Day 2 of the CPI Polyurethanes Technical Conference

In the first morning session „Circular Economy – Recycling“ topics were addressed that included:

• Exploring New Technology Platforms to Diversify End Use Markets for Recycled Foam (by the Mattress Recycling Council)
• Development of Carbamate Exchange Catalyst for Polyurethane Recycling
• Designing Robust High-Strength Composites with Polyurethane Foam Glycolysis Products
• Refrigerators Produced From Polyol Obtained by Chemical Recycling Process of Rigid Foam Scraps from Discarded Refrigerators
• Chemical Recycling Technologies Used in the CIRCULAR FOAM Project for the Recycling of Rigid Polyurethane Foam

The session „Construction“ comprised:

• American Chemistry Council, Plastics Division, Building & Construction Update
• Federal Program for Building Materials with Lower Embodied Carbon
• Estimating Reentry and Re-occupancy Times Following Application of Two Generic Spray Polyurethane Foam Formulations According to ASTM Standard Practice D8445-22
• Novel Surfactants to Optimize the Performance of Open Cell Spray Foam

A first panel on Global Automotive: Current Challenges Facing the Automotive Industry (Panel I) followed with the topics:

• An Automotive Plastics Circular Economy: Novel Methodologies and Pathways for Automotive Plastics at End-of-life
• Opportunities for the Polyurethane industry to Address Concerns that the Automotive Industry has as a Whole
• Status Update: Developing a Roadmap to Harmonize Methods to Measure VOC Emissions from Polyurethane Foam used in Automotive Interiors
• European Update

The afternoon started with a session on „Chemistry“

• Consequences of Non-Controlled Microbial Activity on Polyurethane Foams
• APTES Modified Polyurethane Foam for Bacteria Removal from Water
•  Surface Modified Polyester Polyurethane Foams with Varying Pore Sizes for Decanted Water Treatment in Oil Spill Response
• Synthesizing, Compounding, and Characterizing a Heat Labile Polyurethane Foam
• Tertiary Amine-free and Tin-free Catalysts for Lower Density Polyurethanes

A session on “Flexible Foam” comprised:

• Deep Eutectic Solvent Extracted Lignin for Flexible Polyurethane Foam Preparation
• Polyurethane Foams Based on Lignin as Bio-Filler and Prepolymer
• Insights From Dow’s ComfortScience^™ Studio: Microclimate Effects
• Effect of Humidity on the Measurement of Glass Transition Temperature of Visco-Elastic Foams

Followed by the second panel on Global Automotive: Addressing the VOC Challenges

• • Development of New Aldehyde Scavengers for PU Foam
• • Bio-Based PU Foams with Reduced Global Warming Potential
• • Sustainable Technical Solutions for Automotive Applications
• • Impact of Reactive Amine Catalysts on Generation of Aldehydes in Polyurethane Foams: An Input-Output Analysis
• • Sustainable Adhesives in A Dynamic Environment
• • Meet Sustainability Targets & Reduce Carbon Footprint with New Innovative Release Agents from Evonik
• • Low Carbon Footprint Hindered Phenols for Stabilization

The day was closed with the session on “Renewable Polyols”

• Introduction of New Bio-Based Polycarbonate Diols “DURANOLTM”
• Redeeming CO2: Key Learnings from Commercialization of a Sustainable PU Technology
• Exploring Lignin-Containing Nanocellulose Fibrils (LCNFs) for Enhancing Mechanical and Thermal Insulation Performance of Rigid Polyurethane Foams
• Scalable Plant-Based Leather Alternatives Using High Bio-Content Waterborne PU Technology
• Sustainable Polyurethanes: Harnessing Lignin as Natural Polyol

conference website

(Photo: Michael Thielen, PU magazine)