The past month has marked multiple new developments in sustainable polyurethane innovation, with new recycling and production technologies to make the industry more circular as a whole.
Porsche and BASF launched a pilot project that would recycle automotive waste into polyurethane foam for steering wheels, further enhancing the circularity of the polyurethane industry.
The University of Twente (The Netherlands) conducted research which found a method to recycle polyurethane foam from mattresses and furniture using diethyl carbonate to break down the polyurethane. This method could replace the use of phosgene in the polyurethane reclamation process.
Carpenter Engineered Foams developed new martial arts mats based on recycled end-of-life judo mats and used mattresses. The sustainable mats have been named an official supplier to the International Judo Federation.
Furthermore, Indian researchers developed a bio-based, waterborne polyurethane coating from cardanol, offering strong corrosion resistance and adhering to green chemistry principles.
But also in the area of health does polyurethane come in useful, with a shift from PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) IV catheters to those made from polyurethane. PTFE catheters can pose risks to patients, whilst polyurethane catheters are more biocompatible, flexible, and designed to reduce complications.
