#Textile chemistry

2024-03-28

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.

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.

Covestro celebrates decade of innovation and sustainable growth

Covestro celebrates its 10-year anniversary today. Since its carve-out from Bayer in 2015, the company has developed into a global leader in high-performance polymer materials and a pioneer in circular economy solutions. With a strong focus on innovation and sustainability, Covestro’s materials are now embedded in countless applications worldwide – from mobility and construction to electronics, healthcare, and consumer goods.

Suiting up Team Sonnenwagen with more sustainable sportswear created through a three-way partnership

Team Sonnenwagen Aachen, a solar racing collective from RWTH Aachen and FH Aachen, Germany, is on a mission to advance sustainable mobility solutions and become world champions. This August, the student team will participate in the 2025 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, a biannual 3,000-kilometer race across the Australian outback. During the five-day event, 50 student teams from around the world will compete with solar vehicles that they must design, assemble, and drive themselves.

Update on DyStar’s transition to full ownership of Zhejiang Longsheng Group

DyStar, a leading specialty chemical company with a heritage of more than a century in product development and innovation, wishes to provide an update on the progress of Share Purchase Agreement signed for the acquisition of 37.57% of the issued share capital of DyStar Global Holdings (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

TEXTILCOLOR AG launches strategic collaboration with Alpex, Majocchi, and Trans-Textil in the field of Pyroshell™ flame protection

TEXTILCOLOR AG, a leading provider of innovative solutions in textile chemistry, today announces the start of a strategic collaboration with Alpex Protection, Majocchi, and Trans-Textil. Starting November 1, 2025, the partners will jointly advance the flame-retardant finishing of textiles using the patented Pyroshell™ technology at production sites in Germany, France, and Italy.

Huntsman and Steitz Secura deliver breakthrough in sustainable safety footwear

Huntsman, in collaboration with Steitz Secura, has developed a breakthrough polyurethane (PU) solution that can help improve the circularity of safety footwear. Together, the two companies have created a DALTOPED® polyurethane midsole system that can incorporate recycled content without compromising performance – setting a new benchmark in protective footwear production.

Zschimmer & Schwarz at ITMA Asia in Singapore

At ITMA Asia in October 2025, Zschimmer & Schwarz will present 100 % bio-based spin finishes from the LERTISAN range designed for hygiene nonwovens, and HYDROSET ECO-DRY, a bio-based wicking agent that delivers excellent moisture management for synthetic fabrics. For dye fixation on polyamide, the company has developed a sustainable, plant-based product completely free from phenol, bisphenol, and formaldehyde. The patented aftertreatment agent ZETESAL ECO-FIX PA ensures durable and reliable fixation, particularly on dark shades.

Catching heart disease early with AI-based sensor system

It slips on like a normal vest: Fraunhofer IZM has created a smart sensor system in cooperation with the Charité and the Technical University of Berlin. The vest records a vast array of cardiovascular parameters, which an AI-based system uses to support medical diagnostics and spot potentially dangerous developments.

ICAC to collaborate with Uzbekistan and Bizpando on regenerative agriculture

The Government of Uzbekistan has allocated 55,000 hectares of land to implement a regenerative agriculture program for cotton as part of a collaborative project with the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) and Bizpando, a company with a a blockchain-based internet platform designed to ensure supply chain compliance.