TAGS: Sustainability / Natural Coatings Wood Coatings
Covestro partners with office furniture manufacturer Sunon and industrial chain partners Zhanchen New Materials, Huafon Microfibre, Sinomax Kuka and H.B. Fuller at the fifth China International Import Expo (CIIE).
Together, they signed the “Green and Sustainable Office Furniture Strategic Collaboration”, aiming to accelerate commercial applications of innovative circular materials. The partnership enables a reduced carbon footprint for not only Sunon and its products, but the office furniture industry as a whole.
Collaboration for Sustainable Materials
The cooperation is led by Covestro and Sunon Research Center. They have identified industry chain partners to expand collaboration on sustainable materials in office furniture, especially the application and commercialization of bio-based waterborne coatings, biomass foams, microfiber materials, furniture adhesives, as well as post-recycled polycarbonate materials.
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Covestro is actively supporting different value chains to reduce emissions and accelerate the transition to a circular economy by increasing the use of alternative raw materials. We are very pleased to work with Sunon and other partners to advance sustainable development for the office furniture industry,” said Holly Lei, president of Covestro China.
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We look forward to accelerating commercialization of more innovative solutions by expanding the local production capacity and scale of circular materials. Together, we will contribute to the high-quality and sustainable development of China's economy as well as its carbon neutral ambitions,” added Lei.
Chen Yuanfang, vice president of Sunon Group Co., Ltd., said, “
Sunon has always been committed to providing solutions for safe, environmentally friendly, comfortable and intelligent office and commercial spaces.”
Demand for Low-carbon & Environmentally Friendly Office Furniture
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We have created better places to work by weaving workplace wellbeing into the fabric of our company’s mission and the entire lifecycle of furniture manufacturing, led by our pursuit of high-tech, natural and healthy products. This perfectly aligns with Covestro’s aim to usher in the circular economy,” continued Yuanfang.
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In order to create healthy workspaces for customers, we continue to promote environmental protection upgrades and innovative applications of sustainable materials to meet the market’s demand for low-carbon and environmentally friendly office furniture,” explained Yuanfang.
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By working with Covestro and other partners in the industry chain to create new sustainable solutions, we expect to accelerate our industry’s green transformation,” added Yuanfang.
Bio-based Waterborne UV Technology for Furniture Coatings
Consumers are increasingly concerned about the material safety and sustainability of the products in their home and work environments. Although bio-based waxes and oils for treating furniture surface have been around for a long time, they often do not provide the same protection as fossil-based coatings, especially for office furniture with higher performance requirements.
Covestro’s bio-based waterborne UV technology, Bayhydrol® CQ and Recovery® CQ, contains approximately 35 percent bio-based contents, which can reduce the carbon footprint of furniture coatings, while offering the same chemical resistance and mechanical properties, compared to conventional fossil-based products.
The technology has been tested in the modern waterborne UV five-axis spraying line at Sunon’s Intelligent Manufacturing Base in Qiantang, Zhejiang, and the appearance and performance of the coated products have reached the expected goals. CQ stands for Circular Intelligence and is dedicated to Covestro products with at least 25 percent alternative raw material content.
Covestro also supplies the furniture industry with mass-balanced materials containing a share of biomass raw materials. For example, certified by ISCC PLUS, its high-performance microfiber artificial leather solutions, high-density foam solutions, and formaldehyde-free furniture adhesive solutions are based on Desmodur® CQ isocyanate.
The biomass content can reach 60 percent, 50 percent, and 60 percent, respectively. The carbon footprint can be reduced by more than 50 percent, 30 percent, and 50 percent, respectively (from cradle to Covestro gate).
Mass-balanced Approach to Save Fossil Raw Materials
In the mass-balanced approach, raw materials derived from biomass or waste are fed in at an early stage of raw material extraction and mathematically attributed to the finished products. This saves fossil raw materials and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
In addition, Covestro is actively extending the possibilities of post-consumer recycled (PCR) polycarbonate materials in the furniture industry.
With a high degree of quality and traceability, the PCR portfolio has been widely applied in electronics and electrical industries to help reduce carbon emissions. Furthermore, Covestro’s comprehensive capability of CMF (Color, Material, Finish) design for polycarbonate can bring more inspiration into furniture design.
Explore Bio-based Range from Covestro
Source: Covestro