Celanese, Henkel to develop adhesives made from captured carbon

Iranpolymer/Baspar US-based materials company Celanese and Germany’s packaging company Henkel have partnered to offer adhesives made from captured carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Earlier this year, Celanese launched a carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) project at its Clear Lake, Texas site. The CCU technology captures industrial CO2 emissions and, using hydrogen, converts them into methanol, which forms 35% of vinyl acetate monomer – a crucial element to produce polymers often used in adhesive materials. The project captures 180,000 tonnes of CO2 annually, producing 130,000 tonnes of low-carbon methanol for downstream applications.

Henkel will now integrate these CCU-based materials into its adhesive formulations, with applications in packaging, graphic arts, e-commerce, labelling, and tissue products. The company will produce water-based adhesives from captured CO2 emissions, providing an alternative to fossil fuel-derived raw materials.

“Our CCU platform demonstrates how carbon capture can support the transition to a circular economy. Partnering with Henkel allows us to bring these solutions to a broader market, enabling customers to adopt low-carbon adhesives at scale,” said Kevin Norfleet, global sustainability leader at Celanese.

Celanese and Henkel join other companies in the plastics value chain turning to captured carbon to improve their sustainability credentials. Fortum, Neste, Borealis, and Braskem are amongst the companies investing in conversion of captured CO2 into plastics.

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