Sanyo Chemical Industries, Ltd. signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Econic Technologies Ltd, a UK-based deep-tech company focused on renewable carbon. Sanyo Chemical will assess Econic’s technology for producing CO2-based polyols for use in sustainable, high-performance polyurethanes.
By focusing on product development and leveraging Econic’s innovative CO2 utilization technology, the companies aim to defossilize the value chain and enhance carbon neutrality, a key focus area for Sanyo Chemical.
Carbon recycling is a key technology that effectively utilizes CO2 as a sustainable carbon source and is expected to be a key technology for achieving carbon neutrality. Econic has proprietary technology that incorporates CO2 into the structure of polyols. By utilizing Econic’s catalyst and process technology, Sanyo Chemical expects to produce polyols with a 30% reduction in carbon footprint.
Furthermore, Econic’s CO2-based polyol technology can leverage existing manufacturing facilities to achieve cost reduction in the production process, enabling practical application without compromising performance and cost. Polyols are one of two major raw materials for the production of polyurethane.
Polyurethane is widely used in various fields such as automotive, furniture, mattresses, construction, and industrial applications including high-performance foams, coatings, adhesives, sealants, elastomers, and more. Reducing dependency on petroleum-based raw materials for polyurethane has a significant impact on reducing CO2 emissions, further enhancing the sustainability of the material.
Since starting commercial production of PPG in 1960, Sanyo Chemical has developed numerous polyol products as a pioneer in alkylene oxide adducts and has the top market share in Japan. As a manufacturer of polyols for polyurethane in Japan, Sanyo Chemical aims to contribute to the sustainable growth of the polyurethane market by significantly boosting the performance and competitiveness of customers’ polyurethane products by introducing Econic’s technology for various polyols.
As per the press release, Sanyo Chemical will proceed with the assessment of Econic’s technology for commercialization within the coming years. The company also plans to utilize this CO2-based polyol technology beyond polyurethane,usingit as a starting point for new sustainable initiatives. We consider that the introduction of CO2-based polyol technology may contribute to accelerating the development of technologies necessary for a circular society, as part of Sanyo Chemical’s efforts towards carbon-neutral solutions.
