Henkel and Celanese Partner to Develop Adhesives Using Captured CO2 Emissions

Henkel Corporation, a global leader in adhesives, sealants, and functional coatings, has partnered with Celanese Corporation, a major chemical and specialty materials company, to promote circularity in emulsion production by utilizing carbon capture-based materials. Earlier this year, Celanese launched a carbon capture and utilization (CCU) project at its Clear Lake, Texas site in collaboration with Mitsui & Co., Ltd. This innovative CCU technology captures CO2 emissions from industrial sources and, using hydrogen, converts them into methanol. Methanol is a key ingredient in producing vinyl acetate monomer, which accounts for 35% of the materials needed to create adhesives.

This collaboration will allow Henkel to produce water-based adhesives using CO2 emissions, creating a new opportunity for packaging and consumer goods industries to increase the renewable content in their products. By keeping CO2 within the production loop, this initiative directly addresses the growing market demand for more environmentally responsible products. These CCU-based adhesives are poised to drive sustainability across several industries, including Paper & Board, Envelopes & Graphic Arts, E-commerce, Labeling, and Tissue & Towel.

Henkel's Global Head of Packaging and Consumer Goods Adhesives, Pernille Lind Olsen, emphasized the company's commitment to pioneering sustainable packaging solutions that benefit both people and the planet. "Our approach takes a holistic view of sustainability, making bold moves toward innovative technologies that offer customers cost-effective solutions to meet sustainability goals," said Olsen. This collaboration will provide Henkel's customers with new ways to achieve their sustainability objectives in the packaging sector.

By adopting cutting-edge technologies like CCU, Henkel and Celanese are not only responding to the demand for increased renewable content in packaging but also making these eco-friendly solutions more accessible to consumer goods manufacturers.

Kevin Norfleet, Celanese’s Global Sustainability Leader, expressed excitement about the partnership, noting that it showcases how Celanese's ECO-CC products can help accelerate the transition to a more circular economy. He stated, "Our CCU platform offers a scalable and effective solution to incorporate sustainability into the adhesives market, and we are continuously working to expand this technology to serve a wide range of applications."

Through this partnership, Henkel and Celanese are making a significant step forward in developing sustainable, CO2-based adhesives that meet both consumer demand and environmental goals, contributing to a more sustainable and circular economy.

Celanese is a global leader in chemistry, offering specialty material solutions used across diverse industries and consumer applications. The company's expertise in chemistry, technology, and commercial operations enables it to create value for its customers, employees, and shareholders.