Covestro has opened a new pilot plant in Leverkusen, Germany, for the chemical recycling of high-performance elastomers. The double-digit million-euro project moves a novel recycling process for Vulkollan® from laboratory development into pilot operation.

Chemical recycling of Vulkollan®

The technology breaks selected end-of-life Vulkollan® material down into purified chemical building blocks for reuse.

According to Covestro, more than 90% of the material by mass can be recycled, while the process can reduce the carbon footprint by up to two thirds compared with fossil-based virgin material.

Vulkollan® is a high-performance polyurethane elastomer used in forklift wheels, railway buffer elements, automotive jounce bumpers and vibration control components.

From laboratory to pilot scale

The new pilot plant will allow Covestro to test different waste streams, refine the process and generate data for potential industrial scale-up. The company describes it as one of the first pilot plants of its kind worldwide for this material class.

Covestro is also working with customers, recyclers, waste collectors, logistics providers and other partners to develop collection and return systems for future closed-loop applications.

Building on Vulkollan®, the company plans to explore circular solutions for selected specialty cast elastomers and thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU).

“This pilot plant is a key step in our pre-industrialization journey. 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,” said Thomas Braig, Head of the Business Entity Elastomers at Covestro.