Covestro and Fraunhofer to build pilot plant for pyrolysis recycling of PUR foam
Covestro, together with the Fraunhofer UMSICHT research institute, is set to build and operate a pilot plant for pyrolysis recycling of polyurethane (PUR) rigid foam. The plant will have a capacity of 2 kilotonnes per year and is scheduled to start operations in 2028, supplying recycled aniline for the production of MDI. Covestro is a member of Catalisti.
The pilot plant will be built at Fraunhofer UMSICHT, which operates research and demonstration facilities for pyrolysis and chemical recycling in Sulzbach-Rosenberg, Germany. With this technology, the partners aim to chemically recycle insulation materials from refrigerators, buildings, and other applications into aniline, an important feedstock for the production of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI). According to Covestro, the recycled aniline can reach a purity of around 99 percent, meeting the same quality standards as conventional processes.
Pyrolysis technology
The so‑called “smart pyrolysis” technology is expected to be an important step toward the industrial application of chemical recycling for polyurethane. “This partnership combines our chemical and technological expertise with Fraunhofer’s process engineering know-how to scale up a technology that can demonstrate that end‑of‑life polyurethane materials are chemically recyclable,” says Markus Dugal, Head of Process Technology at Covestro.
Fraunhofer UMSICHT contributes its experience in pyrolysis and chemical recycling to the project. According to the director of the institute, Manfred Renner, the project marks the transition from research to industrial application. “We are not only demonstrating technical feasibility, but also taking concrete steps toward industrial implementation,” Renner says.
The plant will primarily process rigid foam from PUR and PIR insulation materials. This type of foam is known to be difficult to recycle because of its highly cross‑linked molecular structure.
Recycled insulation material
According to Covestro, the volume of aniline produced by the plant could be used to manufacture insulation material for about 200.000 refrigerators per year. Moreover, the MDI produced would emit about 40% less CO2 than MDI made from fossil raw materials.
The development builds on research carried out within the European CIRCULAR FOAM project, an EU‑funded consortium of 24 partners coordinated by Covestro. Following earlier demonstrations at laboratory and mini‑plant scale, the new pilot plant is intended to bring the technology closer to commercial application.
The original article in Dutch can be found on Industrielinqs.