Covestro to Showcase Industry Experience at 2018 Polyurethanes Technical Conference

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 27, 2018 -- Covestro has been building on the potential of polyurethanes since their invention by Otto Bayer in 1937. The company’s knowledge of this versatile material will be on display at the 61st annualPolyurethanes Technical Conference on Oct. 1-3 in Atlanta. Covestro experts will be onsite to debut new research, give technical presentations and moderate panels. They will discuss a wide variety of topics including industry standards, faster demolding technologies, volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions testing of flexible polyurethane foam and more.

Below is an overview of the presentations Covestro subject matter experts will give at the conference.

Monday, October 1:

As part of the American Chemistry Council's Diisocyanates Panel Update at 2:05 p.m., Timothy Feeley will share the latest on panel activities. This includes federal, state and Canadian provincial advocacy and how manufacturers are communicating to downstream industries.

At 3 p.m., Steve Aprahamian will share new research findings in a presentation titled “Fast Demolding Technology Via New Chemistries for Insulation Foam in Appliances,” during the Appliance Technical Session. He will discuss new technologies from Covestro that increase refrigerator and freezer productivity to meet the demands of refrigerator manufacturers without impacting appliance performance or energy efficiency. Other Covestro authors of the paper are Mike Super and Reinhard Albers.

Feeley will also take part in “Diisocyanates Panel Perspective: Evaluation of ACGIH Decision to Lower TDI TLVs,” at 4 p.m. This panel will focus on concerns related to the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists decision to lower TDI threshold limit values.

Tuesday, October 2:

John Sebroski and Shen Tian will be part of a panel titled “Status Report for Developing Consensus Methods at ASTM International for Measuring Emissions from Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) Insulation”at 9:30 a.m. The presentation focuses on the development of standard practices for testing indoor air, which can help manufacturers identify and quantify emissions from cured spray polyurethane foam insulation products.

At 10 a.m., Sebroski and Diana Jean Kelly will present a research paper on “Holding Time Influence and Evaluation of Mass Transfer Principles for VOC Emission Testing of Flexible Polyurethane Foam.” The study looked at emission chamber methods to evaluate VOC testing from flexible polyurethane foams used in furniture and bedding. The results demonstrated that the total volatile compound emissions of viscoelastic foams are primarily from the amine catalysts, which can adhere to the chamber surfaces and cause significant variability to the measurements. Melanie Meuser also contributed to the research.

Sebroski along with Tian and Rich Peterman will share the results from a study titled “Flame Retardant Sorption onto Indoor Settled Dusts: Chamber Testing and Modeling Comparison” at 11:30 a.m. This presentation examines a chamber test and modeling of TCPP (a common flame retardant for polyurethane foam) and a semi-volatile organic compound as an indoor air pollutant. The research demonstrated that settled dusts are important indoor sinks of semi-volatile organic compounds.

As part of the Global Automotive Panel beginning at 2 p.m., Sebroski will also present “Developing a Roadmap for Measuring VOCs and Aldehyde Emissions.” He will cover the Molded Polyurethane Foam Industry Panel’s efforts to develop a VOC roadmap to clarify and harmonize the standards to measure VOCs in molded foam used in automotive seating. Sebroski will also share research to compare two methods using Tedlar® bags and micro-scale chambers to measure aldehyde emissions.

At 2.p.m., Catherine Sayles will be presenting in a session titled “Introduction to Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Issues Relative to Diisocyanates.” This session is designed for professionals with a desire to understand EHS regulations, toxicology, industrial hygiene, medical surveillance and exposure controls.

An update on the use of polyurethane prepolymers for wood composite panels will be shared by Timothy McCracken at 4 p.m. during his session titled, “pMDI Pre-Polymers for Enhanced Curing for Production of Wood Composite Panels.”

ABOUT COVESTRO LLC

Covestro LLC is one of the leading producers of high-performance polymers in North America and is part of the global Covestro business, which is among the world’s largest polymer companies with 2017 sales of EUR 14.1 billion. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, construction, wood processing and furniture, electrical and electronics, and healthcare industries. Other sectors include sports and leisure, cosmetics and the chemical industry itself. Covestro has 30 production sites worldwide and employed approximately 16,200 people at the end of 2017.

Find more information at www.covestro.us or www.polyurethanes.covestro.com.