Epoxies Embrace Sustainability in the EU
The European Union's 2050 climate neutrality target is driving a transformation across industries. The chemical sector is transforming from fossil-based raw materials to alternatives like biomass and recycled inputs to meet these green goals. Epoxy resins are versatile materials used as matrix materials for composites, adhesives and coatings. They are found in everything from household appliances to wind turbine blades. The epoxy industry is adopting innovative measures to align with EU sustainability targets.
Mass Balance: Sustainable Epoxy Production
The mass balance approach is a key strategy. This allows manufacturers to co-process renewable and fossil-derived raw materials in the same plant. It also lets them track the sustainable content. Instead of building separate bio-based factories, producers blend bio-inputs (like bio-naphtha or biogas) with petrochemicals and allocate a certified share of the output as "bio-attributed" epoxy resin.Third-party verification ensures that a given quantity of feedstock is replaced by renewables. Several epoxy manufacturers in Europe have implemented mass balance, yielding resins with up to 100% sustainable carbon content. This means customers can choose epoxy products with a significantly lower carbon footprint without any drop in performance. Using existing facilities, this model accelerates the availability of greener epoxy resins at scale.
Bio-based alternatives are on the rise
Another avenue is developing where bio circular raw materials are used as feedstock. A first promising route is the use of lignin, a byproduct of paper production, next to the production of epichlorohydrin from glycerol, a byproduct of biodiesel. These efforts are further enhanced by the adoption of bio-based reactive diluents and isosorbide as building blocks. Reactive diluents are crucial in optimising the properties of epoxy resins, enhancing performance and widening application potential by modifying the viscosity and reactivity of epoxy resins.Bio alternatives are sourced from cardanol from cashew nutshell liquid (CNSL) or linseed oil, which are chemically modified through epoxidation, thus further lowering the carbon impact of epoxy systems. Bio-based diluents offer additional benefits, including improved anti-corrosion properties, flexibility, and early water resistance. By integrating these bio-based alternatives, the EU's epoxy sector is successfully moving towards products with a smaller carbon footprint.
Circularity is within reach
The industry is transforming towards circularity with the increasing use of recycling technologies beyond co-processing and mechanical recycling. Various types of pyrolysis technologies are being upscaled to particularly revalorise composites at the end of their service life. The output products are recycled carbon fibres, pyrolysis gas, which fuels the degradation process, and pyrolysis oil, which is sent to a steam cracker to produce new building blocks for epoxy resins. The industry is also exploring new recyclable chemistries that facilitate the easier dissolution and cleaving of epoxy networks in line with the principles of circularity by design. The introduction of vitrimers is a significant advancement in this area. These materials can be remoulded and adapted to new forms and functions, extending the lifecycle of epoxy products and reducing waste. These innovations are a game-changer, driving a paradigm shift towards a more sustainable and circular epoxy industry, where materials are kept in use for as long as possible, and waste is minimised.
The EU policy landscape is driving this change.
The European Green Deal and climate law have set the pathway to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, and our EU chemical industry was one of the sectors to support this move back in 2020. The EU's strategy demands products that are "safe and Sustainable by Design", so non-toxic, low-carbon, circular materials are essential. Epoxy producers are responding by shrinking their carbon footprint, directly contributing to the EU's climate and circular economy objectives. Standards and certification programmes are emerging to build trust in these sustainable epoxies. By embracing these changes, the epoxy sector aligns with EU carbon and waste-reduction goals while continuing to deliver the high-performance materials modern industries rely on.
