German company uses carbon dioxide to produce plastic for the first time

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German company uses carbon dioxide to produce plastic for the first time News from Chemical Industry 707: In the past, only plants were able to convert carbon dioxide into organic substances； A new German technology turns carbon dioxide into plastic. The most common industrial byproduct and greenhouse gas has been used for the first time in factories as a substitute for oil as a raw material. 　　Recently, Covestro, one of the world’s largest polymer producers, announced that it has produced plastic from carbon dioxide on an industrial scale for the first time, and holds a patent for this process. Covestro said that with this technology, they take another step forward toward the goal of saving fossil fuels and closing the carbon cycle. 　　In Dormagen, near Cologne in Germany, a new foam raw material plant produces a special type of \"polyether polyol\", one-fifth of which comes from carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide first turns into polyols, which are then combined to form polyurethane foam, from which various plastics are manufactured. With this technology, the use of fossil raw materials can be reduced. Polyurethane materials produced from carbon dioxide are ultimately used in mattresses and furniture. In the future, it will also be used in sedans, running shoes, cold chains, and temporary housing.