The main scope of INSPUR project is to provide a reliable process methodology for the solvent-free polyurethane coating of textiles substrates at industrial scale.
The polyurethane coated textiles are widely used by different industries like fashion, upholstery and automotive and are the most relevant raw materials for the manufacturing of artificial leather made products. It is indeed estimated that the overall polyurethane market will worth about 2.04 Billion USD by the 2020 with a 6.8% of CAGR. Currently, most of the commercially viable polyurethanes coated textiles are made using solvent based processes. These processes involve the use of already polymerised polyurethanes dissolved in an organic solvent media that is spread on a transfer paper and then transferred to a textiles substrate – indirect coating process, or directly applied on a textile substrate – direct coating. The used solvents, like DMF – Dimethylformamide, are usually Volatile Organic Component – VOC, and are associated to many relevant environmental impacts and health issues.
The use of DMF, like other VOCs, determines a very large energy consumption due to the drying operation necessary after the coating process. Following the coating phase, the solvent must be dried, convoyed, condensed and transported to be recycled making the life cycle of PU leather unsustainable due to the massive energy consumption and road transportation impacts. The use VOCs like DMF has been also associated to severe health issues and is now being object of a recent ban by the ECHA – REACH.
The objective of the INSPUR project is exactly to provide a reliable, and industrially validated process, able to replace the use of DMF, or other organic solvent, in the PU coating processes.
This objective will be achieved by the technical implementation of INSPUR technology using a bi-component polyurethane manufacturing system that permits the avoidance of solvent use at any stage due to the direct component polymerisation into the final resin of polyurethane bi-components.
