Bayer MaterialScience (BMS, Leverkusen / Germany; www.bayerbms.com) – which will operate as Covestro from 1 September 2015 onward (see Plasteurope.com of 02.06.2015) – is nearing completion of its “Dream Production” CO₂-to-polyols project, first announced in the run-up to “K 2010” – see Plasteurope.com of 18.08.2010. The installation of a 25-t chemical reactor at the heart of the future production line represents another major step toward using CO₂ for plastic production, said project manager Karsten Malsch. The last key part, a CO₂ tank, is due to be installed this autumn.

Construction of the EUR 15m, 5,000 t/y plan is “in the home stretch", Malsch said. If all continues to go according to plan, the facility will start up at the beginning of 2016.

Start-up of CO₂-fed plant will allow BMS to integrate the waste gas into commercial production of polyols to produce polyurethane foam used in mattresses. The polyols produced will be made to around 20% of CO₂. Intensive tests with the new PU precursors are said to have shown that the material produced from CO₂ is at least as good as conventional products manufactured solely from petrochemical feedstock. Moreover, the new production process is more sustainable.

With research and development work ongoing, the company – which is due to be carved out of the Bayer group and floated on the stock market next year – hopes to be able to further increase the proportion of CO₂ in the products at some point in the future. BMS also aims to increase the share of CO₂-based plastics in its portfolio.