LEVERKUSEN, Germany – Covestro has begun operations at a new production facility for aqueous polyurethane dispersions (PUDs) at its Dormagen, Germany, site. Along with a current expansion of production in Barcelona, Spain, the company is significantly boosting its capacities in Europe. In order to meet global demand, Covestro is also building a new facility in China, as well as planning to resume production in the United States and at the same time modernizing and expanding facilities there.
The new capacity is primarily needed to satisfy rising demand from the coatings and adhesives industry as manufacturers work to replace solvent-based products with more sustainable waterborne systems that have equally good properties. Also driving the trend are regulations that require lower emissions of VOCs.