1950-2025: 75 years of Vulkollan

Covestro's Vulkollan range of elastomers, launched in 1950, is celebrating its 75th anniversary. "Vulkollan exemplifies Covestro's commitment to innovation in our solutions and specialty segment. As the inventor of polyurethanes, we continue to develop cutting-edge solutions that drive value for our customers. We are also guiding Vulkollan and its outstanding performance on a journey towards circularity, ensuring it not only meets industry demands but also becomes an integral part of a more sustainable future", Sucheta Govil, Chief Commercial Officer of Covestro, declared celebrating the anniversary at the birthplace of Vulkollan in the Leverkusen (Germany) production site.

Generations of passionate chemists and engineers have driven this success and remain committed to taking Vulkollan to new heights. The dedication to innovation is matched by continuous investments in global production assets for Vulkollan raw materials. Recent examples include expansions in Map Ta Phut, Thailand, and Barcelona, Spain. In 2024, Covestro took a significant step towards sustainability by announcing an investment in a pilot-plant for the chemical recycling of end-of-life Vulkollan parts located in Leverkusen. This initiative opens the door to a more sustainable future, reinforcing the company’s commitment to environmental responsibility while maintaining the material's exceptional performance

Over the years, Covestro has continuously expanded Vulkollan's applications to meet evolving processor needs. Today, this versatile material excels in a wide range of critical uses like heavy-duty wheels and rollers for material handling equipment including automated guided vehicles (AGVs), advanced technical components for industrial machinery, shock-absorbing bumper elements and automotive noise and vibration control systems. The widespread adoption of Vulkollan in these demanding applications stands as a testament to its superior properties. Even under extreme stress, Vulkollan consistently delivers optimal performance, enabling processors to push the boundaries of what's possible in their respective fields.

Vulkollan quickly established itself as the premier material for industries demanding exceptional durability and performance, thanks to its outstanding properties such as high tensile strength, excellent tear resistance, low abrasion, and exceptional dynamic load-bearing capacity. Innovation has always been at the heart of Vulkollan's success. A major breakthrough came with the introduction of Vulkollan prepolymers, representing a significant process advancement for the customers. This innovation simplified the moulding of Vulkollan parts, enhancing efficiency and reducing investment requirements for the partners working with this unique material.