SUPERNATURE

The general objective of SUPERNATURE is to develop non-isocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) materials that match the performance of conventional polyurethanes in rigid foams and CASE applications (coatings and adhesives), while improving safety through early-stage (eco)toxicological screening and enabling higher renewable content, design-for-recycling, and circular end-of-life perspectives.

Context

Polyurethanes  are indispensable materials in foams, elastomers, coatings, and adhesives due to their excellent mechanical and chemical properties. However, today’s polyurethane value chain relies heavily on labeled isocyanates, fossil feedstocks, and offers limited recyclability. NIPUs, based on cyclic carbonates and amines, represent a promising and safer alternative. Their industrial uptake is currently limited by restricted precursor availability, in particular the lack of renewable and recycled building blocks, low reactivity, and insufficiently explored product design options. SUPERNATURE brings together industrial and academic partners to overcome these barriers and accelerate the deployment of NIPU technology in Flanders.

Innovation & Approach

SUPERNATURE develops safe and sustainable polyurethane alternatives as an alternative to isocyanates in the chemistry toolbox. The project focuses on the development of renewable and recycled cyclic carbonate building blocks, including lignin-derived bioaromatic precursors, and on understanding how molecular design governs material performance in foams, coatings, and adhesives. By integrating early (eco)toxicological screening and techno-economic assessment into the research workflow, SUPERNATURE ensures that newly developed materials are not only high-performing, but also safe, sustainable, and industrially viable.

Design & Validation of NIPU Materials

SUPERNATURE aims to translate newly developed NIPU chemistries to application-level validation. The project will develop and optimizes formulations for rigid foams and CASE applications, benchmarking their performance against industrial reference materials. Through iterative formulation, testing, and optimization in close collaboration with industrial partners, SUPERNATURE aims to deliver NIPU materials combining mechanical robustness, durability, and processing compatibility, while offering improved environmental and health profiles. This approach ensures readiness for industrial uptake and future market implementation.

Partners

This ICON consortium consists of the industrial partners B4Plastics , Soudal, Unilin, Triple Helix, and Soprema, and the knowledge partners VITO and University of Antwerp. The consortium brings together complementary expertise across renewable chemistry, polymer design, application development, toxicity assessment, and circular materials to achieve the ambitious objectives of SUPERNATURE.

Impact

SUPERNATURE aims to address the growing market demand for safer, high-performance polyurethane alternatives based on renewable and recycled resources. By  developing an alternative to labeled isocyanates and embedding sustainability and safety considerations early in material design, the project supports the development of future-proof solutions for coatings, adhesives, and foams. SUPERNATURE has the potential to stimulate new value chains, create jobs across multiple sectors, and accelerate the transition towards a circular bioeconomy, fully aligned with the Flemish strategy on circularity.