Covestro increases production capacity for PUDs and polyester resins

Covestro (Leverkusen, Germany) is planning a new production facility for polyurethane dispersions (PUDs) at the Covestro Integrated Site in Shanghai, China (CISS) to address the rising demand for environmentally compatible coatings and adhesives in the Asia-Pacific region. An additional line for polyester resins, from which PUDs are produced, is also to be built there. The plants are due to be completed in 2024.

“With these investments, we are preparing for the continued growth in demand for these products and expanding our leading global position,” says Michael Friede, global head of the Coatings, Adhesives, Specialties segment at Covestro. “In the future, customers will continue to rely on replacing solvent-based products with more sustainable waterborne systems with equally good properties. Thanks to our versatile production, we are at the same time flexible and can satisfy many different requirements.”

Covestro develops tailor-made PUDs for a wide range of industries and applications. For instance, Covestro raw materials from its Bayhydrol UH, U and UV series and Bayhytherm are used in basecoats for automotive primary and refinish coatings, as well as in wood and furniture coatings and robust floor coatings. Adhesives formulated with Dispercoll U are used in furniture and shoe manufacturing as well as in the automotive industry. The low-solvent components also play a role in the production of coated textiles and fiber-reinforced plastics.

The company is a leader in research and development (R&D) of products and process technologies and supports customers around the globe with technical services.