Covestro will now be supplied with the two mass-balanced raw materials phenol and acetone from INEOS’ INVIRIDIS™ product range. Covestro uses these CO2-reduced products to manufacture its high-performance polycarbonate plastic. It is used in headlights and other automotive parts, but also in housings for electronic devices, light guides and lenses, medical devices, and many other high-value applications.
"By switching to mass-balanced renewable raw materials, we aim to significantly reduce our indirect emissions in the supply chain and offer products with a reduced carbon footprint," says Sucheta Govil, Chief Commercial Officer of Covestro. "In doing so, we’re helping our customers to meet their climate goals and advance the transition to a circular economy."
New label for circular intelligent solutions
Lily Wang, global head of the Engineering Plastics segment, emphasizes the further benefits for customers: "We offer them a drop-in solution that they can quickly and easily integrate into existing production processes without requiring any technical changes. The products show the same good quality as their fossil-based counterparts." As part of the CQ family of circular intelligent solutions, Covestro offers them under the names Makrolon® RE, Bayblend® RE, Makroblend® RE, and Apec® RE. With its new CQ concept, Covestro highlights the alternative raw material basis in products and thus gives a clear indication to customers who are looking for such products.
INVIRIDIS™ brand phenol and acetone are produced from bio-attributed cumene at INEOS’ Gladbeck and Antwerp sites – without competing with the food supply. Both sites are certified according to the internationally recognized ISCC PLUS as well as the RSB standard. The raw materials have a lower carbon footprint than petroleum-based products.
Certification by ISCC PLUS and RSB underlines INEOS’ strong commitment to working with the bioeconomy and reflects the strong sustainability of INVIRIDIS™.
Gordon Adams, Business Director of INEOS Phenol, said, "As part of our sustainability strategy, we have developed these more sustainable phenol and acetone products, which we have named INVIRIDIS™. This new product range provides our customers with drop-in product options that meet their stringent quality and performance requirements. At the same time, we’re moving the industry toward a more climate-friendly economy for phenol and acetone without compromising its unique product attributes."