Covestro and Reverdia develop bio-based TPU

The two companies Covestro (formerly Bayer MaterialScience) and Reverdia have reached an agreement to jointly develop and promote thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) based on renewable raw materials. Covestro will employ Biosuccinium succinic acid from Reverdia for the production of its Desmopan-brand TPU for use in a variety of applications, including in the footwear and consumer electronics industries.
Produced at commercial scale since 2012 using Reverdia’s patented low-pH yeast technology, Biosuccinium allows Covestro to capitalise on years of research. The company plans to expand its bio-based TPU production in Taiwan to industrial scale.
Bio-based Desmopan products are already available in various hardness grades, including 85 Shore A, 95A and 60D. They match the excellent physical properties of conventional grades while also providing a better carbon footprint along the value-added chain. Simulations by Reverdia suggest a roughly 65% reduction in the carbon impact compared with products produced with petrochemicals. The biomass content of the Desmopan TPU in the aforementioned hardness grades is 65% (85 Shore A), 52% (95A) and 42% (60D).
“Our customers in the footwear and consumer electronics industries are constantly looking for new solutions to reduce their carbon dioxide footprint, and bio-based TPU from Covestro is one such solution”, said Marius Wirtz, global head of the TPU business. “We are looking forward to working with Reverdia to bring these modern materials to the market”.
“We value our partnership with Covestro and see it as a long-term investment by both parties with the aim to jointly develop bio-based materials for both industries. These applications, which have now reached industrial scale, underscore the good properties of Biosuccinium and its potential to improve the climate balance of consumer products. Reverdia’s yeast process has thus proved to be a particularly sustainable method for the production of bio-based succinic acid”, added Reverdia president Marcel Lubben.