Today - Polyurethane Association of India

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1 

p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y 

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Today

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Today 

2 p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y 

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Dear Readers, 

It has been almost 75 years since Polyurethanes was invented and this 

Industry has made rapid progress across many countries including 

India. Polyurethanes has contributed to several benefits to the society 

through innovations and by improving the life of consumers through 

various applications. 

The world continues to face many challenges and these can be summarized 

as leading to megatrends like Urbanization, Energy Conservation, Water 

conservation, Environmental protection and so on. These megatrends 

offer significant challenges and opportunities to all industries including 

Polyurethanes. These challenges and opportunities can be met mainly 

by innovation that not only improve the life of consumers and do the 

same in a sustainable manner. Also there are some very unique Indian 

opportunities that need uniquely Indian innovative solutions 

This issue brings you the good news that such innovations continue to 

flourish in the polyurethanes industry even after over seven decades since 

the invention of polyurethanes. Some of these innovations developed 

outside India are finding application in India and also some unique India 

needs are being addressed through disruptive innovation techniques. 

These innovations would go a long way in meeting the challenges and 

opportunities thrust upon us due to these megatrends. 

We hope that this issue does the dual job of your curiosity on some of 

the application and also provide you with the assurance that innovation 

in polyurethanes is thriving despite the long history of this material. 

Best Regards, 

Anand G 

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1 

Committee Member’s Message 


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Editorial 

RIP: Mario Miranda 

Dev Anand 

Steve Jobs 

Bhupen Hazarika 

Jagjit Singh 

Shammi Kapoor 

M F Hussain 

We have lost such gems this past year – all ‘Innovators’ in their fields, having 

left behind noteworthy footprints in the sands of time. 

INNOVATIONS – the theme for this issue highlights the importance for this 

continuous process, to help keep progress and profits on the upward trend. A 

process enabled by the input of a new method / idea / product, in any field. 

The more radical and revolutionary innovations tend to emerge from R&D, while 

more incremental innovations may emerge from practice – though there are 

many exceptions to each of these trends. Recent years have seen considerable 

progress in identifying important key factors/principles or variables that affect 

the probability of success in innovation. The more one can master the variables 

and experiment, the more will one be able to create new products, processes and 

services that achieve what one hopes to achieve i.e. growth objectives. 

BUT cost reduction and re-engineering alone cannot result in growth. Economist 

Joseph Schumpeter, who contributed greatly to the study of innovation, argued 

that industries must incessantly revolutionize the economic structure from within, 

that is innovate with better or more effective processes and products, such as the 

shift from the craft shop to factory. Innovation is the key element in providing 

aggressive top-line growth, and for increasing bottom-line profits. 

So, in this issue, we have strived to highlight innovations across a spectrum of 

activities in the PU arena, and hope you enjoy the read as much as we enjoyed 

finding enough interesting matter to fill the pages! 

Last but not the least, while speaking of Innovation, we cannot ignore the Master 

Innovator of our times, just because he belongs to a different field – who took 

the world by storm, by grabbing it with both hands & making it take the giant 

leap with him, into the next century / the next level in technology to enable 

comfort, convenience, and efficiency in everyday life. I talk of none other than: 

Steve Jobs – an ‘iConoclastic Innovator’! 

Do not miss our tribute to him on the Centre spread pages & the Book Review 

section. 

Sincerely, 


d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1

PUBLISHED BY THE INDIAN POLYURETHANES ASSOCIATION 

EDITOR 

MRS. MEDHA BHUTA 

EDITORIAL TEAM 

MR. RAMAMURTHY - SECRETARY IPUA 

MR. GOVIND GUPTA - DOW 

MR. PRAVIN MAHAJAN - BASF 

MR. PRANAV MEHTA - HONEYWELL 

COMPILATION & SELECTION 

DR. MAHESH GOPALASAMUDRAM 

MR. G. ANAND 

DESIGN CONCEPT 

MR. MUKESH BHUTA 

GRAPHIC DESIGN & LAYOUT 

RED SKY DESIGNS 

PRODUCTION & EXECUTION 

MR. RAMAMURTHY 

IPUA OFFICE BEARERS 

CHAIRMAN 

MR. RAHUL GAUTAM 0120 4162 220/4162 200 rahul@sheelafoam.com 

VICE CHAIRMAN 

DR. G. MAHESH 9122 67934904 maheshgn@dow.com 

Mr. MUKESH BHUTA 022 2768 0303/0404 mbhuta@expandedinc.co.in 

TREASURER 

MR. GIAN JAIN 011 2724 6907/4237 6465 gcjain@karefoam.com 

SECRETARY GENERAL 

MR. K. RAMAMURTHY 044 2499 5923 admin@pu-india.org 

ramamurthy_k2@dataone.in 

IPUA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS 

MR. JAGANNATH SARANGAPAN +9140 23704551/3 jagannath@ufoam.com 

MR. G. ANAND +9122 2778 7396 anand_g@huntsman.com 

MR. MANDAR JOSHI +9122 6791 7420 mandar.joshi@basf.com 

MR. DEEPAK T. MEHTA +9179 2630 4652/3/4/5 deepakmehta@tirupatifoam.com 

MR. M. G. BOHRA +9144 2595 2001/2 mgb@amulpolycure.com 

MR. H. S. KOCHAR +91120 4080000 kochar@pfeda.com 

MR. S. RAJESH T. BHARGAVA +912642 247160/61/62 rtbhargava@gnfc.in 

MR. RABINDRA JHAJHARIA +91332229 8904/2229 5496 multiwynfoams@multiwynfoams.com 

MR. PRANAYA PRADHAN +9731303238 pranaya.pradhan@shell.com 

MR. SANJAY SANGHI +91224005 9350/51/52/53/54/55sanjay.sanghi@momentive.com 

MR. VINOD VORA +9122 413 5141/5889 vnvora@aromaticagencies.com 

MR. ASHWINI K. SEHGAL +91120 4031000 aksehgal@saanglobal.com 

MR. ROMESH MADAN +9111 41613643/44/45 rmadan@goodiesons.com 

MR. ROHIT RELAN +91124 2341258 rohitgrp@ndf.vsnl.net.in 

MR.AJAY DURRANI +91120 3921199 ajay.durrani@bayer.com 

MR RAVI MUTHUKRISHNAN +9144 25942830 mravi@manalipetro.com 

PERMANENT INVITEE & SPECIAL ADVISOR TO THE IPUA 

MR G RAMACHANDRAN +91 44 24345738 indramu123@gmail.com 

PERMANENT INVITEE 

MR. SAMIR ARORA 011 26912375/26917758/26831850 samira@airtelmail.in sam@sam3.in 

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1 

Contents 

C o n t e n t s 

Co m m i t t e e member’s me s s age .................. 3 

ed i to r i a l .............................................. 4 

Cr e d i t s + Co n t e n t s ............................... 5 

in d u s t r y up d at e s ................................... 6 

in t e r n at i o n a l ne w s ............................... 12 

pr o d u C t ne w s ....................................... 16 

in t e r v ie w .............................................. 20 

te C h n iC a l up d at e s .................................. 23 

te C h n iC a l artiCle ................................... 24 

ipua ve n t u r e s ...................................... 37 

speCial Fe at u r e ...................................... 40 

en v ir o nme n t & saFe t y ........................... 45 

pr e v i e w s & re p o r t s ............................... 46 

bo o k s & pe r i o d i C a l s .............................. 49 

ev e n t s & tr e n d s ................................... 50 


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Industry Updates 

Recticel India Pvt. Ltd. officially inaugurated 

On Sunday, November 13, 2011, 

the new conversion plant of 

Recticel Flexible Foams in Mumbai 

was officially inaugurated. 

As India is one of the fastest growing 

economies worldwide with a 

predicted average GDP growth of 6% 

for the next 10 to 20 years it is a huge 

potential industrial and consumer 

market. Recticel Flexible Foams will 

trade and convert mainly technical 

flexible polyurethane foams for the 

local market. 

The 6000m² plant which is located 

in Taloja, Navi Mumbai, close to 

the Nhava Shiva port of Mumbai, 

will be equipped with state of the 

art conversion machinery (cutting, 

profiling, laminating, compressing 

and more) to service different market 

segments with high technological 

foam solutions. 

While Recticel is already market 

leader in India for air filter foams 

in the automotive sector, it will also 

focus on other profitable technical 

segments such as acoustics. 

Recticel India Pvt. Ltd. currently also 

has a local sales office in Bangalore 

and will open up a new warehouse 

and converting unit in the course 

of 2012 to service the South Indian 

market. 

The official opening ceremony of 

the Mumbai plant, which took place 

onsite, was attended by a large 

delegation of Flemish officials, led 

by the Flemish Minister President 

Kris Peeters and Karl Van den 

Bossche, Consul-General of Belgium 


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in Mumbai in the presence of many 

Indian business relations. 

After the ribbon cutting and 

traditional Hindu “Pooja” inauguration 

ceremony, the delegation and other 

invitees were invited to the roof top 

terrace for a reception and walking 

lunch buffet. 

Filip Goris, Regional Manager Asia 

and Latin America thanked all of 

those who helped in setting up this 

new entity in India, and foremost 

the first hour employees of Recticel 

India Pvt. Ltd.: Abhijit Diwadkar 

(General Manager), Ashok Singh Sain 

(Business Development Manager 

Mumbai), Vijay Kumar (Business 

Development Manager Bangalore), 

Deepak Sawant (Finance Manager) 

and Aparna Munjewar (Sales Support 

Officer). 

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The Flemish Minister President 

Peeters on his turn praised Recticel 

for its pioneering and proactive 

approach in India, setting an example 


for other Flemish companies pursuing 

growth opportunities. 

www.recticel.co.in 


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Honeywell Introduces New Highly Efficient, 

Low-Global-Warming Blowing Agent For Foam 

Insulation 

Global adoption of Solstice Liquid Blowing Agent could save the equivalent of 60 million metric 

tons of carbon dioxide per year 

MUMBAI, INDIA, NOVEMBER 4, 

2011 – Honeywell (NYSE: HON) 

has introduced a new liquid blowing 

agent in the company’s growing 

family of materials with a low-globalwarming 

potential (LGWP). 

Solstice Liquid Blowing Agent can 

be used in a variety of insulation 

applications including sprayfoam, 

foam insulating panels and 

refrigerator insulation. Use of the 

new material can make refrigerators 

up to 10 to 12 percent more energy 

efficient than those insulated by 

hydrocarbon-blown foam. Because 

of these energy efficiency benefits, 

if fully adopted globally, Solstice 

Liquid Blowing Agent could save 

approximately 60 million metric 

tons per year of carbon dioxide 

equivalent, which is comparable to 

eliminating carbon dioxide emissions 

from more than 11.8 million cars 

every year.* 

“Honeywell’s new Solstice Liquid 

Blowing Agent excels in the four 

dimensions that are most important to 

blowing agent users: energy efficiency 

performance, environmental impact, 

safety in use, and cost-effectiveness,” 

said Terrence Hahn, vice president 

and general manager for Honeywell 

Fluorine Products. “We are pleased 

to announce this expansion of 

our Solstice family of low-global- 


warming-potential products, which 

is helping customers around the 

world lower their carbon footprint 

while maximizing end-product 

performance.” 

In India, Honeywell supports 

customers with a two-step approach 

when it comes to blowing agents. 

Appliance manufacturers can meet 

the Montreal Protocol regulations 

deman ding a phas e - out of 

hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) 

by using Honeywell´s Enovate® 

blowing agent, a hydrofluorocarbon 

(HFC) also known as 245fa blowing 

agent. This product can be adopted 

as a near drop-in replacement for 

HCFC 141b. It is non ozone depleting, 

allowing manufacturers to meet the 

phase-out plan for India. 

In a second step, starting in 2013, 

manufacturers can adopt Solstice 

Liquid Blowing Agent as needed 

to meet further regulation. Use of 

Solstice Liquid Blowing Agent enables 

manufactuers to also meet the 

requirements of the Indian Bureau 

of Energy Efficiency, a department 

within India´s Ministry of Power, 

focused on energy efficiency. 

Solstice Liquid Blowing Agent has 

an extremely short atmospheric 

lifetime of approximately 26 days. 

This gives the product its superior 

properties – it has an ultra-low global 

warming potential (GWP) of less than 

7 and has no impact on ozone layer 

depletion. 

Solstice Liquid Blowing Agent’s GWP is 

a more than 99 percent improvement 

over the products it can replace, 

including HCFC-141b (which has a 

GWP of 725), HFC-365mfc (which has 

a GWP of 794) and HFC-245fa (which 

has a GWP of 1,030). 

Because Solstice Liquid Blowing 

Agent is non-flammable, it does 

not require expensive explosionproof 

equipment and handling, 

unlike hydrocarbon alternatives. It 

is also a near drop-in replacement 

for today’s most commonly used 

blowing agents. 

Honeywell’s Solstice family of 

products are based on hydrofluoroolefin 

technology and offer similar 

or improved performance when 

compared with today’s most 

widely used stationary and mobile 

refrigerants, blowing agents and 

aerosol propellants. The products 

have dramatically reduced GWPs 

compared with today’s widely used 

fluorocarbons. 

For more information about 

Honeywell’s Solstice Liquid Blowing 

Agent visit www.honeywell- 

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1

solsticeLBA.com. 

*Source: U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency greenhouse gas equivalencies 

calculator with inputs from Honeywell 

and customer Solstice Liquid Blowing 

Agent test results. (http://www.epa. 

gov/cleanenergy/energy-resources/ 

calculator.html) 

Honeywell Specialty Materials is a 

global leader in providing customers 

with high-performance specialty 

materials, including fluorine products; 

specialty films and additives; advanced 

fibers and composites; intermediates; 

specialty chemicals; electronic materials 

and chemicals; and technologies and 

materials for petroleum refining. 

Honeywell International (www. 

honeywell.com) is a For tune 

100 diversified technology and 

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1 

manufacturing leader, serving 

customers worldwide with aerospace 

products and services; control 

technologies for buildings, homes 

and industry; automotive products; 

turbochargers; and specialty materials. 

Based in Morris Township, N.J., 

Honeywell’s shares are traded on 

the New York, London, and Chicago 

Stock Exchanges. For more news and 

information on Honeywell, please visit 

www.honeywellnow.com. 

This release contains certain 

statements that may be deemed 

“forward-looking statements” within 

the meaning of Section 21E of the 

Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All 

statements, other than statements of 

historical fact, that address activities, 

events or developments that we or 

our management intends, expects, 

projects, believes or anticipates 


will or may occur in the future are 

forward-looking statements. Such 

statements are based upon certain 

assumptions and assessments made 

by our management in light of their 

experience and their perception of 

historical trends, current economic and 

industry conditions, expected future 

developments and other factors they 

believe to be appropriate. The forwardlooking 

statements included in this 

release are also subject to a number 

of material risks and uncertainties, 

including but not limited to economic, 

competitive, governmental, and 

technological factors affecting our 

operations, markets, products, services 

and prices. Such forward-looking 

statements are not guarantees of 

future performance, and actual results, 

developments and business decisions 

may differ from those envisaged by 

such forward-looking statements. 

Huntsman’s Polyurethane division presented 

papers at CBRI (Central Building Research 

Institute) Roorkee 

The event 

The two day seminar FIRST-2011 

(Fire Science & Technology 

Research and its Implementation) 

is an initiative taken by the fire 

research division of CBRI. They want 

to spread awareness of research 

work and innovation, being carried 

out by academia and the industry 

to develop fire safe habitats. It is 

a first of its kind seminar where 

most of IIT’s and NIT’s shared their 

research work in this field; the 

industry-involved in innovation and 

research also supported the concept 

and the event was sponsored by 

CSIR- Government of India, L&T, 

C&S, Omega, Shaktiman Doors, Aska 

Engineering, SCD and Huntsman 

International India Private Limited 

The event was divided in 4 technical 

sessions and 30 technical papers 

were presented by various authors 

Polyurethane discussion in 

the seminar 

S. K. Bhattacharya, Director CBRI and 

Dr. S.C. Saxena Director IIT Roorkee 

were among the key people who 

kicked off the seminar, a quick visit 

tour of the exhibition was followed 

by technical sessions 

The first session: Fire Retardant 

Materials- Modern trends in building 

and material was chaired by Dr. 

Diane Deams, Fire and building code 

manager Huntsman polyurethanes 

division. She was also the key note 

speaker of this session and highlighted 

the growing use of polyurethanes for 

insulation in construction in Western 

regions and China. Dr. Deams spoke 

about the evolving fire legislation in 

China to incorporate light weight, 

energy efficient and sustainable 

construction. She assured full support 

of Huntsman’s polyurethane division 

to the people involved in drafting the 

building codes in India in order to 


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upgrade them for achieving superior 

energy performance and fire safety 

of buildings 

The key note address was followed 

by Huntsman polyurethanes’ paper 

on Fire Performance of innovative 

polyurethane products in India. 

This paper was presented by Deepak 

Rathi, Business development 

manager- Insulation, highlighting the 

need of effective building insulation 

in India and the polyurethane 

products locally available to achieve 

this. He also shared the various test 

results related to fire performance of 

INSPIRE® - PIR product developed by 

Huntsman’s polyurethane division 

Other significant papers on 

polyurethanes products were: 

l Rigid polyurethane foam as a fire 

retardant material- Presented by Dr. 

R S patil and Dr.J M Paranjpe, IIT 

Bombay 

l Flammability performance of 

rigid PU foam manufactured using 

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The Big Question: Can India clean up its image? 

Yahoo! India News 

Here’s a secret that everybody 

already knows: India is corrupt. 

Now it gets murkier. Over the past year, 

we have been swimming deeper into 

the muck. According to Transparency 

International’s Corruption Perception 

Index for 2011, India has dropped 

from 87 to 95. India’s image is taking 

a beating because of the big list of 

corruption scandals that have rocked 

the nation this year. 

Dr. Deams spoke 

about the evolving fire 

legislation in China 

to incorporate light 

weight, energy efficient 

and sustainable 

construction. She 

assured full support 

of Huntsman’s 

polyurethane division 

to the people involved 

in drafting the building 

codes in India in order 

to upgrade them for 

achieving superior 

energy performance 

and fire safety of 

buildings 

different blowing agent by Dr, Harpal 

Singh and Dr. S K Shrama, CBRI 

l Comparative fire performance 

evaluation of fire retardant treated 

rigid PU foam by cone calorimeter 

by Dr. Maricelin, Dr.S.R. Bhalla, Dr. 

S. K. Sahay, IIT Delhi 

l Effect of FR on generation of smoke 

and toxic combustion products by 

Dr.N K Saxena IIT Roorkee 

Other sessions on day one and two: 

Fire protec tion & life safet y 

technologies 9 Papers 

Extinguishment technologies for 

medium and large scale fire 4 

papers 

Mathematic al modeling and 

predictive methodologies 8 Papers 

The seminar was closed by Mr. 

Omprakash, from the Ministry of 

Home affairs and chairman of the fire 

code revision committee BIS 


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International News 

SCG-DOW Group Reaches Key 

Milestone toward Thailand HPPO Plant Start-up 

New HPPO facility ramps up to stable production levels in preparation for full capacity run 

scheduled for 4Q11. 

MIDLAND, Mich. – Oct. 4, 2011 – The 

Dow Chemical Company (NYSE:Dow) 

announced today that the SCG-Dow 

Group, a joint venture between Dow 

and SCG, has reached a key milestone 

for the new propylene oxide (PO) 

facility in Thailand by ramping the 

plant up to stable production levels in 

preparation for the full capacity run 

scheduled for the fourth quarter of 

2011. The world-scale plant, located 

within the Asia Industrial Estates (AIE) 

site near Map Ta Phut, Thailand will 

have a name plate capacity of 390 

kilotons per annum (KTA) of PO via 

the innovative hydrogen peroxide to 

propylene oxide (HPPO) technology 

jointly developed by Dow and BASF. 

“The Map Ta Phut, Thailand HPPO 

plant cements Dow’s existing position 

as the global capacity leader in PO”, 

explained Steven English, global 

vice president, Dow Polyurethanes. 

“Not only does this large investment 

exemplify Dow’s commitment to the 

PO-based industry, we also continue 

to bring value by investing in the 

latest technology and offering a more 

sustainable PO to our customers 

and our downstream offerings 

through Dow’s other Performance 

and Advanced Materials businesses, 

such as Polyurethanes and Propylene 

Glycol.” 

According to Holger Baer, global 

manufacturing and technology 

director, PO/PG, “Within three 

years, this is the second world-scale 

plant brought on-line with the 

innovative Dow-BASF HPPO process. 

It significantly reduces wastewater 

and energy consumption compared 


to existing PO technology, and is 

planned to be utilized next in the 

Sadara Chemicals Company project 

between Dow and Saudi Aramco due 

to the clear demonstration of the 

advantages of this process.” 

“The start-up of this PO plant 

has completed the downstream 

envelope of the SCG-DOW Group joint 

venture cracker in Thailand which 

came on-stream last year”, said 

Cholanat Yanaranop, president, 

SCG Chemicals Company Limited. 

“With commitment between the 

partners, this is proved to be another 

successful project.” 

In June of 2010, Dow and BASF were 

honored to receive a 2010 Presidential 

Green Chemistry Challenge Award for 

the jointly developed innovative 

HPPO technology – recognized as 

a breakthrough technology that 

transfers sustainability principles 

from the research lab into the real 

world to enable environmentally 

responsible and economically viable 

routes to commercial chemical 

manufacturing. In 2009, Dow and 

BASF received the Institution of 

Chemical Engineers’ Innovation and 

Excellence Award in Core Engineering 

for their jointly developed HPPO 

Technology – recognized as the 

process that best demonstrates a 

chemical engineering solution to 

improve resource efficiency, lifetime 

value and/or process optimization. 

In December 2010, Dow announced 

plans to build a propylene glycol (PG) 

plant at the Map Ta Phut, Thailand 

site, with a production capacity of 

150 KTA. The PG plant is currently 

on-track in the design process, and 

will utilize this environmentally 

advantaged PO from the new HPPO 

plant. It will be the largest PG plant 

in the Pacific area. 

The AIE site also features a specialty 

elastomers plant, which announced 

start-up earlier this year; power 

utilities and infrastructure; and 

a new liquids cracker, also jointly 

owned by SCG and Dow. “The new 

integrated Thailand site serves as 

a strategic source point for all of 

Asia Pacific, and demonstrates 

Dow’s commitment to growing 

our presence to serve customers 

in our Performance Materials and 

Performance Plastics businesses 

across the area”, said Pat Dawson, 

Dow Asia Pacific president. 

Dow to Highlight Innovations 

at 2011 CPI Technical 

Conference 

About Dow Polyurethanes 

Dow is the world’s largest producer 

of propylene oxide (PO), propylene 

glycol (PG), and polyether polyols, 

and is a leading producer of quality 

aromatic isocyanates, such as 

MDI and TDI. Dow’s polyurethane 

products enhance a broad range of 

applications including construction, 

automotive, furniture, bedding, 

appliance, decorative molding, 

athletic equipment and more. The 

business provides key ingredients, 

systems and solutions for rigid, semirigid 

and flexible foams, adhesives, 

sealants, coatings, elastomers and 

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1

inders. VORANOL VORACTIV 

polyols exemplify Dow’s ongoing 

initiative to lead the industry in 

providing high-performance products 

that meet critical consumer needs. 

For more information, visit www. 

dowpolyurethanes.com, www.dowpg. 

com, www.dowpo.com and www. 

voractiv.com. 

About Dow 

Dow combines the power of science 

and technology with the “Human 

Element” to passionately innovate 

what is essential to human progress. 

The Company connects chemistry 

and innovation with the principles 

of sustainability to help address 

many of the world’s most challenging 

problems such as the need for 

clean water, renewable energy 

generation and conservation, and 

increasing agricultural productivity. 

Dow’s diversified industry-leading 

New Technology From Dow and Cannon Improves Energy 

Efficiency of Household Refrigerators by 

up to 10 percent 

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1 

portfolio of specialty chemical, 

advanced materials, agrosciences 

and plastics businesses delivers a 

broad range of technology-based 

products and solutions to customers 

in approximately 160 countries 

and in high growth sectors such as 

electronics, water, energy, coatings 

and agriculture. In 2010, Dow had 

annual sales of $53.7 billion and 

employed approximately 50,000 

people worldwide. The Company’s 

more than 5,000 products are 

manufactured at 188 sites in 35 

countries across the globe. References 

to “Dow” or the “Company” mean 

The Dow Chemical Company and 

its consolidated subsidiaries unless 

otherwise expressly noted. More 

information about Dow can be found 

at www.dow.com. 

About SCG 

SCG, established in 1913, is publicly 


listed on the Stock Exchange of 

Thailand. SCG is one of ASEAN 

leading conglomerates, comprises 

five core businesses: chemicals, 

cement, paper, building materials, 

and distribution. Altogether, there 

are over 200 companies within the 

group, which collectively employ 

more than 34,000 employees, and 

manufacture more than 64,000 

products. 

S CG Chemic als continue s to 

expand its business presence into 

international markets, and places 

a strong emphasis on innovation in 

products/services, processes, and 

business models in service of its 

diverse and sophisticated customer 

base. In addition, SCG Chemicals 

has partnered with a number of the 

world’s leading chemical firms. More 

information about SCG can be found 

at www.scg.co.th. 

• New insulation technology decreases fill time, doubles productivity of 

polyurethane insulation manufacturing process 

• Insulation technology increases energy efficiency of refrigerators and freezers 

by up to 10 percent 

Midland, Michigan – September 8, 

2011 – Dow Polyurethanes, a business 

within The Dow Chemical Company 

(NYSE: Dow), in cooperation with 

Cannon SpA, will officially launch 

PASCAL Technology on September 

9 at the Shanghai Summit 2011. 

PASCAL, a new polyurethane foam 

insulation technology that improves 

energy efficiency of refrigerators and 

freezers by up to 10 percent, was first 

featured in household refrigerators 

and freezers by Haier and is now 

commercially available to appliance 

manufacturers. 

The Shanghai Summit 

2011 brings together 

Italian and Chinese 

government officials, 

academic and industry 

leaders and media 

to share innovative 

insights on energy conservation 

and explore how transformational 

opportunities can contribute to 

economic growth and environmental 

sustainability. The summit is just one 


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of the efforts in the collaboration of 

the Italian and Chinese governments 

toward making China a more 

sustainable country. 

“This summit is the perfect venue to 

launch PASCAL,” said Bruno Barbet, 

Dow Polyurethanes global appliance 

market leader. “China is one of the 

largest single-home marketplaces 

for refrigerators and freezers, as well 

as a leading global export country, 

and PASCAL Technology can help 

support the goals of making China’s 

industrial divisions more sustainable 

for the future.” 

Combining a proprietary polyurethane 

foam specifically formulated for this 

application, PASCAL Technology 

doubles the efficiency of insulation 

while continuing to provide thermal 

conductivity and adhesion—qualities 

that distinguish polyurethane from 

alternative types of insulation. 

Caption: When compared to standard 

polyurethane insulation processes, 

PASCAL Technology out-performs 

both side-by-side models and 

bottom freezer models by up to 

10%. The test results shown compare 

PASCAL Technology against standard 

polyurethane insulation using 

cyclopentane (CP) blowing agents. 

“Average Results” represent the 

average of all tests run on a variety 

of standard refrigeration models. 

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1 

Results vary per model, and have the 

potential to realize up to 10% energy 

efficiency improvement based on 

a variety of influencing factors 

as advantages of the Technology 

continue to be understood. 

PASCAL is just one of the innovative 

s olutions spurre d by Dow ’s 

commitment to addressing the 

world’s most critical challenges, 

including the need to conserve 

energy. 

“Governments are setting more 

stringent mandatory minimum 

Energy targets, and consumers 

worldwide are demanding energy 

efficient appliances,” said Barbet. 

“With PASCAL, manufacturers may 

deliver on this demand, while also 

increasing energy efficiency and 

output during manufacturing.” 

PASCAL Technology incorporates 

v a c u u m 

equipment from 

Cannon SpA, during 

the insulation 

process to bypass 

the deficiencies 

o f s t a n d a r d 

insulation. The 

vacuum, paired 

with a hydrocarbon 

blowing agent, 

allows PA S C AL 

polyurethane foam 

to fit into the small 

spaces traditional insulation might 

miss, especially in modern designs, 

and also mold to the contours of the 

appliance, reducing the amount of 

energy lost during consumer use. The 

resulting system can also decrease 

the insulation reactivity time from 

a standard of about five to three 

minutes. 

For more information, please visit 

www.dowpascal.com. 


About Dow Polyurethanes 

Dow is the world’s largest producer 

of propylene oxide (PO), propylene 

glycol (PG), and polyether polyols, 

and is a leading producer of quality 

aromatic isocyanates, such as 

MDI and TDI. Dow’s polyurethane 

products enhance a broad range of 

applications including construction, 

automotive, furniture, bedding, 

appliance, decorative molding, 

athletic equipment and more. The 

business provides key ingredients, 

systems and solutions for rigid, semirigid 

and flexible foams, adhesives, 

sealants, coatings, elastomers and 

binders. VORANOL VORACTIV 

polyols exemplify Dow’s ongoing 

initiative to lead the industry in 

providing high-performance products 

that meet critical consumer needs. 

For more information, visit www. 

dowpolyurethanes.com, www.dowpg. 

com, www.dowpo.com and www. 

voractiv.com. 

About Dow 

Dow combines the power of science and 

technology with the “Human Element” to 

passionately innovate what is essential to 

human progress. The Company connects 

chemistry and innovation with the principles 

of sustainability to help address many of the 

world’s most challenging problems such as 

the need for clean water, renewable energy 

generation and conservation, and increasing 

agricultural productivity. Dow’s diversified 

industry-leading portfolio of specialty 

chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences 

and plastics businesses delivers a broad 

range of technology-based products and 

solutions to customers in approximately 160 

countries and in high growth sectors such 

as electronics, water, energy, coatings and 

agriculture. In 2010, Dow had annual sales 

of $53.7 billion and employed approximately 

50,000 people worldwide. The Company’s 

more than 5,000 products are manufactured 

at 188 sites in 35 countries across the globe. 

References to “Dow” or the “Company” 

mean The Dow Chemical Company and its 

consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise 

expressly noted. More information about 

Dow can be found at www.dow.com. 


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Product News 

Honeywell Fluorine Products in India 

Overview 

Honeywell’s Fluorine Products 

business is a leader in the 

manufacture and supply of zero 

non-ozone-depleting refrigerants 

used by top air-conditioning and 

refrigeration makers worldwide, as 

well as blowing agents for energyefficient 

foam insulation, and 

hydrofluoric acid and precursors for 

nuclear fuel. The business pioneered 

the development of fluorocarbons 

used in environmentally safer 

refrigerants, foam blowing agents 

and aerosols and solvents. It is a 

leading producer of fluorocarbons 

used to replace ozone-depleting CFCs 

(chlorofluorocarbons) and HCFCs 

(hydrochlorofluorocarbons). 

Continuing its commitment towards 

more secure, safer and more 

energy-efficient homes and offices, 

Honeywell works towards helping 

the world responding to its energy 

and environmental challenges. 

In 2008, Honeywell introduced 

the first product in its Low Global 

Warming Potential (LGWP) portfolio, 

based on hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) 

technology. Today, Honeywell is a 

pioneer in developing LGWP blowing 

agent technology for polyurethane 

and extruded polystyrene foams 

insulation; advanced energy-efficient 

refrigerants for refrigeration and air 

conditioning, and organic rankine 

cycle waste heat recovery systems; 

and propellants for aerosol and 

solvent applications. 

India, as a part of Article V countries of 

Montreal Protocol on Substances That 

Deplete the Ozone Layer, is working 


toward phasing out HCFC 141b and 

R22 from 2013 onwards. The transition 

from HCFCs to environmentally 

friendlier alternatives is of particular 

significance since the country aims to 

not only phase out ozone depleting 

HCFC’s but also significantly improve 

the energy efficiency of domestic 

appliances over the next 2-3 years. 

Fluorine Products offers: 

• F or p olyurethane foam: 

Honeywell Enovate blowing 

agent and Honeywell Solstice 

Liquid Blowing Agent 

• For extruded polystyrene foam 

and one-component foam: 

Honeywell Solstice Gas Blowing 

Agent 

• For refrigerants: Genetron® 

410A 

Meeting the Montreal Protocol 

regulations for HCFC phase-out, 

Enovate 245fa has No Ozone 

Depletion Potential and provides 

efficiencies similar to HCFC 141b 

blowing agent. It is non-toxic, noncorrosive, 

non-flammable and offers 

8 to 10 percent more energy efficiency 

than any hydrocarbon blowing agent. 

Converting to Enovate 245fa incurs 

no significant cost or changes to the 

existing HCFC 141b or hydrocarbonbased 

foaming equipment setup. 

Honeywell has also developed and 

recently launched Solstice Liquid 

Blowing Agent (LBA). Solstice LBA 

excels in the four dimensions that 

are most critical to blowing agent 

customers: Performance, Cost- 

Effectiveness, Environment and 

Safety. This fourth generation blowing 

agent has been developed to have a 

significantly lower global-warming 

potential (GWP) while improving 

energy efficiency performance. 

The energy efficiency benefits of 

Honeywell Solstice Liquid Blowing 

Agent, combined with its low global 

warming potential and safety in 

use, make it the right choice as a 

replacement for HCFC-141b, as well 

as hydrocarbons, for manufacture 

of polyurethane foam. 

Honeywell Specialty Materials is a 

leading international supplier and 

licensor of process technology, 

catalysts, adsorbents, process plants, 

and consulting services to the 

petroleum refining, petrochemical, 

and gas processing industries. It is 

a global leader in developing and 

manufacturing high-purity, highquality 

performance chemicals and 

materials, pharmaceutical packaging, 

and construction materials. Our 

technologies reduce emissions, stop 

bullets, enable the production of 

green diesel and green gasoline, 

increase oil refinery capacity, 

speed drug discovery, and protect 

medicines. 

Honeywell is a Fortune 100 company 

that invents and manufactures 

technologies to address tough 

challenges linked to global macro 

trends such as safety, security, and 

energy. With approximately 122,000 

employees worldwide, including 

more than 19,000 engineers and 

scientists, Honeywell stands for 

an unrelenting focus on quality, 

delivery, value, and technology in 

everything we make and do. 

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1 

Product News 

You’re all screwed: Assange’s message to iPhone, 

BB, Gmail users 

December 03, 2011 

Daily Mirror 

London Wiki Leaks founder Julian 

Assange has warned Smartphone 

and email users: “ You’re all 

screwed”. 

The whistle-blowing website has 

released details of companies it says 

are selling information obtained by 

monitoring people’s mobile phones 

and computers. According to Assange, 

more than 150 organizations around 

the world have the ability to use 

phones as tracking devices as well 

as intercept messages and listen to 

calls. 

Those companies then sell the 

wholesale information, often the 

telecommunications data of “entire 

populations”. 

He told a press conference at City 

University in London that the 

publication of the “Spy Files” is a 

“mass attack on this mass surveillance 

industry”. 

The 40-year-old asked the audience 

of students and press: “Who here 

has an iPhone? Who here has a 

BlackBerry? Who here uses Gmail? 

“Well, you’re all screwed. 

“The reality is, intelligence contractors 

are selling right now to countries 

across the world mass surveillance 

systems for all those products.” 

Assange said this interception, 

although lawful, is leading towards 

Sleep Innovations Introduces Gel Infused Memory Foam 

a “totalitarian surveillance state”. 

Wiki Leaks is releasing 287 documents 

today, in conjunction with website 

spyfiles.org. Assange said the US, UK, 

Australia, South Africa and Canada are 

all developing the “spying systems”, 

and the information is being sold to 

“dictators and democracies alike”. 

He said: “Today we release over 

287 files documenting the reality of 

the international mass surveillance 

industry – which now sells equipment 

to dictators and democracies 

alike in order to intercept entire 

populations.” 

The Australian national said the 

surveillance industry has grown 

over the last 10 years from “covert, 

secretive and small” to one involving 

160 companies and 25 countries. 

Sleep Innovations Announces Revolutionary New 

Technology Proven to Help Consumers Sleep Better 

Gel-Infused Memor y Foam 

Provides Maximum Pressure- 

Point Relief, Improved Airflow and 

Reduces Heat for Better Quality 

Sleep 

WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J., Sept. 14 

/PRNewswire/ -- Sleep Innovations, 

a market leader in designing and 

manufacturing advanced foam 

comfort solutions, announced today 

a revolutionary new product that 

takes memory foam to the next 

level. The company’s first-of-its-kind 


17 

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d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1

gel-infused memory foam provides 

the traditional comfort of memory 

foam with the additional benefits 

of increased support and improved 

airflow. 

Sleep Innovations is launching the 

patent-pending new technology 

in response to consumers’ need 

for a quality sleep experience. The 

gel-infused memory foam provides 

the ultimate solution, combining 

comfort, support, pressure relief 

and improved airflow. To create gelmemory 

foam, gel beads are infused 

into traditional memory foam. These 

gel beads add a layer of support 

within the foam, gathering together 

at pressure points to deliver the 

maximum support a person needs, 

exactly where it’s needed. 

With nearly thirty-five percent of 

Americans not getting the quality 

sleep they need, the revolutionary 

gel-infused memory foam technology 

addresses one of the main reasons 

people are sleep deprived – poor 

quality sleep products. When 

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1 

developing products on which people 

spend one-third of their lives, Sleep 

Innovations believes it is critical to 

deliver a sleep solution, proven to 

addresses those consumer needs. 

Sleep Innovations’ new gel-infused 

memory foam technology is launching 

as the company expands its current 

offerings to include comfort solutions 

for every moment in life beyond 

sleep. “Its advantages include better 

air flow for a cooler night’s sleep, 

more balanced support resulting 

in less cradling, optimal pressure 

point relief for improved circulation 

and better spinal alignment. Sleep 

Innovations’ new gel-infused 

memory foam technology offers 

the perfect balance between the 

comfort of traditional memory foam 

and the support of gel,” said Mike 

Loomis, Vice President of Business 

and Product Development at Sleep 

Innovations 

Sleep Innovations is working to 

continuously improve existing 

memory foam products as well 

Product News 

as develop the next generation of 

comfort foam solutions using this 

new gel-infused memory foam 

technology. 

The new gel memory foam products 

are currently available at leading 

retailers throughout the U.S. and 

Canada. 

For additional information, or to 

see additional retailers where the 

product will be available, visit www. 

sleepinnovations.com. 

About Sleep Innovations 

Sleep Innovations is the leader in 

consumer-driven foam products, 

proven to deliver comfort, relaxation 

and rejuvenation. The company 

designs and manufactures advanced, 

memory foam products, including 

pillows, mattress toppers and 

mattresses. Through extensive 

clinical testing, Sleep Innovations has 

found that its foam solutions help to 

improve the quality of its consumers’ 

lives through better sleep. 


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Interview 

PAUL SANDERS 

Honeywell Solstice LBA will be more 

cost-effective than other solutions to meet 

ever-increasing energy standards globally 

l The energy efficiency benefits of 

Solstice Liquid Blowing Agent (LBA), 

combined with its low global warming 

potential and safety in use, make it 

the right choice as a replacement 

for HCFC-141b, hydrocarbons, HFC- 

365mfc, and HFC-245fa for use as a 

foam insulation blowing agent. 

l Refrigerators using un-optimized 

Solstice LBA formulations have 

been demonstrated to be up to 

10-12% better than cyclopentane 

formulations. We expect even more 

as formulations are fine-tuned. 

l With a global warming potential 

(GWP) of less than 7, its widespread 

adoption could save about 60 million 

metric tons per year of CO2 equivalent, 

comparable to eliminating carbon 

dioxide emissions from more than 

11.8 million cars every year. (Source: 

GHG Equivalencies Calculator: http:// 

www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy- 


Paul Sanders is the Commercial Director for the Fluorines 

business in Europe, Middle East Africa and India (EMEAI) 

I. He joined Honeywell in 2006 and has had several 

Marketing and Commercial roles for the Fluorines 

business in EMEAI. Paul has worked in Sales, Marketing, 

Asset Management and Plant Management roles for 20 

years in the chemical industry, previously at Rhodia and 

Albright & Wilson prior to joining Honeywell. 

Paul Sanders holds a Bachelor of Science (with special 

honours) in Chemistry from University Sheffield, UK. 

resources/calculator.html) 

PU TODAY: What is Solstice TM 

LBA? 

Mr. PAUL SANDERS: Honeywell 

Solstice LBA is the latest technological 

advance with a GWP of less than 

7. It can be used in refrigerator/ 

freezer insulation, insulated metal 

panels, spray foam insulation and 

other applications. It is a promising 

replacement for foam insulation 

blowing agents currently in use, with 

the potential to make contributions 

to reductions in global warming. 

PU TODAY: How Solstice 

LBA is compared with (other 

alternatives) hydrocarbon and 

HCFC 141b blowing agents? 

Mr. PAUL SANDERS: The energy 

efficiency benefits of Solstice LBA, 

combined with its low environmental 

impact and non-flammability, make 

it the right choice as a replacement 

for hydrocarbons, HFCs and HCFCs 

for use as a foam insulation blowing 

agent. 

Solstice LBA per forms better 

than hydrocarbons in refrigerator 

applications by delivering: 

l Better low-temperature efficiency 

that saves energy costs 

l Lower capital costs by avoiding 

e xpensive flammabilit y risk 

mitigation equipment and preventive 

maintenance 

l Similar performance for spray and 

panel foam 

l Lower end-of-life management 

costs 

While S olstice LBA provides 

excellent insulation performance 

to polyurethane foam, it’s distinctly 

dif ferent from hydrocarbon 

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1

lowing agents in flammability 

characterization. Solstice LBA 

shipment, storage, handling and 

processing do not require flammability 

risk mitigation. Flammable blowing 

agents, such as cyclopentane, require 

flammability risk mitigation, which 

can add significant capital costs. 

PU TODAY: Is it a drop in 

replacement for HCFC 141b? 

What are the changes required 

in process equipments? 

Mr. PAUL SANDERS: Solstice LBA is 

a low cost energy efficient alternative 

to HCFC 141b, minimal equipment 

modifications may be needed as 

the temperature and pressure of the 

products differ. Please contact us to 

set up a time to review your current 

operation. 

PU TODAY: What are the safety 

precautions required while 

processing & transporting 

polyol blended with Solstice 

L B A a n d re c o m m e n d e d 

storage conditions? What is 

the typical shelf-life of the 

polyol pre-blended under 

the recommended storage 

conditions? 

Mr. PAUL SANDERS: While Solstice 

LBA provides excellent insulation 

performance to polyurethane 

foam, it’s distinctly different from 

hydrocarbon blowing agents in 

flammability characterization. 

Solstice LBA shipment, storage, 

handling and processing do not 

require flammability risk mitigation. 

Flammable blowing agents, such as 

cyclopentane, require flammability 

risk mitigation, which can add 

significant capital costs. 

Solstice LBA is non-flammable by 

ASTM E-861 test method and has no 

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1 

Honeywell Solstice LBA 

is the latest 

technological advance 

with a GWP of less 

than 7. It can be used 

in refrigerator/freezer 

insulation, insulated 

metal panels, spray 

foam insulation and 

other applications. 

limitation on hazards classification. 

The flammability characteristics 

and VOC mitigation required 

with other blowing agents (such 

as hydrocarbons) make them less 

desirable as replacements for existing 

blowing agents. 

PU TODAY: Is it a cost effective 

alternative? 

Mr. PAUL SANDERS: Honeywell 

Solstice LBA will be more cost-effective 

than other solutions to meet ever- 

increasing energy standards globally. 

A near drop-in replacement for liquid 

HCFC, HFC, hydrocarbons and other 

non-fluorocarbon blowing agents. It 

is liquid at room temperature and 

can be used in most existing foam 

equipment, regardless of current 

blowing agent used, with little or no 

modification. 

It does not require costly hydrocarbon 

storage and handling or mitigation 

equipment. Replacing existing 

blowing agents with Solstice LBA 

eliminates the need for large capital 

conversion costs. 

PU TODAY: When Solstice TM 

Interview 

LBA will be commercially 

available in India? 

Mr. PAUL SANDERS: In India, 

Honeywell supports customers 

with a two-step approach when 

it comes to blowing agents. 

Appliance manufacturers can meet 

the Montreal Protocol regulations 

deman ding a phas e - out of 

hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) by 

using Honeywell’s Enovate® blowing 

agent, a hydrofluorocarbon also 

known as HFC-245fa . This product 

can be adopted as a near dropin 

replacement for HCFC-141b. It 

is non-ozone depleting, allowing 

manufacturers to meet the phase-out 

plan for India and has been available 

and used globally since 2003. 

In a second step, starting in 2013, 

manufacturers can adopt Solstice 

LBA as needed to meet any future 

environmental needs concerning 

GWP or Climate Change and/or to 

further improve energy efficiency. 

Use of Solstice LBA enables appliance 

manufactuers to effectively meet 

the Energy standard requirements 

of the Indian Bureau of Energy 

Efficiency, a department within 

India´s Ministry of Power, focused on 

energy efficiency. 

Disclaimer: 

The information provided herein are 

believed to be accurate and reliable, 

but are presented without guarantee or 

warranty of any kind, express or implied. 

User assumes all risk and liability for use 

of the information and results obtained. 

Statements or suggestions concerning 

possible use of materials and processes are 

made without representation or warranty 

that any such recommendations to infringe 

any patent. The user should not assume that 

all safety measures are indicated herein, or 

that other measures may not be required. 


21 

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d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1

RAMPF at PlastIndia 2012 

“Material and machine technology” from a 

single source 

Grafenberg, Zimmern, November 

30, 2011 – In hall 13 on stand 

12 F7 visitors to PlastIndia 2012 will 

have the opportunity to see both the 

material and machine technology of 

RAMPF from a single source. RAMPF 

Dosiertechnik will provide a live 

demonstration of the contour-precise 

application of a two-component 

system based on polyurethane of 

the product range RAKU-PUR® on 

the DC-CNC low-pressure mixing and 

dispensing system. 

The company has specialized in 

the development, production and 

sale of polyure-thane, silicone and 

epoxy resin systems since 1980. Its 

product portfolio includes liquid 

and thixotropic sealing systems, 

electro casting resins, edge and filter 

casting resins and two-component 

adhesives. RAMPF Giessharze offers 

solutions for all key industries around 

the globe. 

The compact DC-CNC dispensing cell 

is the optimum solution for the 2D 

or 3D ap-plication of casting, sealing 

and adhesive systems. The basic setup 

of the fully en-closed DC-CNC is 

equipped with an integrated control 

cabinet and a 2-component material 

conditioning system. Further features 

include the Siemens Sinumerik 

modular control system and 

integrated process control for 

continuous monitoring of pressure, 

fill level and speed. The mixing and 

dispensing system can optionally be 

equipped with a high-pressure rinse 

agent recycling system, high-pressure 

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1 

water rinsing or various items of 

automation equipment depending 

on the application in question. 

With more than 2,200 system 

solutions on the market worldwide, 

RAMPF Dosiertechnik from Zimmern 

o.R., Germany, is one of the leading 

manufacturers of low-pressure 

mixing and dispensing systems and 

serves customers in the automo-tive, 

electrical, household appliance and 

filter industries. With a global service 

net-work and numerous branches 

in France, Spain, Eastern Europe, 

the United States, China, Korea and 

India, the company has a strong 

international presence. 

www.rampf-dosiertechnik.de 

With 2,200 system solutions on the market 

worldwide, RAMPF Dosiertechnik from 

Zimmern o.R., Germany, is one of the 

leading manufacturers of low-pressure 

mixing and dispensing systems. As a supplier 

of innovative systems for processing one-, 

two- and multi-component reaction resin 

systems, RAMPF Dosiertechnik serves 

customers in the automotive, electrical, 

household appliance and filter industries. 

Particular asset of the company, which is 

part of the international RAMPF Group since 

2003, is its broad-ranging product portfolio. 

This stretches from simple manual systems 

all the way through to fully automated 

production plants. RAMPF Dosiertechnik 

has carved out a name for itself on an 

international stage. With a global service 

network and numerous branches in France, 

Spain, East-ern Europe, the United States, 

China and Korea, the company has a strong 

international presence. 

www.rampf-giessharze.de 

RAMPF Giessharze GmbH & Co. KG, 

the nucleus of the RAMPF Group, is 

Technical Updates 

Abb.1: The working axle, material 

preparation and the dispensing technique 

of the DC-CNC is a com-pact unit. 

headquartered in Grafenberg, Germany. 

The company has specialized in the 

development, production and sale of polyurethane 

silicone, and epoxy resin systems 

since 1980. Its product portfolio includes 

liquid and thixo-tropic sealing systems, 

electro and engineering casting resins, edge 

and filter casting resins and two-component 

adhesives. RAMPF Giessharze offers solutions 

for all key industries around the globe. 

POLYURETHANE FOAM 

MANUFACTURERS/IMPORTERS: 

We offer TDI 80/20 and Polyether 

Polyol different grades for your direct 

import from our overseas suppliers. 

Please Contact: 

Global Impex Corporation 

# 4 Leela Nilayam, Road # 3, 

Tank Pakkadi, Sahar, Mumbai 400 099 

Telefax: 022-2822 8113 

Cell: 099876 37385 

E-mail: epgloimpex@ sify.com 


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Technical Article 

Cannon V.A.I.: Vacuum-Assisted Injection 

Technology for Refrigerators Production, 

Providing Cost-Effective Eco-design and Superior 

Energy Savings 

PIERO CORRADI 

Cannon Group 

Via Resistenza, 12 

Peschiera Borromeo (Milano) Italy 

Abstract 

Cannon announces the first 

industrial mass production of 

domestic refrigerators manufactured 

with the new Cannon V.A.I. technology, 

a vacuum-assisted injection method 

specifically developed for the 

production of white cold appliances. 

An injection method introduced in 

1998 - applying vacuum into the mold 

cavity where insulated sandwich 

panels are manufactured with the 

discontinuous production process - 

the vacuum-assisted injection has 

now successfully been applied to 

the geometrically complex design of 

domestic refrigerators. 

Prior to the foaming operation, 

a controlled degree of vacuum is 

applied into the jig where the empty 

refrigerator cabinet is positioned.. 

The reduced pressure applied into 

the cavity during the injection and 

the expansion of the foam facilitates 

the filling of the cabinet, providing 

substantial benefits: 

l optimized distribution of foam 

density throughout the entire 

cabinet. 

l the polymerization time per 

foaming station has been cut nearly 

in half due to the possibility of using 

high reactivity formulations providing 


MAX TAVERNA 

Cannon Group 

Via Resistenza, 12 

Peschiera Borromeo (Milano) Italy 

a significantly higher productivity. 

l reduced plant’s floor space in half 

when using the new “twin” foaming 

fixture - the RotoJig – specifically 

conceived for this technology. 

A partnership with Dow allowed for 

the development of PASCAL , an 

innovative technological solution that 

draws new frontiers in the production 

of refrigerators. The new Polyurethane 

chemistry, specifically developed 

for this application, reduces the 

foam thermal conductivity to a new 

reference level, while maintaining the 

density at least within the industry 

state-of-the-art levels and allowing 

for a shorter polymerization time. 

Several patents have been applied by 

the two companies in their respective 

fields of activity. 

In order to produce a refrigerator 

characterized by the same thermal 

conductivity in all its components, 

the vacuum-assisted injection 

technology has been extended to 

the door’s production method: the 

well known “Drum” Unit – a rotating 

multiple-mold manufacturing tool 

originally patented by Cannon in the 

early 1980’s – has been redesigned 

applying the vacuum capability, 

obtaining the same advantages 

described for the cabinets. 

The presentation of this Paper will 

be illustrated by a video, featuring 

the vacuum-assisted injection system 

during the validation phase, and 

by the updated results of the first 

industrial plant in operation at 

HAIER, the major global appliances 

producer based in P.R. of China. 

Initial Developments 

An innovative method for foaming 

sandwich insulation panels using 

vacuum during the injection phase was 

jointly developed – back in 1998 – by 

MISA (an Italian panel manufacturer), 

Manni (a polymerization press 

manufacturer), Cannon (the foaming 

machine producer) and Dow Italia 

(the supplier of the Polyurethane 

chemicals). Its functioning concept 

relied on the controlled application 

of vacuum into the polymerization 

cavity of the press, maintaining a 

constant level of negative pressure 

within the polymerization cavity 

during the entire injection and foam 

expansion’s time (Picture 1). High 

productivity (more than 300 large 

Picture 1 – Manufacture of sandwich panels 

with V.A.I. (Vacuum Assisted Injection) 

technology 

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1

panels per shift), enhanced panel 

quality, savings in raw materials 

and labor cost, and a very clean 

workplace characterized this new 

process (Picture 2). Blowing agents 

with a wider range of boiling points 

could be used and, very remarkable, 

Picture 2 – Demolding time greatly reduced 

due to the effect of vacuum during foam 

injection 

polyisocyanurate foam could be easily 

processed with the new injection 

technique. The resulting panels were 

filled with a foam characterized by an 

almost perfect distribution of density 

across the entire length (thus avoiding 

overweight, a widely used practice to 

guarantee a minimum safe density in 

the most remote corners of the panel) 

and by very high values of adhesion 

between foam and metal facings 

(deriving from the very low level of 

water required in the formulation to 

provide expansion, a practice which 

avoids the production in the foam 

of undesired Urea crystals that spoil 

adhesion properties). 

The Vacuum Effect 

As shown in Picture 3, the Pressure 

vs. Time graph shows the build-up 

of pressure in the polymerization 

cavity. The practice shows that safe 

demolding (when a panel can be 

demolded without the risk of swelling) 

can be performed at a residual 

pressure of approx. 200 mbar. The 

upper curve refers to a conventional 

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1 

Picture 3 – Demolding time shortens because 

of reduced pressure build-up in the mold 

Picture 

PUR formulation, and the demolding 

time can be reached after 1800 s 

for a given thickness. The lower 

curve, referring to a vacuum-assisted 

injection system, shows that the 

application of 500 mBar of vacuum 

in the polymerization cavity allows to 

fill it faster and with a lower residual 

pressure. This means that the moment 

for safe demolding can be reached 

earlier, approximately at 360 s. 

A faster demolding that occurs 

without any loss of mechanical 

properties: in fact the structure of the 

foam results much finer (due to the 

fast-reacting formulation that can be 

employed) and more homogeneous 

in density across the entire panel due 

to the lower effort that the expanding 

mass must spend to reach the remote 

corners of the cavity (Picture 4). 

Picture 4 – Initial development with vacuum 

assisted molding gave promising results 

The minimum density at which 

the cavity is fully filled with foam 

decreases as the pressure is reduced. 

Working at 0.7 bar in the mold, the 

minimum filling density lowers by 


25%. (It has to be said that this huge 

savings cannot be fully exploited in 

practical terms of thermal insulation, 

since the mechanical properties of 

foam are also directly linked with its 

final molded density.) What can be 

concluded at this respect is that the 

applied vacuum helps the foam flowproperties, 

and the minimum filling 

density is significantly reduced. 

New Ideas Are Born 

It goes without saying that the 

successful use of vacuum-assisted 

injection immediately stimulated 

the idea to extend this technology 

to other application fields, beginning 

with the production of refrigerators 

and freezers. The technical problems 

– and the deriving advantages – 

were common among the two 

industries, but basic differences 

were to be found in the geometry of 

their respective final products. While 

it proved sufficiently easy to apply 

vacuum in the regular polymerization 

cavity of a sandwich panel and to 

obtain a perfect result, the complex 

geometry of a refrigerator’s cabinet 

immediately showed that much more 

engineering work was demanded to 

guarantee the same performance in 

a fridge: a 3D part with a complex 

inner core, “the plug” (Picture 5). 

Several metal parts must be moved 

hundreds of times per shift, in order 

to lock the refrigerator cabinet into 

its foaming position. Various sizes of 

cabinets must be feasible in the same 

Picture 5 – A combi refrigerator shows the 

difficult geometry, difficult to be filled with 

conventional foam and vacuum 


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d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1 


27 

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foaming station, thus requiring an 

almost automatic adjustment of the 

jig’s walls, to be performed quickly. 

The foaming concept had to be rethought, 

as well as the design of the 

required tool. 

The same approach had to be followed 

for the chemical side, for the very good 

reason that a major change in foaming 

technology would not be adopted by 

the appliance manufacturers if the 

obtained savings were not more than 

substantial in terms of foam’s lambda 

value, demolding time and molded 

density. Here, too, a major amount 

of R&D work was demanded to the 

chemical specialists. 

The V.A.I. Project 

Cannon approached this project 

– named V.A.I. (Vacuum Assisted 

Injection) – using the human, financial 

and technical resources available 

in their two Divisions involved in 

refrigerators manufacturing: Cannon 

Afros for the metering and mixing 

equipment, and Cannon Crios for the 

cabinet’s polymerization and handling 

solutions. A team of specialists 

identified a number of technical 

problems, and soon started to suggest 

various hypothetically viable solutions, 

to be ground tested in Cannon R&D 

laboratories. The development work 

took several months. 

After a number of unsuccessful 

attempts with available formulations 

modified on purpose, a new, 

dedicated chemistry was developed 

by Dow. Cannon in the meantime 

designed the first industrial solution 

for the production jig. 

The V.A.I. Jig construction 

The new jig has the same functionality 

and movements of a standard jig but 


its lateral sides, the upper plate 

which holds the plug and the top and 

bottom walls are fitted with special 

seals that, when the jig is locked, 

provide an airtight cavity (Picture 6). 

The vacuum is applied through the 

upper plate. The main difference 

Picture 6 – The Cannon V.A.I. foaming jig 

with a standard polymerization jig 

is the use of a sliding plate, called 

pallet, where the back wall of the 

fridge rests. This pallet is sliding in 

and out from the jig for the cabinet’s 

loading and unloading operations. 

It is not recirculated around the 

plant and thus can be permanently 

connected to a hot water circuit for a 

very efficient thermostatization. 

The V.A.I. module: 

Productivity/investment 

optimization 

An industrial foaming plant based 

on V.A.I. jig is typically composed of 

eight jigs placed side-by-side, each of 

them served by one loading and one 

unloading conveyor (Picture 7). The 

two automatic devices travel above 

these conveyors: the loader picks the 

empty, warm cabinet coming from 

Picture 7 – A typical foaming plant with 

eight Cannon V.A.I. foaming jigs 

the pre-heating oven (on the far right 

of the plant) and carries it towards 

the jig that has produced the latest 

cured cabinet. The unloader picks it 

from the pallet where it is carried, 

and moves to the left of the plant to 

the discharge area. In the meantime 

the loader moves right over the pallet 

and unloads on it the empty cabinet, 

which immediately is brought in 

the waiting jig. The cycle starts, as 

described before. Productivity of 

this configuration can be up to two 

cabinets per minute. 

V.A.I. – Main Advantages 

Several innovative features provide a 

number of interesting advantages: 

l Faster demolding time, up to 50% 

less than with conventional foams 

l The system is suitable for difficult 

cabinet geometries: even the 

combined use of VIP (Vacuum 

Insulated Panels) is possible, since 

the foam filling operation is much 

easier than with a slow, conventional 

formulation. 

l k-factor values of the foamed 

refrigerators are very low, due to the 

finer cell structure and the very even 

distribution of densities across the 

entire cabinet. 

The Rotojig Development 

In order to reduce the service time 

to get full advantage of this new 

fast curing formulation, Cannon 

developed a new solution for the 

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1

polymerization jig, by designing a 

rotating jig holding two fixtures fitted 

on the opposite sides of a common 

platform. In this way the foot print 

of the plant can be halved, also 

reducing the travelling time of the 

mixhead overhead carrier and the 

cabinet’s loading and unloading 

carts. 

The concept derives from a wellproven 

Cannon solution, the RotoPlug 

system. Patented by Cannon Crios 

in the early 1980’s, the RotoPlug 

polymerization jig hosts two male 

plugs mounted on the opposite sides 

of a rotating platform. While the 

lower plug is in the polymerization 

phase, the upper plug stands on the 

upper side, where adjustment and 

maintenance work can be executed 

without interrupting the production 

cycle. 

An evolution of the RotoPlug, the 

new RotoJig was designed and built 

for the VAI project. In this version, 

at the end of the foam-filling phase 

the entire jig - not only the male 

plug - is rotated (Picture 8). Curing 

occurs in the upper station while 

loading, unloading, foam injection 

Picture 8 – The Cannon RotoJig features two 

foaming jigs rotating on a common platform. 

Injection of chemicals, under vacuum, occurs 

in the bottom position, foam curing in the 

upper one. 

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1 

and cavity filling occurs in the lower 

one (Picture 9). 

Picture 9 – A RotoJig during the validation 

phase, at Cannon Afros R&D laboratory in 

Italy 

The foaming cycle of a RotoJig station 

can be described as follows: 

l The large metal plate where the 

back of the fridge will rest (the pallet) 

fully slides out from the RotoJig to a 

nearby handling station. An empty 

cabinet, arriving from a pre-heating 

oven, is laid on the pallet, which reenters 

in the foaming station. 

l Once it is in position, the pallet with 

the cabinet is lifted towards the male 

plug, the four lateral mold’s walls are 

closed on the cabinet and the entire 

jig is locked. The cabinet is now held 

in position on its six sides, and all the 

foamed seals mounted to keep the 

vacuum in the jig are compressed 

by the walls. 

l The mixing head, which is mounted 

on a sliding support, is introduced in 

front of the injection hole, positioned 

in the refrigerator’s compressor 

cavity. 

l Vacuum is applied throughout the 

entire cavity containing the empty 

cabinet. In a few seconds most of 

the contained air is extracted and 

the vacuum level reaches the desired 

value (around 300 mbar). 


l The foam injection starts: metered 

by a high-pressure two-component 

dosing unit, the chemicals are mixed 

within the mixing head that works 

with an output rate at approximately 

1.5-2 kg/s. The desired amount of 

foam – that for a large 2 m high 

Combi freezer&fridge model can 

reach 9 kg of weight – is injected 

in 4 to 6 seconds in the cabinet’s 

empty cavity, between the external 

metal sheet and the internal plastic 

liner. The vacuum level is maintained 

constant during the entire injection 

and foam-filling operation, so that 

the expansion of the foam can be 

helped by the vacuum in the very 

same way from the first to the last 

moment of this delicate phase. 

l Helped by this favorable condition, 

the foam rapidly fills the complex 

cavity and is distributed evenly in 

the most remote corners and thinner 

parts of the cabinet’s walls. 

l At the end of this phase the vacuum 

is no longer required and the cabinet, 

held between the male plug and 

the lateral walls, is moved with a 

180° platform’s rotation from the 

lower position of the station to the 

upper one; it will rest there for the 

remaining cycle time. 

l When the foam ends its curing phase, 

becoming firm and dimensionally 

stable, then another 180° rotation 

of the platform brings it back to the 

lower level: here, in the meantime, 

another cabinet was loaded, foamed 

and waited to “go up” for the curing 

phase. One 180° rotation of the 

platform does the two jobs at the 

same time: it sends up a foamed 

cabinet for curing, and brings down 

a cured cabinet for extraction in a 

masked time. 

l The pallet holding the cured 

cabinet is automatically extracted 


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d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1

from the RotoJig and goes to the 

nearby handling station: here the 

ready cabinet is automatically 

removed, an empty cabinet is laid 

on the pallet, which re-enters in 

the foaming station for the next 

injection cycle. 

When using a RotoJig plant instead of 

a single V.A.I. jig further advantages 

are immediately understandable: 

with two curing stations working 

with one shifting injection head or 

two fixed injection heads. 

l Factory floor space is cut by 50% for 

the same daily product output. 

l Cycle time is further reduced due to 

shorter travelling paths of the mixing 

head carrier and loading/unloading 

carts 

Cabinet Performances 

Refrigerator cabinets produced with the 

PASCAL Technology are characterized 

by the lowest levels of k-factor value 

among all the Polyurethane-insulated 

fridges made with single injection 

technology. Thermal transmission 

coefficients of 18.0 – 18.5 mW m °K 

(at 10 °C) have been measured after 

evaluation trials run on commercial 

refrigerators foamed with the PASCAL 

Technology by a major refrigerator’s 

manufacturer. 

The first industrial products made 

with this technology can be sold within 

the A++++ Energy Conservation 

Class and an Energy Consumption 

Value of 0.19 kWh per day by HAIER 

in China (Picture 10). 

Since 2006 Cannon has filed four 

international patents related to 

this process – two of them are 

published. 

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1 

Picture 10 – The first industrially-produced 

refrigerators made with the V.A.I. – PASCAL 

technology by HAIER 

Doors 

In order to produce a refrigerator 

characterized by the same thermal 

conductivity in all its components, 

the new vacuum-assisted injection 

technology has been extended to 

the door’s production method: the 

well known “Drum” Unit – a rotating 

multiple-mold manufacturing tool 

originally patented by Cannon in the 

early 1980’s – has been redesigned 

applying the vacuum capability, 

obtaining the same advantages 

described for the cabinets (Picture 

11). A four-mold version has been 

designed, able to manufacture one 

large door or two small ones every 

50 s. 

Picture 11 – A Cannon Drum-4 Unit for the 

production of refrigerator’s doors using the 

V.A.I. – PASCAL technology 


The Drum unit’s functional sequence 

can be described as follows: 

l At the end of a polymerization 

phase the mold opening device 

opens the lower part of the mold 

standing in vertical position. 

l The lower mold half is tilted by 45° 

towards the operator. 

l The operator – standing in front of 

one of the four molds, opened for 

the service operations – extracts a 

filled door from its polymerization 

cavity and fits one empty door shell 

in the mold. 

l The conveyor is rotated by 90° and 

the mold is automatically closed in 

its horizontal position. 

l The mixing head is inserted in the 

injection hole, vacuum is applied 

into this empty mold, the injection 

of chemicals starts, the mold is filled 

in very few seconds. 

l The Drum can be rotated again 

by 90°. The filled mold enters in the 

polymerization area that covers two 

of the four positions of the Drum and 

a sequence like the one described 

above is performed. 

Dow – Pascal 

Within the Dow-Cannon partnership 

agreement, Dow has been working 

on the chemistry side for an indepth 

PU system re-design aiming 

at developing new solutions able 

to capture the maximum PU foam 

performance advantages while 

using the vacuum-assisted injection 

technology, irrespective to the 

blowing agent employed. 

This fundamental R&D work has led 

to the development of a completely 

new series of PU systems that are 


31 

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the core of the Dow Pascal TM 

technology which, in essence, 

combine the application of lower inmold 

pressure to achieve maximum 

PU foam insulation and process 

performance. 

Lower in-mold pressure results in: 

l Easier flow due to the resulting 

lower cavity’s back-pressure 

l Better demolding time due to the 

lower foam pressure in-mold at the 

time of demolding the units (Picture 

3) 

Improved flow gives options for 

improving foam k-factor hence 

cabinet’s energy consumption using 

fast reactive PU foam systems without 

penalties on density and demolding 

as it happens with the conventional 

foaming process. As known, PU foam 

k-factor is the sum of three main 

contributions: 

k-f PU foam = k gas + k solid + 

k radiative 

Fast reactive systems are known to 

give very uniform and finer cell size 

showing improved foam k-factor as 

a consequence of: 

l Optimized cell gas composition 

(best balance of CO2 and physical 

Blowing Agent) enhancing the k gas 

contribution 

l Finer cell size enhancing the k radiative 

contribution (Pictures 12 and 13) 

In this case, the finer foam cell 

size well explains the k-factor 

improvement according to the Booth 

equation [1]. 

S ome of the main PU foam 

characteristics of the new Pascal TM 

technology system compared to 

standard K and Low K C-Pentane 


Picture 12 – Picture from Standard K foam, 

cell size 270 – 300 micron 

Picture 13 – Picture from Pascal TM foam, cell 

size 150 – 180 micron 

blown systems now in the market 

are summarized in the following 

table (average data measured from 

a foamed Combi-Bottom freezer 

European cabinet design, 178 x 60 

x 60 cm): 

Reference PU System Standard Low Pascal TM 

k-factor C-p k-factor C-p TM System 

System reactivity (sec) 40 38 20 

Applied density (kg/m3) Reference +3% Reference 

Foam k-factor at 10°C (mW/m.K) 20.5 19.7 18.5 

Average cell size (micron) 270 - 300 240 – 270 150 - 180 

Demolding time (min) 5 5 2.5 

Haier 

The first industrial plant for the 

application of the PASCAL Technology 

was designed for HAIER, the world 

leader in the manufacture of 

refrigerators and a major player 

in the entire appliance industry. 

Confronted with the need to offer an 

extremely efficient refrigerator model 

within their wide catalogue, HAIER 

decided to invest in a completely new 

concept of a foaming plant to achieve 

their goal. DOW and Cannon jointly 

discussed the technical options 

with HAIER, and defined the most 

appropriate solution for a fastdemolding 

foaming plant. 

Sixteen VAI jigs, in two rows of eight 

jigs each, are fed by two high pressure 

metering units through four mixing 

heads mounted on traverse carriers 

(Picture 14). One loading and one 

unloading aerial carts handle each 

row of eight jigs. Vacuum to the jigs 

Picture 14 – The first industrial plant using 

the V.A.I. – PASCAL technology is in 

production at Haier, P.R. of China 

is provided by two separate vacuum 

pumps with accumulators. If needed, 

the vacuum pumps can be switched 

between the two rows of jigs to 

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1

ensure uninterrupted service to the 

entire plant. Also the two metering 

units are fully interchangeable, should 

one of them be stopped. 

Due to the fast demolding properties 

of the PASCAL Technology, HAIER 

achieved for this first plant a 

production capacity of one unit every 

15 seconds. The thermal insulation 

performance of these models is 

rated A++++ and the new line of 

refrigerators, launched at the World 

Appliance Expo in Shanghai on March 

16, 2011 – is getting a very positive 

response from the consumers. The 

PASCAL Technology used for this 

refrigerator contributes for 5% to the 

energy savings. 

A very positive environmental impact 

already oriented a wide number of 

Chinese consumers towards this model 

of refrigerator for their home. 

The emissions deriving from the use 

of this white appliance are calculated 

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1 

to be reduced by an average of 8 kg of 

CO 2 -equivalent per every year of use 

of the refrigerator. 

Conclusions 

The vacuum-assisted injection 

has been successfully applied to 

the complex design of domestic 

refrigerators. A partnership between 

Cannon and Dow allowed for the 

development of PASCAL, we believe 

it is an innovative technological 

solution that draws new frontiers in 

the production of refrigerators. 

The reduced pressure applied into 

the cavity during the injection and 

the expansion of the foam facilitates 

the filling of the cabinet, providing 

substantial benefits: 

l optimized distribution of foam 

density throughout the entire 

cabinet. 

l the polymerization time per foaming 

station has been cut nearly in half 

due to the possibility of using high 

reactivity formulations providing a 

significantly higher productivity. 

l reduced plant’s floor space in half 

when using the new “twin” foaming 

fixture - the RotoJig – specifically 

conceived for this technology. 

The new Polyurethane formulation, 

specifically developed for this 

application, reduces the foam thermal 

conductivity to a new reference level, 

while maintaining the density at list 

within the industry state of the art 

levels and allowing for a shorter 

polymerization time. 


References 

1. H. Kramer, V. Parenti, “Novel rigid 

polyurethane formulations offering 

combined high energy efficiency and 

fast productivity for outstanding 

performance in the domestic appliance 

industry”, Proceeding the 2007 CPI 

Conference, Orlando USA. 

Vydro®: Smart Water Management Substrate Set 

to Transform Green Roof & Vertical Walls Market 

Skygardens are a growing phenomenon. 

In towns and cities around the world, 

a quiet architectural revolution is 

occurring. At first glance the changes 

might not be noticeable, particularly 

from street level, but look closely 

at the skyline or out of a high-rise 

window and the transformation might 

become more apparent. 

Slowly but surely, green roofs and 

skyrise gardens are being added to 

public and private buildings in a 

quantum shift in the soft landscaping 

of our metropolitan areas. 

Driven by the need to respond to 

climate change, many government 

authorities are now actively 

encouraging architects and 

construction companies to make 

green or ‘living’ roofs a standard 

design feature in new buildings. 

As part of a wider drive on sustainability, 

building certification programs such 

as BREAM [1] and LEED (Leadership in 

Energy and Environmental Design) 

now acknowledge the importance 

of green roofs. As such, many 


construction-related credit systems, 

grants and other financial incentives 

are being put in place to encourage 

adoption and new roofing-related 

legislation is also coming into force. 

In 2010, in a bid to become the world’s 

first carbon neutral city, Copenhagen 

introduced a mandatory green roof 

policy. Legally, all new buildings in 

the Danish capital with a roof pitch 

of less than 30 degrees now have 

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d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1

to feature some sort of green or soil 

element. [2] The city of Toronto has 

also introduced similar by-laws and 

other major urban centers are sure 

to follow suit. 

Widely regarded as an effective tool 

in the creation of sustainable, low 

carbon developments, green roofs 

have an array of public and private 

benefits. When developed correctly 

they can: 

Assist with water management: 

By retaining rainwater for plant 

consumption, run off is minimized 

reducing the risk of localized 

flooding. 

Improve a building’s insulating 

envelope: Adding an extra layer 

of insulation in the form of a green 

roof can boost energy efficiency and 

reduce heating and cooling costs by 

up to 5%. 

Reduce the impact of urbanization: 

Plants improve urban air quality by 

filtering out polluting particles that 

can create smog. According to US 

industry association, Green Roofs For 

Healthy Cities; “One square meter of 

grass roof can remove up to 2.0kg 

of airborne particles every year, 

depending on foliage type.” [3] 

Decrease the Urban Heat Island 

Effect (UHIE): Cities can be up to 

10 degrees hotter than rural areas 

because of the widespread use of 

heat absorbing materials like concrete 

and asphalt. Adding more foliage 

into metropolitan areas reduces this 

problem. 

Improve biodiversity: Green roofs 

provide a safe refuge for native insect, 

bird and animal species that 

might otherwise struggle to thrive 

amid a mass of concrete, glass and 

asphalt. 

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1 

Counter urban sprawl: Green roofs 

can help create a more aesthetically 

pleasing built environment. A 

sanctuary away from the hustle and 

bustle of metropolitan life they are 

more visually appealing and can serve 

as a relaxing outdoor space for the 

people that live, work or regularly 

visit a building. They can also reduce 

noise pollution by dampening sound 

and decreasing the number of hard 

surfaces available for sound to reflect 

off. 

Reduce building maintenance 

costs: Green roofs can dramatically 

increase a roof’s life expectancy by 

shielding it from inclement weather. 

To realize all of these associated 

benefits, it is vital that the correct 

decisions are made when planning a 

green roof. Until recently, the main 

materials available to specifiers 

were lava stone or heavy bulky 

substrates. While effective, these 

solutions can prove prohibitive 

when it comes to weight, ease of 

installation and sustainability. Today, 

a new generation of lightweight, 

intelligent materials is emerging 

that have the ability to improve the 

construction, maintenance and longterm 

performance of green roofs. 

The construction of green roofs, 

skyrise gardens and vertical walls 

that enhance the sustainability of new 

buildings or properties undergoing 

renovation is now much easier 

thanks to an innovative growing 

substrate developed by Huntsman 

Polyurethanes. 

VYDRO® substrate is a unique 

hydrophilic material unlike any other 

currently available. Capable of storing 

up to 30 times its own weight in water, 

and retaining large amounts for a long 

period of time, this breakthrough 

smart water management solution is 


a highly effective planting medium for 

intensive, extensive green roofs and 

vertical walls. 

VYDRO® substrate works by locking 

in exactly the right balance of air and 

water needed to optimize successful 

plant development. Plant roots can 

easily penetrate the inert, PH-neutral 

open structured foam enabling rapid 

growth and improved crop yields: 

third party trials have shown that 

plants cultivated using VYDRO® 

substrate can generate 5% higher 

yields than those produced using 

conventional growing methods. 

VYDRO® water retention chart 

Proven to function where other 

materials fail, VYDRO® substrate 

enables the creation of green roofs in 

locations where they were previously 

ruled out. In the case of vertical walls, 

VYDRO® substrate makes it possible 

to significantly reduce the costs (up 

to 50%) of the metal frame structure 

needed to sustain the vertical wall 

itself. With the ability to rehydrate 

over multiple growing cycles and a 

water buffering capacity of 60%, it can 

be used in hot, dry climates. And with 

weight savings of up to 70% on offer 

compared to standard greenroofs 

systems. It can dramatically simplify 


35 

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the installation of ‘living’ roofs, 

particularly on properties where 

weight and structural strength are 

a critical factor, for example, in 

retrofitting older buildings. A one 

meter cubed area of VYDRO® substrate 

weighs just 30 kg. The same area of 

lava stone weighs approximately 

1500 kg. 

VYDRO® living roofs installed to 

date have reduced the weight of the 

standard substrate down virtually 

to zero. In fact, by using a “smart” 

solution, comprising a layer of VYDRO® 

substrate and a sedum carpet on top, 

it is possible to achieve a total weight 

of 40 kg/m2, including 30 l/m2 of 

water retention. 

The standard VYDRO® build-up 

Weight 50-60 kg/m2 / slope of min. 

three degrees (Fully saturated) 

Super lightweight VYDRO® build-up 

a Total weight of 40 kg/m2, including 

30 l/m2 of water retention 

a Reduces installation cost. 

VYDRO® vertical walls, as mentioned, 

can help to drastically reduce total 

system weight, and ensure that the 

walls remain wet for longer periods 

than conventional substrates. In the 

VYDRO® vertical walls installed so far, 

it has been proven that the weight 

reduction achieved, had a strong 


impact on the total installation cost 

(up to 40% cheaper, due the to lighter 

metal frame structure), offering the 

same visual effect of the finished work 

as a standard vertical wall. 

VYDRO® build-up for light and 

efficient vertical walls 

a Total weight reduction 

a Installation cost up to 40% 

cheaper. 

Switching to VYDRO® substrate as 

a replacement green roof substrate 

brings numerous other benefits. 

With superior insulating properties 

VYDRO® substrate can improve 

a building’s envelope, helping to 

minimize temperature loss, reduce 

energy consumption levels and cut 

heating and cooling costs by up to 5%. 

It can also: 

• Reduce the risk of flooding by 

minimizing rainwater run off and 

retaining it for plant growth 

• Improve air quality: Green roofs 

act as filters absorbing polluting 

particles that cause smog 

• Reduce noise pollution: Vegetation 

in cities dampens sound reflection 

off hard surfaces 

• Minimize the Urban Heat Island 

Effect (UHIE): Cities are generally 

hotter than rural areas because 

of the widespread use of heat 

absorbing materials like concrete 

and asphalt. Adding more foliage 

into metropolitan areas in the form 

of green roofs can help mitigate this 

problem 

• Improve biodiversity: Green roofs 

provide a safe refuge for insects, 

birds and wildlife 

• Save time and money: VYDRO® 

substrate is inherently light and can 

be compressed, vacuum packed and 

shaped to ease transportation and 

installation logistics. 

Huntsman has a strong network of 

VYDRO® substrate roofing partners in 

place across Europe and interest in the 

product is growing with a global list of 

high-profile reference sites. 

As well as transforming green 

roofing projects in the sustainable 

building sector, VYDRO® substrate 

is also expected to prove popular in 

agricultural initiatives. Its excellent 

water retention properties will enable 

growers to save money on irrigation 

costs, reduce water consumption and 

lessen their overall environmental 

impact. VYDRO® substrate can also be 

used in the manufacture of flowerpots 

and landscaping and sports projects. 

Conclusion 

VYDRO® substrate has been created by 

Huntsman Polyurethanes in response to 

some of the world’s major environmental 

concerns; water scarcity, climate change 

and increased urbanization. 

Finding new ways to tackle climate change 

and manage water in an intelligent way 

is vital, particularly in urban areas 

where populations are increasing and 

urbanization is having a stark impact on 

the environment. Getting more vegetation 

into cities and reducing the use of hard 

landscaping materials, is now a priority 

for many countries and installing green 

roofs is an effective way to achieve this. 

With government legislation, financial 

incentives and new buildings standards 

encouraging the adoption of green roofs, 

the sector is buoyant. What better time 

to launch VYDRO® substrate – a product 

that makes it far easier to create green 

roofs and vertical walls, and helps embed 

smart water management capabilities 

into horticultural applications, bringing 

sustainability benefits to people and the 

planet. 

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1

Report: IPUA & Honeywell’s Seminar on 

Next Generation Blowing Agents for 

Polyurethane Foam 

Mumbai, November 4, 2011 

Honeywell Specialty Materials, 

in association with Indian 

Polyurethane Association (IPUA) 

organized a conference for the Indian 

Polyurethane Industry in Mumbai, 

India on 04th November, 2011. 

Titled ‘Next Generation Blowing 

Agents for Polyurethane Foam’ 

the conference witnessed the 

participation of Honeywell Fluorine 

Products team led by Mr. Paul 

Sanders, Managing Director, Fluorine 

Products, EMEAI, Mr. Sanjeev Rastogi, 

Global Business Director, Honeywell 

– Foams and Mr. David Williams, 

Technical Director, Blowing Agents 

along with Mr. Mukesh Bhuta, Vice 

-Chairman, IPUA. 

The event also marked the launch 

of Honeywell’s new Solstice Liquid 

Blowing Agent by Paul Sanders and 

Sanjeev Rastogi in India. Speaking 

on the launch, Paul Sanders, said, 

“With Solstice Liquid Blowing Agent, 

we are pleased to announce the 

expansion of our family of lowglobal-warming-potential 

products, 

which are helping our customers 

around the world lower their carbon 

footprint while maximizing endproduct 

performance.” 

Delivering the key-note address, 

Mr. Mukesh Bhuta spoke about 

the current transition scenario and 

challenges for ozone depleting HCFC 

blowing agents in India. Speaking on 

the conference, he said, “The event 

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1 

IPUA Ventures 

Mr. Paul Sanders, Managing Director, Honeywell Fluorine Products - EMEAI 

IPUA Vice Chairman Mr. Mukesh Bhuta 


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d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1

eceived an excellent participation 

especially from Mumbai and near 

by regions. IPUA and Honeywell 

will take this forward and conduct 

more such conferences across the 

country to meet our industry peers 

and educate them about these latest 

product developments.” Regarding 

the launch of Solstice Liquid Blowing 

agent from Honeywell Fluorine 

Products, Mr. Bhuta said, “ Looking 

at the information shared on Solstice 

Liquid Blowing Agent, it seems to be 

a very promising product with great 

potential to be a drop in solution to 

HCFCs and hydrocarbons and with 

improved product performance”. 

Technical papers presented at the 

conference by Honeywell’s David 

Williams and Ben Lu highlighted the 

Blowing Agent’s four dimensional 

excellence offered through its 

energy efficiency performance, 

environmental impact, safety in use, 

and cost-effectiveness. 

The event was well attended by 

the Indian Poyurethane Industry 

including leading system houses, 

PU panel manufacturers, domestic 

and commercial refrigerator 

manufacturers and spray foam 

companies. 

Honeywell Seminar 

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1 




IPUA Ventures 


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Special Feature 

Polyols for improved HR slabstock foams 

K.Pickin, Corporate Business Development Manager, PCC SE 

High resilience (HR) foams have 

been utilized by the furnishings 

and mattress manufacturing industry 

for decades, with several polyurethane 

raw material suppliers offering 

various solutions. The key property 

driving the adoption of these types of 

flexible foams compared to standard 

foams is superior comfort at the 

same foam density. However, despite 

their long history, wide adoption 

and the expertise of competent 

foam manufacturers these HR foams 

types have not been fully optimized 

in terms of, for instance, yield and 

physical properties. 

Introduction 

In recent years there has been 

a significant increase in the 

manufacture of HR foams in Europe 

and, as expected, HR foams are now 

attracting the attention of many foam 

manufacturers in North America and 

Asia. Foam manufacturers in India 

who are seeking to expand their 

foam range into superior comfort, 

high quality applications will find 

this development particularly 

interesting. In discussion with 

customers, especially in relation to 

future developments, PCC Rokita, a 

subsidiary of PCC SE headquartered 

in Duisburg, Germany, was made 

aware of the potential improvements 

that customers would like achieve 

with their HR foams. 

Thus improved HR foam technology 

became a key element in PCC 

Rokita’s emerging product expansion 

strategy. 

With this knowledge the research and 


development experts then set about 

developing new materials to enable 

the production of a range of superior 

HR foams featuring: 

• High comfort factor 

• Excellent durability 

• Class leading shape retention 

• Low odour 

• Wide density/hardness range 

• High yield 

Rokopol iPol – a case history 

In addition to the usual in-depth 

technical expertise and production 

know-how of different high resilience 

foam technologies, to improve the 

final foam and in turn mattress 

comfort properties, a study was 

undertaken to provide a genuine 

understanding of the needs of the 

whole supply change. In this case 

study, within the section of the supply 

chain involving polyols producer to 

end user there are essentially four 

key levels: 

1. Polyols producer 

2. Foam manufacturer 

3. Mattress manufacturer 

4. Retailer/End user 

Traditionally the supply chain 

is viewed as a flow of materials 

going, in this case, from polyols 

supplier to foam manufacturer 

to mattress producer to end user. 

Information usually follows in the 

same direction. However adding a 

flow of information in the reverse 

direction from end user to mattress 

producer to foam manufacturer to 

polyols producer gives an insight in 

to the needs throughout the supply 

chain. With this valuable information 

it is possible to target exactly what 

should be improved to meet the 

needs of each level in the chain 

and ultimately add value for every 

member of that chain. 

The supply chain needs analysis for 

Rokopol iPol is illustrated below: 

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1

In this illustration the material flow 

is shown in the top section from left 

to right but the information flow 

informing what needs to be improved 

is from right to left as shown in the 

middle section. There are of course 

some overarching considerations 

such as statutory compliance which 

is indicated in the arrow headed text 

box. Clearly not every articulated 

need is listed here. It is important to 

note that information doesn’t have 

to be passed along in sequence; 

it can be very helpful to highlight 

needs directly to the company in 

the supply chain that can actually 

offer a solution. Yes, talking to 

customers’ customers can be a source 

of friction but careful explanation of 

the benefits of finding value-adding 

solutions throughout the supply 

chain was found to minimize any 

sensitivity. 

Needs examples range from the very 

specific “we want to reduce cold 

flow” (foam manufacturer), “we don’t 

want mattress cores snapping in two 

during transport/handling” (mattress 

producer) to generic “we would like 

more comfort” (user). Interpreting the 

causes of these weaknesses or sources 

of improvement and providing 

subsequent solutions brings tangible 

benefits to the relevant section of the 

supply chain. 

This solutions engineering involved 

the following series of activities 

leading to new polyol for HR foams. 

Benchmark existing HR 

technologies 

i 

Screen potential HR technologies 

for development 

i 

Select key improvements 

(determined from supply chain 

needs analysis) 

i 

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1 

Develop candidate polyols 

i 

Develop effective foam 

formulations 

i 

Trials at foam manufacturers 

i 

Verification at mattress producer 

The overall aim was met: 

To offer a polyol which enables foam 

manufacturers to produce a wide 

range of high yield, cost effective, 

durable high comfort foams. 

Easy processing 

Foam manufacturers highlighted the 

need for easy, fault free processing 

which in turn has a significant impact 

on end–of-line prime foam yield. 

They also needed to be able to provide 

consistent foams (e.g. minimise top/ 

bottom variation) with a wide density 

and hardness range. By utilising 

extensive technical service knowhow 

to develop suitable practical 

foam formulations and working with 

leading foam manufacturers the 

following was achieved: 

• Easy Processing on trough 

or reciprocating head type, 

high or low pressure foam 

manufacturing machinery. 

• Wide Processing Window. 

• Simple Foam Formulations 

minimizing capital investment 

• Wide Density and Hardness 

range 

• High Yield with good Block 

Shape (no cold flow) 

• Excellent Density and Hardness 

Distribution 

Fire safety test compliance 

Depending on the geographic location 

and local regulatory or purchaser 

specified test criteria various fire test 


standards must be complied with. 

Rokopol iPol technology offers cost 

effective compliance by utilising low 

levels of halogenated fire retardants 

and /or melamine. Compliance 

examples: 

• FMVSS 302 (no flame retardant 

additive depending on foam 

density) 

• California 117 A and D (small 

amount of flame retardant 

additive) 

• Crib 5 BS 5852 part 2 (limited 

addition of flame retardant 

additive or without melamine) 

• B2 to EN ISO 11925-2 (limited 

addition of flame retardant 

additive or without melamine) 

Example formulation and physical 

properties of a CMHR type foam produced 

on a low pressure Maxfoam machine: 

Rokopol iPol M 90phr 

Rokopol M6000 10phr 

TDI Index 99 

Total water 2.53phr 

DEOA 1.02phr 

Antiblaze WR30 LV 15phr 

+ standard HR additives, 

NO melamine 

Density 41kg/ 

m3 

CLD 40% 3.0kPa 

Tensile strength 130kPa 

Elongation 103% 

Compression set 5.5% 

22h/50%/70degC 

Sag factor 3.3 

Resilience (ball rebound) 65% 

BS5852 part 2 crib 5 Pass 

Data courtesy of CT Formpolster 


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d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1

Rokopol iPol typical 

properties 

Appearance homogeneous 

white liquid 

Hydroxyl value 50 mg KOH/g 

Water content max. 0.1%(m/m) 

Acid Value max. 0.1 

mgKOH/g 

Viscosity at 25 o C 3,000 mPas 

Density at 25 o C 1.047 

Low odour 

An issue reported by foam and 

mattress manufacturers alike is that 

of foam odour. Prevention is the 

key here. By elimination of odour 

creating components such as styrene, 

acrylonitrile, DBTDL catalyst and 

polymerisation initiator and with 

correct choice of ancillary chemicals 

at the foam manufacturing stage low 

odour foams were achieved. 

As an example, residual VOC (Volatile 

Organic Compound) tests carried out 

to LGA standard on a Rokopol iPol 

based foam of 60 kg/m3 density 

showed the following results: 

Total Emmissions 60 kg/m3 foam 

After 3 days 95 ppm 

After 7 days 25ppm 

As a comparison, typical levels 

for a similar styrene/acrylonitrile 

copolymer polyol foam are: 

220ppmm after 3days and 100ppm 

after 7days. 

Physical properties 

It is clear that all HR foams must meet 

customer specifications. However 

foam “touch” has an important part 

to play in conveying high quality 

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1 

and perceived comfort. Foam 

manufacturers and users frequently 

describe this touch as “latex- like”. 

In terms of measurable physical 

properties two items are generally 

considered to be associated with 

this feature: 

Resilience (ball rebound) and Sag 

Factor (extracted from stress/strain 

hysteresis data) where numerical 

values of >60% and >3 respectively 

are considered to be good results. 

Rokopol iPol derived HR foams 

are notable for their latex-like feel 

with externally verified foam tests 

showing up to almost 70% resilience 

and Sag Factors exceeding 3.3. 

Examples of externally independently 

measured physical properties for 

typical HR foams are given below: 

Property summary 

Throughout the supply chain 

performance targets were met or 


exceeded. Each of the highlighted 

features below represents a value 

adding benefit for members of 

the supply chain often creating 

important selling points for their 

direct customers. 

• Easy processing 

• High yield 

• Very High Resilience – up to 70% 

DIN 5357(Type A) 

• Latex-Like Comfort, Sag factor 

typically 3.3 

• First-Rate Compression Set 

• Excellent Flex Fatigue Properties 

• Superior Latex-Like Touch 

• Low Odour foams 

• Cost effective Fire Test Compliance 

Property Foam A Foam B Foam C Test Method Units 

Density 38.5 35 58 DIN EN ISO 845 kg/m3 

CLD 40% 2.5 2.72 4.1 EN ISO 3386-1 kPa 

Tensile Strength 108 123 103 EN ISO 1798 kPa 

Elongation to Break 110 116 93 EN ISO 1798 % 

Resilience 69 66 69 DIN 5357 (Type A) % 

Compression Set 3.4 3.7 2.2 DIN EN ISO1856 % 

(70 o C, 22hr, 50%) 

Flex Fatigue CLD Loss 18 24 n/a DIN EN ISO 3385 % 

Flex Fatigue Height Loss 1.5 2.8 n/a DIN EN ISO 3385 % 


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d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1 

Environment & Safety 

China may agree to binding CO2 cuts - envoy 

By Stian Reklev | Reuters 

DURBAN (Reuters) - China gave 

U.N. climate talks a lift on Friday 

by confirming it may sign up to a 

legally binding deal to cut emissions 

of heat-trapping gases, a move 

that could help rescue talks about 

the future of the Kyoto Protocol, 

observers said. 

Delegates from more than 190 

nations are in the coastal city of 

Durban to try to break a four-year 

deadlock to secure a new global deal 

that will bind countries to cut and 

slow down growth in emissions of six 

main greenhouse gases. 

“We do not rule out the possibility of 

legally binding. It is possible for us, 

but it depends on the negotiations,” 

Su Wei, China’s lead negotiator, said 

- speaking in English - at a media 

briefing on the sidelines of the twoweek 

talks in South Africa. 

The EU has said it will sign up to a 

second round of targets under the 

1997 Kyoto Protocol, but only if all 

big emitters agree legally binding 

cuts that will start in 2020. 

So far, China, India and the United 

States, the world’s top three emitters, 

are not bound by Kyoto and have 

refused to commit to legal targets, 

raising the prospect that no country 

will have targets to cut emissions 

after 2012. 

“Since the EU is the only group of 

parties that is ready to consider a 

second commitment period (under 

Kyoto) we are ready and willing to 

engage constructively with the EU,” 

said Su. 

Li Yan, a campaigner with Greenpeace 

China said, “China is trying to find a 

middle ground, especially with 

Europe, which would need to 

reconcile with China’s priorities for 

the conference, which are a second 

commitment period of the Kyoto 

Protocol and operationalisation of 

the Green Climate Fund.” 

China wants negotiations to kick 

start a fund that would contribute 

to raising $100 billion a year by 2020 

to help the poorest nations adapt 

to climate change and cut their 

emissions. 

Traction 

Time is running out to reach 

agreement on a deal for meaningful 

cuts in the emissions blamed for 

worsening storms and raising sea 

levels to a point that would wipe out 

several small island states, experts 

said. 

Earlier in the day, senior EU negotiator, 

Tomasz Chruszczow, said the bloc’s 

plan to have a deal in place by 2015 

and entering into force in 2020 was 

“getting traction”. 

China has previously said it supported 

legal targets for others, but not for 

itself. 

The talks end on December 9 and 

South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma 

signalled the host is looking for a 

deal that puts more of an onus on 

rich nations to cut greenhouses gases 

than the developing nations most 

harmed by rising temperatures. 

Canada and Russia have bluntly 

So far, China, India 

and the United States, 

the world’s top three 

emitters, are not bound 

by Kyoto and have 

refused to commit to 

legal targets, raising 

the prospect that no 

country will have 

targets to cut emissions 

after 2012. 

refused to sign another target under 

Kyoto, while Japan on Friday asked 

for a fresh look on a new treaty that 

encompasses all major emitters. 

Negotiators said the outline of the 

EU plan offers a political cushion for 

many countries by setting 2015 as a 

deadline for a new deal, which would 

be implemented by 2020. 

Meanwhile, negotiators from small 

island states most at risk of rising 

sea levels want a new deal to start 

in 2013, although observers say this 

is highly unlikely to happen. 

Envoys could say they made 

progress in Durban by agreeing to 

an encompassing agreement, leaving 

the details of how the deal would 

work to a later date. 

(Additional reporting by Michael 

Szabo and Jon Herskovitz; Writing 

by Andrew Allan; Editing by Louise 

Ireland) 


45 

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Previews & Reports 

Leading International Exhibition 

& Conference Celebrates 75 Years of Global 

Polyurethanes Industry 

UTECH Europe Exhibition and Conference, 17-19 April 2012, MECC, Maastricht, The Netherlands 

29 November 2011 – 75 years 

after Prof. Otto Bayer’s initial patent 

marking the advent of polyurethanes 

chemistry in 1937, the organisers of 

UTECH Europe 2012 taking place 

in Maastricht, The Netherlands 17- 

19 April, have announced the full 

speaker programme for the threeday 

conference and confirmed that 

the accompanying exhibition will 

be the biggest ever staged. Anyone 

wishing to book a place at the 

conference or register for the freeto-attend 

exhibition can now do so 

online at www.utecheurope.eu 

Often described as the hidden 

polymer, polyurethanes are ever 

more widely used throughout 

manufacturing and construction 

industries today. Applications are as 

diverse as automotive, aerospace, 

building and construction, furniture 

and bedding, electrical and electrotechnical, 

footwear and textiles, 

mining and offshore, pipes and 

pipelines, refrigeration and insulation 

as well as specialist surgical and 

medical. 

The UTECH Europe 2012 exhibition 

and conference offers materials 

specialists from across all these 

industries the perfect opportunity 

to see global advancements in 

polyurethane technology including 

all the latest products and machines. 

Among more than 100 exhibitors 

are industry leaders Bayer, BASF, 

Huntsman, BorsodChem, Wanhua, 

Shell, Repsol, Baule, Dow, Silcart 

and Evonik as well as systems 

houses, technical consultancies, and 


test laboratories. 

“Interest from exhibitors has been 

so strong that we have just had to 

extend the exhibition space to cater 

for increased demand and this too 

is selling fast,” said Sue Rothwell, 

Business Development Director at 

Crain Communications, organisers of 

UTECH Europe. “This is set to be our 

most successful event ever.” 

Opening the UTECH Europe threeday 

conference will be a keynote 

presentation from Ding Jiansheng, 

Chairman of Yantai Wanhua 

Polyurethanes Co Ltd, China, leading 

into a Plenary Session focused on 

celebrating the 75th Anniversary 

of the invention of polyurethanes 

chemistry. Six further presentations 

look back over the history of the 

industry and assess its prospects for 

the future. Experts will discuss the 

development of the key raw materials 

and processing equipment used to 

make these versatile materials. 

In the afternoon of the first day two 

papers look at the development 

of and prospects for the global 

markets amid the current turmoil 

in the world’s leading economies, 

including a special report on the 

development of the polyurethanes 

industry in Indonesia. This is followed 

by an Innovations session, with eight 

papers detailing recent work from the 

world’s leading suppliers. The parallel 

session in the afternoon comprises 10 

papers looking at the latest advances 

in “Green” chemistry, raw materials 

based on renewable resources. 

The main technical conference 

continues through to 19 April, in a 

series of half-day sessions focused 

on the key technical developments 

in the use of polyurethanes to 

make rigid and flexible foams, and 

CASE products (coatings, adhesives, 

sealants and elastomers), with a 

separate session on the final day 

discussing more scientific approaches 

to the production of PU-based 

products. 

In addition to the technical 

programme, there will be separate 

sessions created by ISOPA (the 

European Diisocyanate and Polyols 

Producers Association) and the 

Polyurea Development Association 

Europe. The first of these, in the 

afternoon of the second day of the 

conference, will address key safety, 

health and environmental issues 

including an overview of the latest 

life-cycle analysis work on rigid 

PU foams and details of the latest 

US legislation, Chemical Action 

Plans, and their likely impact on the 

industry. 

“In the 75th Year of Polyurethane, 

which is also the 25th anniversary 

of ISOPA, the visibility of this ‘hidden’ 

polymer still has to be increased,” 

said Dr. Frank Wolfram, ISOPA’s 

Secretary General. “ISOPA will have 

a strong presence at UTECH Europe 

2012 and we look forward to seeing 

everyone in Maastricht.” 

“Our keynote speaker will be the 

ISOPA president Steven English 

and the ISOPA stand will convey 

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1

two key messages, which are both 

part of the special ISOPA session,” 

Wolfram continued. “These are 

the launch of our new Product 

Stewardship program Walk the 

Talk 2nd generation focusing on 

the requirements of REACH and an 

update of the new Polyurethane 

Passive House Project in Brussels, 

which positions Polyurethane as the 

high performing and sustainable 

insulation material contributing to 

reduce Europe’s CO² emissions.” 

In the second special session, 

on the morning of the final day 

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1 

of the conference, 19 April, the 

latest commercial and technical 

developments relating to the fastgrowing 

polyureas market will be 

discussed. 

Last time the event was held in 

2009 visitors came from more 

than 85 dif ferent countrie s 

worldwide. In 2012, thousands are 

expected to travel to Maastricht 

for all the latest information on 

polyurethane technology from 

isocyanates, polyester polyols, 

polyether polyols, formulated 

systems and ancillary chemicals, as 

p u t o d a y a d v e r t i s e m e n t ta r i f f 

Previews & Reports 

Advertisement 1 Issue 2 Issues 4 Issues 

Back Cover 16,000.00 15,000.00 14,000.00 

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well as surfactants, catalysts and 

flame retardants. Manufacturing 

technology innovations unveiled at 

the exhibition will include the latest 

cutting equipment and machinery 

for making flexible foams, rigid 

foams, elastomers, reaction injection 

moulding and test equipment. 

Anyone wishing to attend the 

paid-for UTECH Europe conference 

and the free-to-attend exhibition 

can now register online at www. 

utecheurope.eu A wealth of travel and 

accommodation information is also 

available on the event website. 

Service Tax is applicable at the rate of 10.30% as per Government rules. The Inside Front & Back Covers And Back Cover 

are already booked for the next four issues. 

Technical Details of the Ad 

Bleed Size: 8.5 In X 11 In (21.59 Cm W X 27.94 In H) (Letter Size) 

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YOU HAVE TO SEND THE MATTER IN A PDF FILE OR EPS OR TIFF FORMATS 

ALL MATTER TO BE SENT TO 

Ramamurthy K 

Secretary 

INDIAN POLYURETHANE ASSOCIATION 

Flat 7, III Floor, Shakti Mahal, New 24, Old 41, First Main Road, CIT Colony, 

Mylapore, CHENNAI 600 004. Tel/Fax: 044 2499 5923, H/P: 94440 55923 

Email: ramamurthy_k2@dataone.in admin@pu-india.org ramapu42@gmail.com 


47 

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d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1

Book Description 

Publication Date: September 20, 2010 

A “Think Different” Approach to 

Innovation Based on The Seven Guiding 

Principles of Apple CEO Steve Jobs 

In his acclaimed bestseller The 

Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs 

author Carmine Gallo laid out a simple 

step-by-step program of powerful tools 

and proven techniques inspired by Steve 

Jobs’s legendary presentations. Now, he 

shares the Apple CEO’s most famous, 

most original, and most effective 

strategies for sparking true creativity 

and real innovation in any workplace. 

The Innovation Secrets Of 

Steve Jobs 

“Steve Jobs has reinvented music 

distribution, the mobile telephone, 

and book publishing. You might want 

to take a look at how someone creates 

multi-billion dollar ideas, and turns 

them into multi-billion dollar products 

that everyone loves and admires. This 

book is not an option. Buy it now, bank 

it tomorrow.” 

– Jeffrey Gitomer, author of The Little 

Red Book of Selling 

“In The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs, 

Carmine Gallo captures the true mindset 

of Jobs and Apple. This book is not just 

for the techie and marketing crowd, 

although they will gain valuable insight 

that can be applied to their worlds. It is 

also for anyone who loves technology 

and wants to understand how to create 

simple devices that are easy to use and 

can impact our lives.” 

– Tim Bajarin, president, Creative 

Strategies, Inc. 

“An inspiring roadmap for anyone 

who wants to live a life of passion and 

purpose.” 

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1 

– Tony Hsieh, author of Delivering 

Happiness and CEO of Zappos.com, 

Inc. 

“Apple changed the world with the Mac 

and hasn’t stopped innovating since. 

Carmine Gallo reveals the secrets and 

gives you the tools to unleash your 

inner Steve.” 

– Marc Benioff, chairman and CEO 

of salesforce.com and author of the 

national bestseller Behind the Cloud 

Learn how to RETHINK your business, 

REINVENT your produc ts, and 

REVITALIZE your vision of success the 

Steve Jobs way. 

When it comes to innovation, Apple CEO 

Steve Jobs is legendary. His company 

slogan “Think Different” is more than 

a marketing tool. It’s a way of life a 

powerful, positive, game changing 

approach to innovation that anyone can 

apply to any field of endeavor. 

These are the Seven Principles of 

Innovation, inspired by the master 

himself: 

1. Do What You Love. 

Think differently about your 

career. 

2. Put a Dent in the Universe. 


vision. 

3. Kick Start Your Brain. 

Think differently about how you 

think. 

4. Sell Dreams, Not Products. 


customers. 

Books & Periodicals 

5. Say No to 1,000 Things. 

Think differently about design. 

6. C r e a t e I n s a n e l y G r e a t 

Experiences. 

Think differently about your brand 

experience. 

7. Master the Message. 


story. 

By following Steve Jobs’s visionary 

example, you’ll discover exciting new 

ways to unlock your creative potential 

and to foster an environment that 

encourages innovation and allows 

it to flourish. You’ll learn how to 

match and beat the most powerful 

competitors, develop the most 

revolutionary products, attract the 

most loyal customers, and thrive in 

the most challenging times. Bestselling 

business journalist Carmine Gallo has 

interviewed hundreds of successful 

professionals-from CEOs, managers, and 

entrepreneurs to teachers, consultants, 

and stay at home moms to get to the core 

of Steve Jobs’s innovative philosophies. 

These are the simple, meaningful, and 

attainable principles that drive us all to 

“Think Different.” 

The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs 

offers precious guidance as it presents 

key principles that allowed Steve Jobs to 

constantly, brilliantly innovate. 


49 

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Events & Trends 

30 Jan - 02 Feb 2012 

Sprayfoam Convention & Expo 

2012 

Spray Polyurethane Foam 

Alliance 

Dallas 

01 - 06 Feb 2012 

Plastindia 2012 

Plastindia Foundatio 

New Delhi 

07 - 08 Mar 2012 

26th IKV International Plastics 

Technology 

kv Aachen 

ColloquiumI 

22 - 21 Mar 2012 

Plastics In Automotive 

Engineering 2012 

Vdi Wissensforum Gmbh 

Mannheim 

26 - 29 Mar 2012 

PDA National Conference 2012 

Polyurea Development 

Association 

Orlando 

01 - 05 Apr 2012 

NPE 2012 

Spi - Society Of The Plastics 

Industry 

Orlando 


Events Calendar 

INTERNATIONAL 

01 - 05 Apr 2012 

Antec 2012 

Society Of Plastics Engineers 

Orlando 

15 - 17 Apr 2012 

Adhesive And Sealant Spring 

Convention 

The Adhesive And Sealant 

Council, Inc 

Denver 

16 - 17 Apr 2012 

3rd International Confernce On 

Flame Retardants 

Sino - German Plastic 

Technology Ser... 

Shanghai 

17 - 19 Apr 2012 

Utech Europe 2012 

Crain Communications 

Maastricht Netherlands 

18- 21 April 2012 

Chinaplas 2012 

Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd 

Shanghai 

07 - 10 May 2012 

American Coatings Show And 

Conference 2012 

Vincentz Network Gmbh & Co. 

Kg 

Indianapolis 

08 - 12 May 2012 

Plast 2012 

Fiera Milano International S.P.A. 

Milano 

14 - 17 May 2012 

Plastivision Arabia 

Expo Centre Sharjah 

Sharjah 

16 – 21 Sept 2012 

World Adhesive Conference 

Feica 

Paris 

16-23 Oct 2013 

K 2013 

Messe Düsseldorf Gmbh 

Dusseldorf 

08 - 14 May 2014 

Interpack 

Messe Düsseldorf Gmbh 

Dusseldorf 

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1 


51 

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d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1 

FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION ONLY. Edited by Ms Medha Bhuta Published by K. Ramamurthy for Indian Polyurethane Association 

Printed by

Today - Polyurethane Association of India

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