Covestro will present breakthroughs in its Insqin waterborne polyurethane (PU) technology at K 2016 in Germany.
A new processing technology for the production of PU synthetic base material combined with new products in the Impranil range enables significant reduction in the manufacturing costs of PU textiles and a broader range of fashionable material effects.
In accordance with growing demand for sustainable textile materials, Insqin waterborne PU technology enables an entirely new level of material sustainability for PU-coated fabrics, key materials for apparel and footwear, furniture and various other industries. By enabling solvent-free material manufacturing processes, the technology brings significant improvements to the safety of workers, eliminates risks of environmental pollution, and drastically reduces the consumption of water and energy.
PU base materials are essential intermediates in the manufacture of many PU synthetic textile materials, particularly those used in the fashion industry, since they permit an extremely high level of production flexibility that is of critical importance in this industry. The new technology developed using Insqin shows the same high performance, especially softness, of materials manufactured using solvent-based products.
Furthermore, it can be embossed directly, achieving a significant reduction in manufacturing costs and permitting manufacturers to bring an enormous range of surface effects to the material, another key success factor in the fashion industry. Manufacturers can adopt this new technology utilizing existing production lines, without the need for making major investments.