbon dioxide molecule,
Dr. Karsten Malsch heads
Covestro’s Dream Production
project for producing a new
foam component with CO2.
© Covestro
which is normally slow to react,
is a real scientific and technical
challenge. We have made
a breakthrough by combining
application-centric basic research
with research-based industrial
practices.”
Covestro scientists worked handin-hand
with experts from the CAT
Catalytic Center in Aachen – a
research institute operated jointly
with RWTH – to find the right catalyst
that would make the chemical
reaction with CO2 possible.
For mattresses and upholstery
In Dormagen, Covestro is now
using carbon from CO2 to manufacture
a new type of polyol.
These are core building blocks for
polyurethane foam – a versatile
material that is used in many industries
around the world and that
we encounter throughout our daily
lives. The carbon dioxide is chemically
bound into the material.
The company has invested some
EUR 15 million in the new plant,
which has an annual production