NIPURE – Circularity Instead of Crisis: New Paths for the Insulation Industry

The European insulation industry consumes approximately 16 million tons of polyurethane annually—mostly made from toxic isocyanates and fossil-based raw materials. NIPURE is addressing this issue by developing an innovative, isocyanate-free polyurethane foam (NIPU) produced from domestic waste oils and industrial byproducts.

This approach turns waste into valuable raw materials, avoids the use of harmful chemicals, and reduces dependence on fossil resources. At the same time, NIPURE improves the recyclability of insulation materials and measurably reduces greenhouse gas emissions—as demonstrated by life cycle assessments.

By establishing regional value chains and developing an industry-scale demonstration model, NIPURE is paving the way for a safe, economically viable, and climate-friendly future for the insulation industry in Europe.

As the lead partner for Work Package 2 (“Synthesis of NIPU and Integration of Innovative Approaches”), tbw research is responsible for the development and production of non-isocyanate-based polyurethanes (NIPU) on a laboratory scale.
In addition, tbw research plays a leading role in Work Package 4 (“Material Characterization and Validation”) and contributes to the analysis and evaluation of the NIPU materials produced in the laboratory.