Automotive Market is a Major Focus of Polyurethanes Technical Conference

WASHINGTON – The 2015 Polyurethanes Technical Conference will highlight issues and topics specific to the automotive market at the three-day event this October. Hosted by the Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI), the conference is set to take place October 5-7 at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Orlando. Three separate sessions focused on the automotive industry will be offered as part of the conference program, concentrated specifically on the complexity of global VOC specifications in vehicles.

“The automotive sector is a growing, vibrant area for the polyurethanes industry, one where there is great opportunity for innovation,” said Lee Salamone, Senior Director of CPI. “There are also some important technical and regulatory topics central to the continued development of this sector, and the Polyurethanes Technical Conference is the perfect place to highlight the innovations and explore issues like VOCs.”

Polyurethanes have a wide range of uses in the automotive industry. In addition to the foam that makes car seats comfortable, many automobile bodies, bumpers, interior ceiling sections, spoilers and doors use polyurethanes. Polyurethanes can also help manufacturers reduce weight and increase fuel economy, comfort, corrosion resistance, insulation and sound absorption.

Part 1 of “Global Automotive VOC Specifications,” will feature presentations by experts from the Ford Motor Co., Woodbridge Foam Corp. and Bayer MaterialScience. They will cover a history of VOC standards, where regulations stand today and their views on potential areas for improvement.

The “Automotive Technical Session” will showcase technical presentations on topics such as new methods from the International Organization for Standardization, improvements in foam aging, innovative stabilizer systems, enhanced low glass transition temperature viscoelastic foam systems and novel self-healing coatings to improve scratch resistance. Industry experts from Markes International, TOSOH Corp., Huntsman International LLC, BASF Schweiz AG and BASF France S.A.S. will participate.

Part 2 of “Global Automotive VOC Specifications,” will be a roundtable discussion that focuses on innovative approaches to address the challenge surrounding VOCs in automobiles. Participating experts will represent companies including Air Products, TOSOH Corp., Huntsman, Dow Chemical, Milliken, Evonik and Momentive.

View the full conference agenda and register through the conference website. Reduced registration rates are available through September 4, 2015.

Superior scratch and stain resistance are challenging properties to impart into a cost effective, environmentally responsible UV coating. The inherently high viscosity and rapid cure times negatively impact a coating’s ability to flow and level onto the substrate, resulting in suboptimal durability and finish quality.

With the increasing regulatory & environmental requirements and the growing expectations of end users, the development of a high-performance water-borne coating system has become a challenge. Silicones have long been used to improve weatherability, water resistance and mar resistance, but the incorporation of silicone materials into waterborne organic resin compositions is often difficult due to fundamental incompatibility and immiscibility.