[pageLogInLogOut]

#Textile chemistry

Covestro advocates its environmentally friendly Waterborne PU Coatings at the International Technical Textiles Symposium (ITTS)

In recent years, many downstream sports and fashion brands have set ambitious carbon-neutral targets, thereby driving the transformation of upstream processing industries. In response to this trend, Covestro, as an expert in waterborne polyurethane (PU) coatings, presented a technical topic titled “Circular Textile Coatings Solutions with INSQIN®” at the 16th International Technical Textiles Symposium 2024 on March 20th.

Covestro’s aim was to introduce the Taiwanese textile industry, which is mostly original equipment manufacturing (OEM), to the environmentally friendly coating trends pursued by international customers.

Covestro’s fossil-based waterborne coatings have become industry leaders due to their excellent coating functionality and comfort. Recently, the Covestro group published its climate neutrality targets for Scope 3 emissions[1] at the end of February this year and invited partners throughout the value chain to actively participate in the low-carbon future and achieve its comprehensive climate neutrality vision. INSQIN®, the Covestro brand introduced at the symposium, maintains consistent quality while focusing on sustainability, and includes partially bio-based, partially biodegradable, and mass-balanced waterborne PU coating solutions. To meet the needs of renowned international sports brands, Covestro has also collaborated with Taiwanese manufacturers in the development of bio-based coating formulations.

“INSQIN® is free from DMF solvents, enabling our customers to transform to environmentally friendly production,” stated Rich Guo, Technical Sales Manager, CA (Coatings & Adhesives) Sales & Market Development of Covestro Taiwan, who served as a speaker at the symposium. “In recent years, we have continuously introduced innovative solutions to enhance the sustainable components in our customers’ products, while maintaining the same excellent performance as our fossil-based materials.”

INSQIN® waterborne PU technology provides high-quality waterborne PU coating materials and crosslinkers, offering more sustainable solutions for fashion design and high performance in textile fabrics. It is applicable for various coated textile products, including PU or PVC synthetic materials, PU coatings, printing, and impregnated fabrics. The excellence of INSQIN® makes it highly regarded by leading global brands in industries such as automotive, sports and outdoor, technical textiles, furniture, and fashion.

INSQIN® delivers superb durability, elasticity and flexibility, allowing for a wider range of colors and fashion choices. It also enables a great surface feel. Additionally, as a low-VOC waterborne coating, it consumes less water and results in lower emissions in the production process.

The Impranil® CQ in the INSQIN® system contains partially bio-based PU dispersions from renewable resources. All the solutions with the “CQ” suffix contain a minimum of 25% alternative materials and offer comparable performance to their fossil-based counterparts. On the other hand, Impranil® DLN in the INSQIN® system is used in textile products such as disposable gloves and can achieve 66% biodegradation within 28 days. This is a higher level of environmental friendliness compared to many conventional natural latex or non-biodegradable chemical materials available in the market.

As the global textile industry moves towards sustainability, Covestro’s leading position in the green coatings field will help push the sustainable transformation of the entire industry chain, collectively achieving a more environmentally friendly and circular future.

© 2024 Covestro
© 2024 Covestro





More News from Covestro AG

#Smart Textiles

Covestro, FILK Freiberg, and OUT e.V. develop flexible, conductive polymer smart textile system

As the smart textiles market continues to grow across healthcare, personal protection, sportswear, and automotive applications, developers are seeking new ways to integrate electronic functionality directly into textiles, without the rigidity and complexity of conventional wiring. To address this challenge, FILK Freiberg Institute, an independent research institution with expertise in polymer coatings for textile applications, collaborated with Optotransmitter-Umweltschutz-Technologie (OUT) e.V. The joint project, funded under the German Industrielle Gemeinschaftsforschung (IGF) program of the Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWE), focused on developing flexible, conductive polymer surfaces for next-generation smart textiles.

#Techtextil 2026

Covestro to exhibit solutions for a more sustainable and productive textile industry at Techtextil 2026

Covestro will present a broad portfolio of material innovations for textile coatings, adhesive films and thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) at Techtextil 2026 (Hall 11.0, Booth C79). The exhibits will demonstrate how advanced solutions can enhance durability, recyclability and manufacturing efficiency across applications such as automotive, infrastructure, protective apparel and sportswear. A particular focus will be on more sustainable coating technologies, including antimicrobial systems based on INSQIN® in combination with AGXX from Heraeus Precious Metals, as well as the integration of Pontacol® thermoplastic adhesive films into Covestro’s offering.

#Technical Textiles

Covestro showcases monomaterial concept in autonomous SUE People Mover

UE | STUDIOS has unveiled the fully autonomous electric minibus “Self-driving Urban E-Shuttle” (SUE), placing strong emphasis on sustainable material design. Developed within a project funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) and the European Union, the vehicle will begin public road testing this year. At the core of the concept is the consistent use of recyclable monomaterials to improve circularity at end of life.

#Textile chemistry

Covestro and Heraeus Precious Metals collaborate to enable safer, more sustainable antimicrobial textile coatings

Laboratory tests reveal that AGXX antimicrobial surface technology from Heraeus Precious Metals is fully compatible with Impranil® PU dispersions which are part of the waterborne INSQIN® textile coating technology from Covestro, paving the way for more sustainable antimicrobial textile coatings. This discovery comes at a key moment for the textile coatings industry. As the sharing economy continues to grow, more people are coming into regular contact with high-use surfaces, creating ideal conditions for bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms to thrive.

More News on Textile chemistry

#Textile chemistry

Archroma and Lameirinho partner in pioneering deployment of InOneGO single-step dyeing

Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals, and Lameirinho, a leading home textiles manufacturer based in Portugal, are collaborating to bring InOneGO by Archroma, a new single-step dyeing process, into commercial production. Lameirinho’s first InOneGo bedlinens collection is now available worldwide.

#Textile chemistry

Archroma wins ICIS Innovation Award for sulfur dye breakthrough

Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals, has won a coveted 2026 ICIS Innovation Award for Best Product Innovation from a Large Company for FiberColors®. These high-performance sulfur dyes are synthesized from pre-consumer wool waste, reducing industry reliance on petroleum-based inputs while contributing to the circular economy by upcycling unwanted wool that farmers would otherwise pay to dispose of.

#Textile chemistry

ZymoChem secures $4 million in renewed federal funding to advance U.S. biomanufacturing of critical materials and their supply chains

ZymoChem, the specialty chemicals company dedicated to bringing decarbonization, sustainability, and supply chain resiliency to the chemical industry through innovative biological manufacturing, today announced the resumption and expansion of its federal research portfolio. The company has been notified that previously paused work under a $5 million U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) program is officially back on, to be joined by continuing collaborations with three of the nation's premier national laboratories.

#Textile chemistry

bluesign updates chemical reference lists with stronger PFAS restrictions

bluesign has published the 2026 editions of its three core chemical reference lists, introducing updated substance limits and testing requirements in line with the latest scientific findings and regulatory developments.

Latest News

#Industry 4.0 / Digitalization

Coats Digital launches AI-powered GSD RealMotion for motion analysis

Coats Digital has launched GSD RealMotion, an AI-powered solution designed to provide apparel manufacturers with greater visibility into factory-floor operations. By analysing shop-floor video and applying Coats Digital’s GSD methodology, the solution turns video recordings into structured, motion-by-motion method studies.

#Knitting & Hosiery

KARL MAYER launches extra-wide HKS 3-M EL for increased productivity

KARL MAYER has launched a new extra-wide version of its HKS 3-M EL tricot machine, designed to increase productivity particularly in the manufacture of textiles for sports, activewear and athleisure applications.

#Research & Development

Reducing development times for technical textiles by accelerated thermo-oxidative aging in a high-pressure autoclave

Synthetic polymers used in technical textiles can be effectively protected against degradation caused by heat, oxygen, and water through the use of stabilizer systems. This enables service lives of several decades, extending to more than 50 years. As the use of durable technical textiles continues to grow, so does the demand for reliable methods to predict their service life within economically feasible testing periods. For the first time the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) developed methods for robust service life prediction for textiles in an IGF research project.

#Research & Development

ITA has developed a washable digital smart jacket with real-time feedback and an AI-powered app for rehabilitation

As part of the PhysioTaix research project, the Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University is developing a digital smart jacket with integrated sensors. The jacket is washable and reusable; it tracks movements during rehabilitation exercises in real time and transmits the data to an app.

TOP