Covestro to spotlight TPU and PU coatings at Techtextil 2026

At the show, taking place from April 21–24, the company will highlight solutions aimed at improving durability, recyclability and manufacturing efficiency across sectors including automotive interiors, protective apparel and sportswear. Polyurethane chemistry sits at the centre of Covestro’s textile offering, with technologies spanning waterborne and partially bio-based PU coatings, TPU films and mass-balanced systems designed to reduce reliance on fossil feedstocks.

Waterborne PU coatings, including Covestro’s Insqin platform, are positioned as lower-VOC alternatives to conventional solvent-based textile finishing systems, while maintaining performance in terms of flexibility, abrasion resistance and haptics. The company will also present application concepts such as an automotive interior integrating an e-paper display behind a transparent PU-coated surface, illustrating how polyurethane coatings can combine optical functionality with durability. In parallel, antimicrobial coatings based on PU dispersions will be shown for high-contact textile applications.

Thermoplastic polyurethane remains a central material in Covestro’s textile portfolio, particularly in film form. TPU films such as Platilon and Dureflex are engineered to deliver elasticity, abrasion resistance and chemical stability, while remaining compatible with industrial processing routes including lamination, extrusion and melt processing. These characteristics make TPU suitable for demanding applications such as protective clothing, sports textiles and smart fabrics incorporating electronic functionality. The ability to process TPU into multilayer structures also supports emerging mono-material design strategies, which are increasingly important for textile recycling.

The integration of Pontacol, acquired by Covestro last year, further expands the company’s capabilities in textile lamination. Pontacol’s portfolio includes adhesive films based on polyethylene, polypropylene, EVA and TPU, enabling bonding solutions for multilayer fabrics and technical textiles. In polyurethane applications, TPU-based adhesive films offer strong adhesion and flexibility, while supporting efficient processing techniques such as hot-melt lamination. The addition of these technologies strengthens Covestro’s position in engineered textile systems where multiple functional layers must be combined.

Additionally, the team will present Desmopan Fly, an ultra-flexible, low-viscosity TPU solution engineered for Supercritical fluid (SCF) foam injection molding. It enables the production of thin, durable, and highly flexible films and textile applications, combining outstanding wear resistance with reduced material weight.

“We look forward to presenting our material solutions at Techtextil and demonstrating how they can translate into practical progress for the textile industry,” said Dr. Torsten Pohl, head of global textile coatings at Covestro. “Together with our partners and customers, we will continue to explore applications that support more sustainable products and more efficient manufacturing.”

Photo: Platilon TPU Films enable electroluminescence for protective apparel. © Covestro

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