In Germany, Covestro received the MATERIALICA Design + Technology Award 2018 for the development of the first biobased coating hardener for lightfast polyurethane coatings. Covestro prevailed in the “CO2 Efficiency” category. The hardener is produced from fermented feed maize. Its properties are also comparable to traditional fossil fuel based hardeners, enabling processors to use formulated coatings on their systems with minimal adaptation costs.
“Our hardener is of similar high quality to its petrochemical counterparts,” explains Hiep Tran, project manager for the biobased hardener in the Coatings, Adhesives, Specialties segment at Covestro. “With a biomass proportion of 70 percent, however, it achieves a 30 percent better ecological footprint than comparable fossil products.”