Covestro to showcase sustainable textiles, TPUs and adhesive films

Polymer manufacturer Covestro will present a range of material solutions that deliver high performance and support improved sustainability and productivity in the textile industry across technical and smart textiles, functional apparel and automotive parts. The company will be presenting its technologies at the Techtextil 2026 show in Frankfurt, between April 21–24, 2026.

Textile coatings

Covestro’s textile coatings team will showcase waterborne, partially bio-based and mass-balanced polyurethane (PU) technologies for coated textile applications. Highlights will include a concept car door panel developed with Marquardt Group and E Ink, integrating a responsive color-changing e-paper display behind a transparent PU-coated synthetic surface. Using Covestro’s Insqin PU technology, the coating supports vivid display visibility while meeting automotive interior performance and haptic requirements.

The team will also demonstrate antimicrobial PU-coated textiles combining Insqin with Heraeus Precious Metals’ AGXX technology, which has been designed to enhance hygiene and durability in high-contact applications.

Specialty films

The specialty films team will present its Dureflex and Platilon thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) films, engineered for demanding technical requirements in sectors ranging from automotive interiors to sports equipment and cured-in-place pipe systems. The company will demonstrate Platilon TPU films that function as substrates for flexible printed electronics. These films enable integrated electroluminescent features that improve visibility and safety in low-light conditions.

Thermoplastic polyurethanes

The TPU team will also present Desmopan AIR, a recyclable TPU material for cushioning applications, enabling monomaterial designs when combined with TPU nonwoven products. Desmopan FLY, an ultra-flexible, low-viscosity TPU for supercritical fluid foam injection molding, will also be shown. It supports thin, durable films and textiles with high wear resistance and 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.”