7 Steps into the future: 3

© Michael Rennertz-Bayer AG

CO2 breakthrough

A breakthrough technology developed by Bayer AG and the CAT Catalytic Center has made it possible to use CO2 captured from a coal-fired power plant to produce polyols – chemicals used in the production of polyurethanes. Polyurethane, currently made completely from fossil fuels, is used in everyday items such as foam mattresses and sporting gear, and is highly efficient as an insulator for buildings.

Now, the amount of oil needed to produce it has been reduced by incorporating the new CO2-based polyols into the polymer chain, locking away the carbon from the atmosphere. Bayer has started testing the process in a pilot plant in Leverkusen, Germany, to ensure that it is both energy efficient and ecologically sound. The world could begin sleeping on CO2-based polyurethane as soon as 2015.

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