Covestro Launches New Pilot Plant in Leverkusen
Covestro has inaugurated a new pilot plant at its Leverkusen site to chemically recycle high-performance elastomers. Backed by a double-digit million-euro investment, the facility advances an innovative Vulkollan® recycling process from the laboratory to the pilot-production stage.
As one of the world’s first facilities of its kind for this material category, the pilot plant represents an important step toward sustainable circular solutions for high-performance elastomers. The project combines Germany’s chemical and engineering expertise while reinforcing Covestro’s commitment to Leverkusen as a centre for industrial innovation.
“Turning circularity into technically robust and commercially viable solutions is central to Covestro’s strategy,” said Monique Buch, Chief Commercial Officer of Covestro. “With this pilot plant, we are bringing innovative chemistry closer to industrial application and responding to our customers’ growing demand for circular solutions. At the same time, the project demonstrates the contribution that Germany’s industrial and engineering expertise can make to more resilient and circular value chains in Europe.”
Advancing from Laboratory Research to Technical Validation
The project centres on Vulkollan®, a high-performance polyurethane elastomer used in applications such as forklift wheels, railway buffers, automotive jounce bumpers and vibration-control components. Although these materials often operate out of sight, they are vital to the safety, reliability and durability of vehicles and industrial machinery.
Covestro’s chemical recycling technology converts selected end-of-life Vulkollan® products into purified raw materials that can be reused in production. The process can recover more than 90% of the material by mass while lowering the carbon footprint by up to two-thirds compared with virgin fossil-based alternatives.
The new pilot facility advances the technology beyond laboratory testing, allowing Covestro to assess various waste streams, optimise the recycling process and collect essential data for future industrial-scale production.
“This pilot plant is a key step in our pre-industrialization journey,” said Thomas Braig, Head of the Business Entity Elastomers at Covestro.
“It allows us to demonstrate the technical feasibility of chemical recycling for Vulkollan®, systematically refine the process and lay the groundwork for future industrial application. Our ambition is to develop scalable circular solutions for high-performance elastomers together with our customers and partners.”
Developing a Circular Value Chain
Covestro is collaborating with customers, recyclers, waste-management companies, logistics providers and other industry partners to establish the collection and return networks required for future closed-loop recycling.
These collaborations will be critical for securing suitable end-of-life materials, ensuring consistent feedstock quality and creating a commercially viable circular value chain for high-performance elastomers.
Building on its Vulkollan® recycling initiative, Covestro intends to use the pilot plant to investigate circular solutions for selected speciality cast elastomers and thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs).
The new pilot plant reinforces Leverkusen’s role as a hub for sustainable materials innovation while supporting Covestro’s long-term goal of achieving full circularity.
Source: Covestro
