2016 Polyurethanes Technical Conference

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Conference Wrap-up

Recently, Baltimore was the place to be for polyurethane industry professionals in town for the 59th annual Polyurethanes Technical Conference presented by the ACC Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI). The longest-running polyurethanes conference in North America featured 18 technical sessions, 73 technical presentations, 66 table top exhibits, 22 poster presentations, nine Professional Development Program courses and several industry networking events.

Pre-conference activities started on Sunday, September 25, with three Professional Development Program courses and an Environment, Health and Safety workshop that was open to all registered conference attendees.

» 2016 Polyurethanes Technical Conference draws nearly 1,000 professionals to Baltimore
» Video, interviews: ICIS interactive publication

EDUCATION CENTER
The CPI Education Center helps professionals understand developments in the polyurethanes industry.

To kick off the first day of the conference, CPI hosted an unprecedented keynote panel featuring U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) COO and incoming CEO Mahesh Ramanujam and American Chemistry Council (ACC) President and CEO Cal Dooley. They shared their unique perspectives on the critical issues facing the building and construction industries including the importance of open collaboration to drive innovation and progress in meeting ambitious sustainability goals. The panel was moderated by Covestro’s Director of Advocacy and Sustainability Richard Skorpenske, who also chairs the Building and Construction Subcommittee of ACC’s Value Chain Outreach Committee.

2017 CALL FOR PAPERS AND POSTERS
Don’t miss out on presenting your paper at the 2017 Conference! Technical papers and poster submissions will be accepted starting November 4, 2016.

Throughout Monday, industry professionals participated in technical sessions covering the latest developments in global automotive volatile organic compounds (VOC) standards, blowing agents, coatings, adhesives, flame retardants, and environment, health and safety. More than 125 conference attendees took part in Professional Development Program courses on topics ranging from polyurethane raw materials to physical testing methods. The conference’s jam-packed first day concluded with the much-anticipated Industry Reception – one of the largest industry networking events of the year with hundreds of attendees reuniting with colleagues and friends.

Tuesday’s agenda highlighted the industry’s commitment to engaging with important government stakeholders and staying well-informed of regulatory updates. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the European Diisocyanate & Polyol Producers Association (ISOPA) participated in a Regulatory Roundtable that included a timely update on EPA’s Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Rule 21 after the EPA administrator signed the final rule the day before the roundtable. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) also presented at the CPI conference.

On Wednesday, CPI announced that the Shepherd Chemical Company’s BiCATs™ 8840 and 8842 water stable bismuth catalysts for polyurethane formulations won the prestigious 2016 Polyurethane Innovation Award. Shepherd’s novel application of polyurethane chemistry demonstrated how our industry’s innovations can have ripple effects throughout the value chain and illustrated the transformative power of polyurethanes. The other Innovation Award finalists included Dow’s VORA Zzz™ Ultra-High Airflow and Moisture-Wicking Foam Technology and Huntsman’s VITROX® HC 98010 Polyol with SUPRASEC® 9801 Isocyanate.

Wednesday’s Closing Session also featured ACC Vice President of Regulatory and Technical Affairs Mike Walls who gave an update on the Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act and examined the landmark chemical legislation’s upcoming challenges and opportunities in implementing chemical management reform. For more information and to see video interviews of CPI conference participants, check out the ICIS interactive publication.

Next year’s 60th annual Polyurethanes Technical Conference will be held October 2-4, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. We hope you can join us in celebrating this significant milestone as the premier polyurethanes industry event in North America commemorates its 60th year!

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