NATIONAL HARBOR, MD – The Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI) has announced the winners of the Polyurethanes 2009 Technical Conference Best Paper Presentation and Best Poster awards. A total of 16 papers and four posters were selected.
 
The following papers were recognized at the conference: Automotive 1: Advances in Automotive Processing Technologies – Noise and Harshness Reduction by Using MDE and Solid Fillers in the Automotive Industry, Christian Decker, DESMA; Automotive 2: Innovations – Recommended Accelerated Humidification Treatment for Polyurethane Foams, Ron Blair, Woodbridge Foam Corp.; Blowing Agents – Investigation of New Low GWP Blowing Agent AFA-L1 For PUR/PIR, Joseph Costa, Arkema Inc.; Chemistry and Fundamentals – New Organotin Catalysts For Polyurethane Applications, Michael Dimitroff, Momentive Performance Materials; Coatings & Elastomers – Polyurethanes as Wear Components of Hip Replacement Devices, Ibrahim Sendijarevic, Troy Polymers Inc.; Construction 1: Building Blocks of the Construction Industry – Experimental Study On The Performance Of Buildings Insulated With Spray Polyurethane Foam, Jose Luis Muller, Synthesia Espanola, S.A.; Construction 2: Insulation for the Building Envelope – Mixing In PIR Laminate Foams, Christian Eilbracht, Evonik Goldschmidt GmbH.; Construction 3: Spray Foam in the Construction Industry – Next Generation (LGWP) of Blowing Agents for Spray Foam Applications, Mary Bogdan, Honeywell; Environment, Health & Safety – The Current MDI Industrial Hygiene Data on Spray Foam, Mark Spence, Spence Consulting, LLC; Flame Retardants and Combustibility – New Fire Test Method for Ignition Barrier Alternatives in Attics and Crawlspaces, Rick Duncan, SPFA; Flexible Foam – High-Performance Polymer Polyol Designed with Small Particle Sizes and Highly Effective Polymer Content, Tomohisa Hirano, Sanyo Chemical Industries, Ltd.; Footwear – Thermoplastic Polyurethanes: Imagine the Possibilities, Limei Lu, BASF Corp.; Fundamentals of Elastomers – Determining Stoichiometry of MDI-Based Elastomers Using Compression Set and its Relation to Dynamic Performance, Stephen Seneker, Anderson Development Co.; Processing Innovations – Graco EP250 and EP375 Pour Gun Technology – Next-Generation Polyurethane Mixheads, Stephanie Gosset, Graco Ohio Inc.; Renewable Content Polyols 1: Applications – Battelle Biopolyol Technology, Herman Benecke, Battelle Memorial Institute; Renewable Content Polyols 2: Chemistry – DuPont™ Cerenol®: A Novel Renewably Sourced Ingredient for Polyurethanes, Hari Sunkara, DuPont.
 
Poster award winners include: Chemistry and Fundamentals I – Poly (Trimethylene Ether) Triols for Flexible Polyurethane Foams, Mihail Ionescu, Pittsburg State University, Kansas Polymer Research Center; Chemistry and Fundamentals II – Polyurethanes as Wear Components of Hip Replacement Devices, Ibrahim Sendijarevic, Troy Polymers, Inc.; Environment Impact Reduction – Effect of Modified Cellulosic Microfibers on Flexible Molded Polyurethane Foam Properties, Ivan Javni, Pittsburg State University, Kansas Polymer Research Center; and Processing Innovations – Multistream Mixing Head with Unique Twin Filler Dosing System for Hot Cast Elastomers, Bjoern Dormann, DESMA GmbH.
 
For copies of the winning papers, or to order a copy of the Polyurethanes 2009 Technical Conference Proceedings, visit the CPI web site at www.americanchemistry.com/polyurethane.