Dow introduces more sustainable automotive solutions with SPECFLEX™ C and VORANOL™ C
Dow (NYSE: DOW) today announces a mass-balance approach to the production of new polyurethane solutions based on a circular feedstock sourced from a waste product of the mobility sector that replaces virgin fossil-fuel based feedstock. New SPECFLEX™ C and VORANOL™ C product ranges will initially be offered to the mobility sector in collaboration with leading automotive suppliers Adient and Autoneum.
SPECFLEX™ C and VORANOL™ C are designed to help automotive OEMs meet their market and regulatory demands for more circular products and reach their sustainability goals. Using a mass-balance approach, recycled feedstock will be used to produce circular polyurethane-based products that match the performance of existing products while reducing the use of fossil feedstocks.
“The automotive industry is undergoing significant change. This is being driven by market demand, the industry’s own ambition, and higher regulatory standards for reduced emissions and waste. The EU’s End-of-Life Directive is just one example of this. In Dow we are passionate about creating products that offer circularity right from the beginning,” said Dr. Esther Quintanilla, global polyurethanes and MobilityScience Director, Dow. “We have listened to the industry and are convinced that the mass-balance approach is a very efficient and validated way for automotive OEMs to meet regulatory standards and reach their own ambitious goals.”
Circular polyurethane range
SPECFLEX™ C and VORANOL™ C are certified by an independent mass-balance certification agency who will validate that the quantity of polyurethane intermediates produced from recycled materials corresponds to the appropriate quantity of end-product, thereby confirming the reporting is accurate and auditable.
“Dow’s industry-leading feedstock flexibility capability enables us to explore new feed streams that others may not be able to accommodate. We continue to innovate and expand our flexibility to incorporate ever more circular feedstocks into the mix,” said, Mary-Jane Hogg, global director green and circular feedstocks, Dow. “Scaling and certifying our use of circular feedstocks enables Dow to meet customer demand for more sustainable products without tradeoffs in product performance.” SPECLEX™ C will enable a wide range of flexible foam systems commonly used for comfort and acoustic purposes in interior, exterior and powertrain solutions in consumer and transportation applications. VORANOL™ C will enable the production of a wide range of low- to high-density foams with low viscosity that provides easier handling and the flexibility to choose the optimum loading level for any application.
Market-leading partnership
Adient, a market leader for seating in the automotive sector, and Autoneum, the leading acoustics and thermal management supplier, are partnering with Dow to pioneer the use of SPECFLEX™ C and VORANOL™ C.
“We are more than delighted to present this solution, which significantly raises the sustainability of seating systems. The urgent need to decarbonize the automotive industry goes far beyond powertrain emissions,” said David Nash, vice president foam & trim EMEA at Adient. “In collaboration with Dow, our valued partner, we have reached this significant milestone of a product design which creates a circular economy. As an important building block on the way to further decarbonize vehicle production the solution helps us to reduce fossil feedstocks by the re-integration of waste products without any compromise in quality and comfort.”
“SPECFLEX™ C and VORANOL™ C set new standards in terms of sustainability, which makes them a valuable complement to Autoneum’s sustainable product portfolio. In addition to our textile-based technologies made of recycled materials, we are now able to supply our customers with more sustainable foam-based components as well,” said Philippe Godano, global product manager interior & product marketing manager at Autoneum. “The new foam systems not only offer the same benefits as current automotive polyurethane foams such as geometrical adaptability and lightweight, but also lower the cradle-to-gate carbon footprint of cars significantly. By making use of recycled and locally obtained automotive waste, the products are also in line with Autoneum’s efforts in exploring shorter and more sustainable raw material supply chains.”
www.dow.com