PUR2ISO: Purtiso’s 100% polyurethane recovery process explained

September 26, 2026

MaterialDistrict Belgium

Overview

Purtiso, a Belgian company, has developed ‘PUR2ISO,’ a patented chemical recycling process that recovers original molecular building blocks (polyols and isocyanates) from diverse industrial and end-of-life polyurethane (PU) waste. This process yields materials comparable in quality to virgin raw materials, capable of replacing up to 100% of conventional inputs in new PU production. The technology can process all major PU waste streams, including TDI and MDI-based flexible and rigid foams, PIR insulation, and polyester polyol-based PU, thereby accelerating the PU industry’s transition to a circular economy.

In Depth

Key Findings

Purtiso, a Belgian company, has developed a patented chemical recycling process, ‘PUR2ISO,’ designed to efficiently recover original molecular building blocks—polyols and isocyanates—from diverse industrial and end-of-life polyurethane (PU) waste. This breakthrough technology yields materials comparable in quality to virgin raw materials, with the potential to replace up to 100% of conventional inputs in new PU production. This represents a significant advancement in boosting the circularity within the PU industry.

Technical/Clinical Details

Purtiso’s ‘PUR2ISO’ process employs advanced chemical recycling techniques, such as pyrolysis and hydrolysis, to depolymerize complex polyurethane networks into their fundamental monomer components. A critical feature of this process is its versatility: it can handle all major PU waste streams, including TDI (toluene diisocyanate) and MDI (diphenylmethane diisocyanate) based flexible and rigid foams, PIR (polyisocyanurate) insulation, and polyester polyol-based PU. This broad compatibility enables the processing of a wide range of PU waste. The recovered polyols and isocyanates achieve a quality suitable for direct re-entry into new PU production lines as virgin-equivalent raw materials.

Background & Context

Polyurethane is an indispensable high-performance material used in numerous applications, including insulation, furniture, automotive components, and footwear. However, its recycling has long been a challenge due to its varied compositions and complex cross-linked structure. Historically, most end-of-life PU products have been incinerated or landfilled, contributing significantly to environmental burden. With strengthening policies in Europe and elsewhere promoting a circular economy for plastics, PU manufacturers are under increasing pressure to develop effective recycling solutions. Purtiso’s ‘PUR2ISO’ process fills this gap, enabling high-value PU recycling and substantially contributing to resource efficiency and waste reduction.

Strategic Significance & Outlook

The commercialization of the ‘PUR2ISO’ process holds the potential to dramatically enhance sustainability within the polyurethane industry. Its ability to replace up to 100% of virgin raw material input presents an attractive option for companies aiming to meet environmental targets while simultaneously improving cost efficiency. Purtiso aims to deploy this technology globally, establishing circularity across the entire lifecycle of PU products. This is expected not only to reduce the environmental footprint but also to accelerate the creation of sustainable supply chains within the PU market, opening up new business opportunities.

Source: https://materialdistrict.com/article/chemical-recycling-recovers-building-blocks-from-polyurethane-waste/

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