German speciality chemicals producer Evonik (Essen; www.evonik.com) has developed a chemical recycling process that it believes has the potential to achieve circularity in the flexible foam industry. The hydrolysis-based technology developed in cooperation with Vita Group (Luxembourg; www.thevitagroup.com), a major producer of high-end PU foam products, enables flexible foams to be converted back into their original polyol component, the company said. According to Ralph Marquardt, head of Evonik’s polyurethane additives business, the new process delivers recyclate of a quality and performance similar to that of virgin raw materials.

Vita Group has already tested the recycled polyols from its partner’s hydrolysis process in several of its flexible foam applications, and in the next development phase, Evonik plans to begin scale-up trials. The Essen-based chemicals and plastics producer had planned to present the technology at “Utech Europe” (www.utecheurope.eu), the polyurethanes conference being held from 16-18 November 2021 in Maastricht / The Netherlands. However, it cancelled its presence short-term, due to the sharply rising number of coronavirus infections in the country.

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As its new technology offers “significantly higher” levels of recycled polyols compared to existing commercialised technologies, Evonik expects it to contribute to the global flexible PU industry’s drive to reduce waste and increase the use of renewable raw materials in the production of finished goods. At the same time, the company hopes to position itself as a “leading solutions provider” for the sector.

In its recently updated brochure on end-of-life options for flexible PU block foam (see Plasteurope.com of 08.11.2021), industry association Europur (Brussels / Belgium; www.europur.com), which represents European manufacturers, calculated that some 40m mattresses are discarded each year in Europe alone. Most end up as landfill and create the equivalent of 600,000 t/y of waste that includes more than 300,000 t of PU foam.

According to Vita Group CEO Ian W. Robb, the Luxembourg foam producer with a “long history of innovation in sustainability and investing in circular economy products” recycles and rebonds more than 30,000 t of trim annually. The technology partnership with Evonik is a “key milestone” on its journey, he said.

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In other news, Evonik said it plans to begin producing new plasticiser products based on the raw material, INA (isononanol), sometime next year at its Marl / Germany side. The additions to the portfolio will help strengthen the company’s global business in particular for plasticisers used in flexible PVC products such as cables, flooring and roofing membranes. A feasibility study to determine the needed production volumes is currently in progress, the company said.

In addition to the universal plasticiser “Vestinol 9” (DINP), Evonik also currently makes higher-end products such as “Elatur CH” (DINCH) and “Elatur DPT”. With the new products, the company is seeking to address the specific needs of customers and adding to its portfolio on a step-by-step basis, said Paul Harmsen, VP of strategic marketing at Evonik Performance Intermediates.