Covestro Announces Zero Carbon Footprint MDI (Diphenylmethane Diisocyanate)

On February 24, Covestro announced that it has started offering zero-carbon footprint MDI (diphenylmethane diisocyanate) to customers. Through an ISCC Plus certified mass balance approach, alternative raw materials based on plant waste are allocated to the product, thereby achieving zero carbon emissions from its cradle-to-gate lifecycle stage. This new level of MDI can be widely used in construction, cold chain and automotive fields.

According to the general calculation model, the production of this product in the above-mentioned stages of the value-added cycle produces no CO2 emissions as a whole. Covestro manufactures the zero-carbon footprint MDI and its precursors at its sites in Krefeld-Jurdingen, Germany, Antwerp, Belgium, and Shanghai, all three of which are ISCC Plus certified for mass balance.

Sucheta Govil, Chief Commercial Officer of Covestro, said: "With the launch of the Zero Carbon Footprint MDI, we are further expanding our zero carbon footprint product portfolio. I am delighted that this will allow us to better serve most of the world of our customers with support and services to help them achieve their sustainability goals and transition to a circular economy.” Just last December, Covestro announced the launch of a zero-carbon footprint polycarbonate product.

Hermann-Josef Dörholt, Global President of Covestro's Performance Materials business unit, said: "Products with a zero carbon footprint are the key to helping us achieve our sustainability goals. Our zero carbon footprint MDI has another significant advantage: as a ready-to-use MDI The solution – our customers can use it in production right away without changing the process and without compromising the quality of the final product.”

More sustainable building insulation materials

Take the application of building thermal insulation as an example. MDI is an indispensable raw material for the production of polyurethane (PU) insulation panels, sandwich panels and other products whose value has been proven over the years in achieving efficient thermal insulation of buildings.

By using polyurethane insulation, a building's heating or cooling needs can be reduced by up to 70%, which not only reduces carbon dioxide emissions, but also saves occupants money.

The thickness of the material can also be made thinner by design to achieve good thermal insulation properties, so they can also save resources and free up more usable space than other insulation materials.

On the basis of the good thermal insulation properties of polyurethane insulation materials, Covestro zero carbon footprint MDI also helps to reduce the embodied carbon emissions in the life cycle of buildings, which can bring further sustainable development benefits.

Therefore, by using polyurethane thermal insulation materials based on zero-carbon footprint MDI in new construction and renovation projects, an important contribution can be made to the responsible use of virgin resources and to a significant reduction in CO2 emissions.