Covestro and Poland-based construction chemicals producer Selena Group are collaborating to craft a more sustainable range of polyurethane (PU) foams for enhancing building thermal insulation.

Selena has incorporated Covestro’s bio-attributed methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) in an enhanced version of its Ultra Fast 70 one-component foam, primarily used in the installation of windows and doors. The material is ISSC Plus certified to include plant-based feedstocks through the mass balance method, purportedly resulting in a 60% reduction in carbon footprint compared to fossil-derived counterparts.

The Ultra Fast 70 foam formulation significantly reduces the time needed to install doors and windows, which considerably increases the number of projects that can be completed over the same time, according to Selena. It reportedly fully cures within 90 minutes, a major improvement on the curing times of other products on the market which amount to around 24 hours. The foam also has an increased yield of 70 litres per container, which reduces the total amount of foam needed for the installation of windows or doors.

The new product is said to offer the same properties as its fossil fuel counterparts, allowing customers to seamlessly integrate them into their existing operations without loss of quality. Apart from the bio-attributed PU foam, Selena also includes bio-based polyols and recycled PET materials in its range of foams.

Covestro’s new partnership announcement comes amid reports that it has started talks with Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC) on a potential acquisition of the German firm.

Source: sustainable plastics