Formulating polyurethane (PU) products that can withstand extreme conditions and guarantee durable performance is not simple! UBE’s polycarbonate diols and polycarbonate-based urethane prepolymers technology offer long-lasting performance even after exposure to extreme environments. They enable the formulation of unique and customizable polyurethanes in:
- elastomers,
- coatings, and
- adhesives and sealants.
Polyurethanes with superior durability, greater stability, and retention of initial properties over time are made possible due to the presence of these diols and prepolymers which is not possible with traditional polyether-diol or polyester-diol.
Apart from the high-quality products, UBE also considers sustainability initiatives to be a key element of corporate management. They live up to their founding spirit and corporate philosophy by pursuing Group sustainability through its business activities that involve sourcing raw materials from non-fossil-based alternatives, acquiring sustainability certifications like ISCC Plus, reducing scope 1 and 2 emissions among other initiatives.
#1. Can you tell us about the history of UBE and how it began producing polycarbonate-based polyurethane solutions?
VC/RS: UBE’s philosophy was always led by innovation and high-quality products, based on which a new process was developed for the efficient production of DiMethylCarbonate (DMC), developing the C1 chain chemistry platform. At that time UBE was a key player in the C6 platform from benzene to caprolactam and Nylon 6. It was decided to develop a method for utilizing the by-products of this process for the production of diols, such as 1,6-Hexanediol and 1,5-Pentanediol. These diols can be used in the manufacturing of top polyesters, but these were considered non-disruptive enough by UBE researchers.
Thus, it was decided to look for a superior polyol for higher-performance polyurethanes. Then, combining DMC from the C1 platform with diols from the C6 platform, UBE produced polycarbonate diols with much higher durability than existing polyethers or polyester diols to achieve the most demanding applications. Thus, it was possible to combine different technologies offering the most efficient and integrated processes to create the high durability polyol in the polyurethane market to achieve the most demanding applications.
#2. What are the main challenges faced in the development of durable polyurethane, and how is UBE helping to address them?
VC/RS: Polyurethane is one of the most versatile polymer materials in which almost any property can be achieved by designers for many different applications. Basically, it is required to have excellent mechanical properties that must be stable even when it is exposed to extreme conditions. With several combinations, you can achieve the initial properties of:
- hardness,
- flexibility,
- strength,
- appearance, and much more.
But only by using polycarbonate diols in your toolbox, you can get these properties that remain stable at extreme conditions such as high thermal and UV exposure or ambient contact with chemicals and/or hydrolysis conditions.
#3. UBE offers bespoke polycarbonate-based solutions for creating durable polyurethane. Can you tell us more about the uniqueness of the polycarbonate solutions?
VC/RS: Due to electron distribution in polyether diols they can react easily under thermal, or UV induced reactions. On the other hand in polyester diols, the dipole charge distribution in the ester link can easily react with polar solvents such as water which again is a weak point, breaking the chain and producing a failure in the expected material properties. Electronic charge at carbonate chemistry is very stable. Thus, it is very difficult to destroy this link and in conclusion, the properties of the material remain stable for a long time.
#4. What are some special features of these solutions in terms of the markets they serve?
VC/RS: UBE polycarbonate diols are designed in many different configurations, from low to high molecular weights, different crystallinity, and adjusted reactivity so that typical polyurethane applications can be achieved. However, as durability is the key feature in polycarbonate-based polyurethanes, you can get almost any initial properties, but the value of polycarbonate diols can be appreciated in more extreme applications with higher temperatures, exposure to water and chemicals, and outdoor applications.
It is mostly used in elastomers, coatings, and adhesives, and in many different ways to use as water solution PUD or 100% solids as TPU. Their high-performance properties can be more appreciated in extreme applications such as oil & gas industry seals or joints, heavy-duty machinery parts, rollers, or tubes, automotive interior and exterior, all substrates outdoor coatings such as decks or metal frames. As higher performance is requested and lower maintenance is desired, more interesting is the use of polycarbonate diols in polyurethanes.
Various Applications of PC-based Polyurethane Elastomers
#5. Sustainability & circularity in plastics is always a hot topic of discussion. Can you share your vision and approach?
What is UBE’s approach to circularity in plastics?
RH: UBE is involved in different projects to ensure the circularity of plastics in different applications. Starting with food packaging where we are running several homologations with different institutions as well as, incorporating recycled content in new products being developed for high-performance applications like automotive.
UBE has recently acquired ISCC PLUS certification which allows it to produce and commercialize products using biobased or circular raw materials. ISCC PLUS certifies the circular origin of diols which can be manufactured with raw material coming from post-industrial residues, one step further on the UBE approach on its sustainable pathway. Circular diols and polycarbonate diols will have a lower CO2 footprint compared to other traditional raw materials.
Are there any sustainable goals to fulfill in the upcoming product releases? What targets have been set to implement sustainability at the core of product development?
RH: UBE has a target to get carbon neutral by 2050 and a reduction of 55% of scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030 as compared to 2010. Any new development will be addressed to get minimum LCA by using bio-sources and circular raw materials. UBE has also voluntarily signed an adhesion to science-based targets. Moreover, UBE is targeting to reach up to 60% of the turnover from environmental-friendly products by 2030.
Are you considering to implement raw materials from bio-sources and recycled materials in your products?
RH: ISCC PLUS certification enables UBE to produce and commercialize certified products using circular and biomass raw materials allocated by the mass-balance method. Additionally, UBE announced that it has earned the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) certified biobased product label for several performance chemicals and is able to display a unique USDA label that highlights its percentage of biobased content.
Verification for the product’s biobased content has been administered through the USDA BioPreferred program, an initiative created by the 2002 farm bill (and recently reauthorized by the 2018 farm bill). One of the goals of the BioPreferred program is to increase the development, purchase, and use of biobased products. Here, UBE commercializes biobased ETERNACOLL® BIO UD-140DF which is an 83% biobased polycarbonate diol that can be used in several applications as a raw material for high-performing and durable polyurethanes in elastomers, coatings, and adhesives & sealants. New biobased grades are under development.
Further, DAXSOL® glycerol carbonate is a 76% biobased hydroxyl-functional carbonate that can be used in several applications as a raw material or active solvent, useful in coatings, paintings, and adhesives industries, as a solvent, diluent, and plasticizer, in synthetic intermediates, and many other applications.
Finally, UBEDISP® hyperdispersants series with biobased content ranging from 79% to 95%. These are 100% active polymeric wetting and dispersant additives designed for solvent-borne and solvent-free printing inks and coatings for stabilizing inorganic particles, such as pigments, fillers, and metallic nanoparticles among others.
UBE Using Bio-sourced and Recycled Materials for Production Purposes
#6. Are there plans to further extend the offered solutions in the coming years? What can users look forward to?
VC/RS: In addition to ETERNACOLL® polycarbonate diols, in order to facilitate access to this technology UBE can offer polyurethane products based on polycarbonate diols as:
- ETERNALAST® TPU — To be processed by injection molding as seals and gaskets or by extrusion for tubes and films.
- ETERNATHANE® PUR prepolymers — To be cured with polycarbonate diols itself or usual curatives, for example, for hot casting of high-demand rollers or metal parts protection.
- ETERNAJET® PUD water-based resins — To be applied in the formulation of highly durable coatings and inks.
UBE thinks that the central point of sustainability is to obtain products that have high durability and allows us to enjoy them for longer because they do not lose their features. In that sense, all polycarbonate diols-based UBE products are purpose-synthesized to be almost eternal (everlasting).
In addition, we want to go further and reduce the use of raw materials from non-renewable sources in its production and we already have biobased solutions available. The customer may opt for the same durability features with a lower carbon footprint. This line of developments will also be available in our TPU, prepolymers, and PUD waterborne.