polyurethanestodaysep tember - Indian Polyurethane Association

Transcription

PU
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PU
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Vice Chairman’s Message
Today
Dear Member,
I
want to thank the executive committee of the Indian Polyurethane
Association (IPUA) for posing confidence in me and providing me with
an opportunity to serve as the Vice Chairman of a dynamic and impactful
association. The good news is that the Polyurethane (PU) industry in
India is still at its infancy in terms of consumption and the future will
open up plenty of good prospects. The current global scenario is volatile
& challenging. However, opportunity is there in front of us - as the PU
industry is massive. I am humbled by this election and will strive to do
my best to support the growth of the PU industry in India.
Dr Mahesh Gopalsamudram
I strongly believe in continuity and as an enabler in the medium term, the
IPUA needs to strengthen its platform through more external and open
interaction with PU and associated industries. A great example of this is
the PUTECH exhibition held every three years. Its increased impact and
popularity is for all of us to see.
Other initiatives which we are actively working on and will soon begin
to deliver results in are the promotion of insulation in construction and
education/training of operators and supervisors. As an association, we
will extensively focus on these areas over the next couple of years.
In addition to the above, I want us to focus on;
• Garnering more active members from the Insulation, footwear and
appliance industries
• Advocating the cause of the end industry like PU seating in railways,
enhancing excise limit for footwear above INR249 and creating
specifications in insulation applications for improved energy
efficiency
• Listening, through interaction, with specific sectors to understand
concerns and promote industrial growth
Once again, I am humbled at the recognition of being elected to this office
and see this as a result of the collective contribution of the Dow India
(PU, Formulated Systems and leadership) team that rallied behind all the
IPUA initiatives over the last several years.
Let’s recommit ourselves to contribute more than ever before...
Best wishes
Dr Mahesh Gopalsamudram
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PU
Editorial
Today
Dear Members,
A ‘Change of Guard’ – a time rendered with mixed emotions indeed! Warm
welcome and heartfelt congratulations are extended to the New Office Bearers
at IPUA, and a poignant farewell with the very best of wishes to the outgoing
members after the elections that were held at the last meeting of IPUA Executive
Committee Members in Delhi.
There is anticipation in the air though – as the PU Industry waits for the unfolding
of new activities that have been envisioned by the New Guard. A new momentum
will spur its progress a different outlook; a different approach to existing obstacles
will change the pace and the status of things indeed.
You will notice a new section has been introduced in this issue – “IPUA Ventures.”
We in the Editorial Team felt that the inclusion of this section will enlighten all
our members on the various endeavors that IPUA has undertaken in the recent
past – a kind of a summation of their efforts and results therewith. We hope you
all appreciate our efforts towards the diffusion of knowledge of various aspects of
our functions, always aimed at benefitting the PU Industry, and to give a voice
to it wherever and whenever necessary to further all our interests as a whole.
Do keep abreast with our activities, and participate wherever you can, in order
to make our Association a meaningful entity.
Let me inform you of IPUA’s first venture next month: An event sponsored by
Honeywell. This will be a workshop on - Next Generation Blowing Agents
for Polyurethane Foam. This event will bring together global industry experts
and regional colleagues to discuss key challenges in the polyurethane industry.
It is also a platform to learn more about energy efficient and cost effective
transition alternatives in today’s changing scenario. I recommend you do not
miss this half a day’s event on 4th November 2011, beginning at 3pm, at the
Rodas Hotel in Powai’s famous Hiranandani estate. Of course an added bonus
is an opportunity to network amongst Industry members, over cocktails and
dinner, following the event!
To register, please contact anupama.sachdeva@honeywell.com
Phone: +91-124-675 3115
There is no cost to attend this conference!
Sincerely,
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Contents
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PUBLISHED BY THE INDIAN POLYURETHANES ASSOCIATION
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Vice Chairman’s Message ..................
EDITOR
MRS. MEDHA BHUTA
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Editorial ............................................... 4
EDITORIAL TEAM
MR. RAMAMURTHY - SECRETARY IPUA
MR. GOVIND GUPTA - DOW
MR. PRAVIN MAHAJAN - BASF
MR. PRANAV MEHTA - HONEYWELL
Credits + Contents ............................... 5
Industry Updates ................................... 6
COMPILATION & SELECTION
DR. MAHESH GOPALASAMUDRAM
MR. G. ANAND
International News ............................... 8
DESIGN CONCEPT
Product News .......................................11
GRAPHIC DESIGN & LAYOUT
Interview .............................................. 15
MR. MUKESH BHUTA
RED SKY DESIGNS
Technical Updates ..................................18
PRODUCTION & EXECUTION
MR. RAMAMURTHY
Technical Article ...................................21
IPUA OFFICE BEARERS
IPUA Ventures ......................................32
CHAIRMAN
MR. RAHUL GAUTAM
0120 4162 220/4162 200 rahul@sheelafoam.com
VICE CHAIRMAN
DR. G. MAHESH
022 67934904
maheshgn@dow.com
Mr. MUKESH BHUTA
022 2768 0303/0404mbhuta@expandedinc.co.in
TREASURER
MR. GIAN JAIN
011 2724 6907/4237 6465 gcjain@karefoam.com
Previews & Reports ...............................37
Books & Periodicals ..............................38
Events & Trends ................................... 42
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 25942830mravi@manalipetro.com
PERMANENT INVITEE & SPECIAL ADVISOR TO THE IPUA
MR G RAMACHANDRAN
+91 44 24345738
PERMANENT INVITEE
MR. SAMIR ARORA
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indramu123@gmail.com
011 26912375/26917758/26831850 samira@airtelmail.in sam@sam3.in
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Industry Updates
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Huntsman to scale up India capacities
By Malini Hariharan
U
S chemical producer Huntsman
plans to rapidly expand capacities
and sales in India, a country that
has caught the attention of global
majors.
The blog caught up with the
company’s President and CEO Peter
Huntsman in Mumbai yesterday.
“In every one of our businesses,
except titanium dioxide, we will be
spending money to build or buy in
India,” Huntsman said. “In textile
effects, we will be doubling capacity
in three years and we will also expand
the Laffans facility,” he added.
US -bas e d Hunt sman re cently
completed the acquisition of India’s
Laffans Petrochemical, which has a
60,000 tonne/year ethylene oxide
(EO) derivatives facility at Ankleshwar
in Gujarat state.
“We will first bring Laffans to the
same standards as other Huntsman
facilities, which should be easy, and
we will then look at expansion,”
Huntsman said.
He added that details of the expansion
were not yet firmed up but the
ambition was to complete it in two
years.
The company’s other major expansion
will be in Baroda, Gujarat, where it
plans to spend $10m (€7m) to raise
its dyes capacity by 80,000 tonnes/
year.
“Some of the dyes produced elsewhere
will move to India and we will also
be producing some new products,”
Huntsman said.
Production would be targeted at the
Indian market first and then exports.
Huntsman acquired the Baroda
facility from India’s MetroChem
Industries in 2009.
Earlier this year, the company
announced plans to build a $10m
polyurethane (PU) systems house in
Pune, India, by April 2012.
However, Huntsman ruled out an
Indian investment in methyl di-pphenylene isocyanate (MDI) in the
near future.
“The Indian market is not large
enough to support a worldscale MDI
plant,” Huntsman said.
Japan prefers India to China
The Telegraph
Jayanta Roy Chowdhury, October 3, 2011
T
okyo, Oct. 2: Wary of doing business
in China, Japanese investors feel
India is their best bet in the long run.
A sur vey by the Japan Bank for
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International Cooperation for the
country’s Ministry for Economy, Trade
and Industry shows around 75 per cent
of Japanese businessmen putting India
“We are going to start with a systems
house, bringing MDI from the US and
China. We hope we will be the first to
produce MDI locally, but we need to
build the end-use markets first,” he
pointed out.
As well as adding capacities, the
company has budgeted $10m for an
office complex in Mumbai, which will
also house a technical support centre
and laboratory.
Huntsman said he expects sales from
India, currently $400m, to grow at
10%/year, while sales should double
every five years.
He also expects sales from China to
grow at more than 10%/year from the
current $1.2bn.
“In the next five to seven years, AsiaPacific will account for one-third of
our sales,” Huntsman said.
“Two years ago Europe was our single
largest market. Within three years it
will be North America, followed by
Asia, Europe and Latin America,” he
added.
Huntsman posted sales of $9.25bn
in 2010.
as “the most promising country” ahead
of China, Brazil, Vietnam and the US.
“India holds great potential for us
(Japanese firms),” said Koji Miyahara,
chairman of NYK Line, the 140-year
old shipping firm, which has invested
heavily in India.
According to Sanjeev Sinha, a Tokyobased fund manager advising Japanese
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Industry Updates
firms in India, “The top management
of Japanese firms recognise India’s
strategic importance as an investment
destination (which is backed by)
commitment from the political
leadership starting from the Prime
Minister down.”
More than 1,200 Japanese firms have
invested in India. A second wave of
investment by small and medium
enterprises as well as major players has
started this year. The Delhi-Mumbai
Industrial Corridor, funded by Japanese
loans, is expected to attract more
Japanese companies.
“The Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor
is going to be a game changer for the
economic ties with Japan,” said Ravi
Mathur, India’s ambassador to Tokyo.
Backing the shift in investment pattern
is the Japanese government, which is
alarmed by aggressive Chinese naval
moves in the East China Sea, where
it disputes Tokyo’s control over the
Senkaku islands. The island nation
has been advising its firms to look
westwards to India.
The two main political parties ‘ the
Liberal Democratic Party, which ruled
Japan for more than 40 years since
1955, and Democratic Party, which
rules it now ‘ have both agreed on the
need for closer ties with India.
According to Takeshi Iwaya, the Liberal
Democratic Party’s shadow defence
minister, “Threats surrounding Japan
are increasing. China is expanding its
military technology and capacity at a
ferocious speed. Japanese alliance with
the US will remain our cornerstone
(but) we have to work out common
strategic objectives and economic
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agenda with India.”
However, the government’s fiats
to businesses do not always work.
“Japanese firms politely listen and
ignore the government’s advice
when it does not suit them,” said
Masanori Kondo, who teaches at the
International Christian University and
advises Japanese firms in India.
In this case, the Japanese firms have
started to feel they have over-invested
in China and there is a pressing need to
“put their eggs in other baskets”.
Japanese CEOs are worried over
“possible collapse of the Communist
one-party rule and the bursting of
China’s bubble economy”, Yasukani
Enoki, former ambassador of Japan to
India and a visiting professor at Soka
University, said.
Rupee falls 3rd day as risk aversion grips
October 4, 2011
M
UMBAI (Reuters) - The rupee
weakened on Tuesday [Oct 4th]
for a third session as concerns of
grave injury to the world economy
from Europe’s debt imbroglio hit
risk appetite, sending stocks down
and the dollar surging against major
currencies.
“Heightened risk aversion triggered
by Greece debt concerns is getting
reflected across asset classes,” said
Pramod Patil, senior foreign exchange
dealer at State Bank of Mauritius.
“The dollar index is getting stronger
by the day. In such a bearish global
scenario, the rupee will have to
suffer.”
Global stocks fell to a 15-month low on
Tuesday and the dollar was supported
near a 9-month high as growing
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doubts over Greece’s ability to avoid
default fuelled fears of global financial
turmoil and recession.
The 30-share BSE, which is one of the
worst performing indexes this year, was
down 0.2 percent in choppy trade.
Traders said the rupee could fall more
in coming days because of a worsening
current account deficit and fears of
fiscal slippage from the government.
Data released last Friday showed India
reached 66 percent of its full-year fiscal
deficit target in just five months, and
the current account deficit widened
to $14.1 billion in the June quarter,
compared with $12 billion in the same
period a year ago.
The rupee, which has fallen 11 percent
from its July peak, is unlikely to breach
a 28-month-low of 49.90 reached
on Sept. 23, traders said because of
expectations the central bank would
intervene.
“Inflows are trickling into the country
from corporates. Exporters too have
been selling dollars,” said a dealer at
a private sector bank.
The Reserve Bank of India, which
steps in to smooth excess volatility,
is suspected to have intervened in
September when the rupee had
touched 49.90.
The euro was at $1.3216, lower than
$1.3340 at the end of rupee trade on
Monday, while the index of the dollar
against six major currencies was at
79.459 points from 78.946 previously.
(Reporting by Aditya Phatak; Editing
by Ranjit Gangadharan)
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International News
Today
Huntsman Joins EU R&D Project Exploring new
Composites for Automotive Applications
E
verberg, Belgium (July 25, 2011)
– The polyurethanes division of
Huntsman Corporation (HUN:NYSE)
today announces its involvement in
an ambitious European collaborative
research project focused on advancing
composite materials technology, to
bring it closer to mass-production for
automotive applications.
HIVOCOMP is a consortium of world
leading automotive manufacturers,
materials scientists and academics
that have joined forces to increase
the use of composite materials in the
production of vehicles. HIVOCOMP
stands for: advanced materials
enabling HIgh-VOlume road transport
applications of lightweight structural
COMPosite parts.
Project partners include three large
automotive OEMs (VW, Daimler,
Fiat Research Center); luggage
manufacturer Samsonite; highly
specialised suppliers in the field
of composite materials and their
application; and six leading universities
at the cutting edge of composite
materials research in Europe.
Over four years, HIVOCOMP partners
will work together to significantly
speed up the composites production
process, a key fac tor for the
establishment of plastics in the
commercial vehicles market. They
will develop two material systems
that show unique promise for costeffective, high-volume production
of high performance carbon fibre
reinforced plastic (CFRP) parts:
advanced polyurethane (PU) thermoset
matrix materials; and thermoplastic
PP- and PA6-based self-reinforced
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polymer composites with continuous
carbon fibre reinforcements.
The performance, production cost
and recyclability of new CFRP material
systems will be thoroughly tested and
benchmarked to ensure the results
reach and exceed cost, safety and
environmental targets. Validated
demonstrator parts will be produced
in 2013.
Although HIVOCOMP focuses primarily
on passenger cars, including hybrid
and fully electric platforms, spin-off
applications in other transport-related
sectors have also been identified.
HIVOCOMP is funded under the
topic NMP-2009-2.5.1 “Light highperformance composites” of the 7th
Framework Programme for Research
and Technological Development.
Project partners include: VW, Daimler,
Fiat Research Centre, Samsonite,
K.U. Leuven, University of Leeds,
University of Perugia, T.U. Munich,
E.P.F. Lausanne, Fraunhofer ICT-A,
Huntsman Polyurethanes, Airborne
Composites, ESI Group, Benteler SGL,
Propex Fabrics and Bax & Willems
Consulting. Project coordinator is
Prof. Ignaas Verpoest of Katholieke
Universiteit Leuven.
F or more information ab out
HIVOCOMP, please visit www.hivocomp.
eu or email: info@hivocomp.eu
About Huntsman:
Huntsman is a global manufacturer
and marketer of differentiated
chemicals. Our operating companies
manufacture products for a variety
of global industries, including
chemicals, plastics, automotive,
aviation, textiles, footwear, paints and
coatings, construction, technology,
agriculture, health care, detergent,
personal care, furniture, appliances
and packaging. Originally known for
pioneering innovations in packaging
and, later, for rapid and integrated
growth in petrochemicals, Huntsman
has approximately 12,000 employees
and operates from multiple locations
worldwide. The Company had 2010
revenues of over $9 billion. For more
information about Huntsman, please
visit the company’s website at www.
huntsman.com.
Forward Looking Statements:
Statements in this release that are
not historical are forward-looking
statements. These statements are
based on management’s current
beliefs and expec tations. The
forward-looking statements in this
release are subject to uncertainty
and changes in circumstances and
involve risks and uncertainties that
may affect the company’s operations,
markets, products, services, prices
and other factors as discussed in the
Huntsman companies’ filings with
the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission. Significant risks and
uncertainties may relate to, but are
not limited to, financial, economic,
competitive, environmental, political,
legal, regulatory and technological
factors. In addition, the completion
of any transactions described in
this release is subject to a number
of uncertainties and closing will
be subject to approvals and other
customary conditions. Accordingly,
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International News
there can be no assurance that such
transactions will be completed or
that the company’s expectations will
be realized. The company assumes
no obligation to provide revisions
to any forward-looking statements
Today
should circumstances change, except
as otherwise required by applicable
laws.
China Warns of Trade war if U.S.bill passes
October 4, 2011
By David Stanway and Aileen Wang
B
EIJING (Reuters) - China warned
Washington it is “adamantly
opposed” to a proposed U.S. bill
aimed at forcing Beijing to let its
currency rise, saying its passage
could lead to a trade war between
the world’s top two economies.
In a coordinated response, the Chinese
central bank and the ministries
of commerce and foreign affairs
accused Washington of “politicising”
global currency issues.
The bill to be debated in the United
States this week violates World Trade
Organization rules and forcing the
yuan to appreciate would weaken
joint efforts to revive the global
economy, the foreign ministry said.
“By using the excuse of a so-called
‘currenc y imbalance’, this will
escalate the exchange rate issue,
adopting a protectionist measure
that gravely violates WTO rules and
seriously upsets Sino-U.S. trade and
economic relations,” foreign ministry
spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said in a
statement posted on China’s official
government website (www.gov.cn) on
Tuesday.“China expresses its adamant
opposition to this.”
U.S . lawmaker s, eyeing 2012
elections, said the undervaluing of
China’s currency had cost American
jobs and that a fairer exchange rate
would help cut an annual trade gap
of $250 billion.
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Ma urged U.S.
l e g is lato r s to
“proceed from
the broader
picture of
Sino-U.S. trade
and economic
cooperation”
and “for s ake
protectionism”.
If the bill did clear
both chambers, An employee counts yuan banknotes at a branch of the Pudong
it would present Development Bank in Hefei, Anhui province May 3, 2010. REUTERS/
President Barack Stringer/Files
Obama with a
would undermine joint efforts to
tough decision on whether to sign revive global economic growth,
the popular legislation into law and which took another blow on Monday
risk a trade war with Beijing, or with data showing that global
veto it to pursue a more diplomatic manufacturing shrank in September
approach.
for the first time in over two years.
“My colleagues, both Democrats
and Republicans, agree that China’s
deliberate actions to devalue its
currency give its goods an unfair
competitive advantage in the
marketplace,” said Senate Majority
Leader Harry Reid.
China has routinely denied claims
that its policies are responsible for
trade imbalances and a high rate of
unemployment in the United States,
saying that structural problems were
to blame. Ministry of Commerce
spokesman Shen Danyang said the
United States was trying to pass on
the blame for its own failings.
Shen said any move by the United
States to force the yuan to appreciate
U.S. critics of the bill also warned of
the risk of a trade war with China -one of the fastest-growing markets for
U.S. goods -- just when weak global
economies can least afford it.
The Emergenc y Committee for
American Trade called the bill “a
highly damaging unilateral approach
that will undermine broader
efforts to address China’s currency
undervaluation.”
It also said the bill was unlikely
to pass muster at the World Trade
Organization and would open the
door to Chinese retaliation “to the
detriment of U.S. exports and jobs.”
(Additional reporting by Chris
Buckley; Editing by Neil Fullick)
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Product News
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Indian state rolls out red carpet for carmakers
October 4, 2011
By Anurag Kotoky
S
ANAND (Reuters) - Along a dusty,
traffic-choked road in Gujarat
lies what may be India’s industrial
future.
As labourers work under a blazing
sun to widen the highway, auto giants
Ford Motor Co and PSA Peugeot
Citroen prepare to spend nearly $2
billion to build new plants in Sanand,
a sparsely populated collection of
villages about 40 kilometres west of
Ahmedabad.
More automakers and suppliers are
expected to follow, taking advantage
of the state’s business-friendly
policies, including comparatively
little bureaucratic red tape and,
crucially in crowded India, ease of
acquiring land.
An employee works inside the newly inaugurated plant for the Tata Nano car at Sanand in
Gujarat June 2, 2010. REUTERS/Amit Dave/Files
Related Quotes
“You have a pro-business environment
from the Gujarat government focused
on getting companies like us to come
in,” said Michael Boneham, who
heads the Indian operations for Ford,
which will open its plant in Sanand
in 2014.
The Indian auto industry, which grew
30 percent last fiscal year before a
recent slowdown, is a key growth
engine for India’s underdeveloped
industrial sector. New Delhi wants
to lift manufacturing’s share of the
economy to 25 percent over the next
decade from about 16 percent now,
a daunting target.
While car sales have skidded in recent
months on rising interest rates and
prices, the industry is expected to
grow 10-12 percent for the year
ending March 2012. The longer-term
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potential is vast in a country that
sold 1.9 million cars in its last fiscal
year. China sells that many in seven
weeks.
By rolling out the red carpet to
manufacturers, Gujarat is taking
on existing Indian auto hubs,
including Chennai, known as “India’s
Detroit.” Executives and investors
hope the competition between
states ultimately results in improved
business conditions across India.
“When more states compete for
investments, then more states will
become states where people want
to go. This is a good thing,” said R.C.
Bhargava, chairman of Maruti Suzuki,
India’s dominant carmaker.
Maruti, which is 54 percent owned
by Japan’s Suzuki Motor and has
been plagued by labour trouble at its
plant near New Delhi, will decide by
the end of October where to build its
next factory and is widely reported
to be leaning towards Gujarat for a
plant with capacity of one million
cars a year.
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Today
Product News
RAMPF Giessharze to present first
BIO electro casting system at Productronica 2011
RAMPF Dosiertechnik presents accelerated curing with COD
G
rafenberg, Zimmern 4 October
2011 – Visitors to Productronica,
the world leading trade fair for
innovative electronics production,
will be able to see two highlights from
RAMPF live and in action at Stand
260 in Hall A3. With the development
of a two-component BIO electro
casting system made of polyurethane,
RAMPF Giessharze is responding
to the market’s growing awareness
of ecological issues. RAKU-PUR®
21-2499 casting material has been
developed based on renewable raw
materials. Thanks to the COD (Curing
On Demand) equipment integrated into
the DC-CNC low-pressure system from
RAMPF Dosiertechnik, the material
cures after just three minutes. The BIO
system is suitable for casting electrical
and electronic components.
With a mix viscosity of 3,200 mPa*s,
solvent-free RAKU-PUR® 21-2499
makes the casting process easy. The
BIO electro casting system offers
excellent thermal con-ductivity of
0.6 – 0.7 W/mK and good resistance
to temperatures and fluctuations
in temperature (from -40 to +130
°C). Due to its low exothermicity,
it demonstrates low shrinkage and
stress during curing. Even with
thin layers of 6 mm, the product
range complies with fire protection
class V0 in accordance with UL94,
extinguishing a flame within 10
seconds. During the development
process for this material, the ex-perts
from RAMPF completely eliminated
the use of flame retardants containing
halogen. This ensures the twocomponent system also conforms
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to the European RoHS directive
2002/95/EC. The use of non-abrasive
fillers means the green casting resin
can be processed on all commercially
available two-component mixing and
dosing systems. The standard pot life
for processing the system is 10 to 15
minutes. At Productronica, RAMPF
Dosiertechnik will be giving a live
demonstration of accel-erated curing
of the casting material using Curing
On Demand, a contactless method of
introducing energy into the casting
material. Infrared radiation is used
to heat the material to 90° Celsius.
The high temperature speeds up the
reaction of the pol-yurethane casting
material and it cures in a maximum
of three minutes. The COD system was
developed by Swiss company Vulkan
AG, which manufactures tailored
heating technology solutions for the
industrial sector, and made available
to RAMPF Dosiertechnik for use with
BIO electro casting materials. Curing
On Demand has already become
established in the automotive supplier
sector as a method for speeding up
the curing process when bonding
plastic parts. A casting material will
be cured using COD for the first time
at Productronica.
The compact DC-CNC dispensing cell
is the optimum solution for the 2D
or 3D ap-plication of casting, sealing
Two-component polyurethane BIO electro casting system from RAMPF Giessharze
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Product News
and adhesive systems. The basic setup of the fully en-closed DC-CNC is
equipped with an integrated control
cabinet and a two-component
material conditioning system.
Further features include the modular
control solution incorporating a
Siemens Sinumerik 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
water rinsing or various items of
automation equipment depending
on the application in question.
Once again, companies in the RAMPF
Group are demonstrating how they
work hand in hand as system suppliers
of reaction resins and machine
systems. RAMPF Gies-sharze is one
of the leading companies in the field
of reactive casting resins for sealing,
casting, bonding and designing.
The plastics specialist has been
manufac-turing casting materials
based primarily on polyurethane in
its laboratories since 1980. RAMPF
Giessharze works with its sister
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Today
company R AMPF Ecosystems to
develop polyols based on renewable
raw materials. In order to expand the
potential applications of renewable
raw materials in the production
of polyurethane plastics, RAMPF
Ecosystems has been modifying
and functionalising renewable raw
materials since 1999. The Pirmasensbased company focuses primarily on
native plant oils such as rapeseed oil.
Known as Recypols, these materials
flow back into the polyurethane
production chain.
“Our formulations are developed to
respond to the needs of our customers
and offer customer-specific systems
for new markets, too,” explains JeanMichel Pouillaude, Key Technology
Manager Electro Casting Resins at
RAMPF Giessharze.
www.rampf-giessharze.de
RAMPF Giessharze GmbH & Co. KG,
the nucleus of the RAMPF Group,
is headquartered in Grafenberg,
Germany. The company has specialized
in the development, production
and sale of resin systems made of
polyurethane, epoxy and silicon since
1980. Its product portfolio includes
DC-CNC low-pressure system from RAMPF
Dosiertechnik
liquid and thixotropic 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.
www.rampf-dosiertechnik.de
With 2,200 system solutions on the
market worldwide, RAMPF Dosiertechnik
from Zimmern o.R., 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. Part of the international
RAMPF Group since 2003, the ace up
the sleeve of RAMPF Dosiertechnik 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 an outstanding name
for itself on an international stage.
With a global service network and
numerous branches in France, Spain,
Eastern Europe, the United States, China
and Korea, the company has a strong
international presence
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Today
An Interaction with Mr. G. Ramachandran –
Manali Petrochemicals Ltd.
PU Today has the pleasure of presenting excerpts of an interaction with Mr. G. Ramachandran
[Managing Director – Manali Petrochemicals Ltd. (Retd.)]
BRIEF RESUME OF
G.RAMACHANDRAN:
M
r. G. R amachandran is a
Chemical Engineer and a Post
Graduate in Business Administration.
He worked with the SPIC group of
companies in various capacities
for the past 38 years. He has rich
experience in Operation, Design,
Construction and Commissioning of
Petrochemical and Fertilizer plants.
He retired in September 2011 from
Manali Petrochemical Ltd after
serving as its Managing Director for
11 years.
He worked with Manali Petrochemical
since its inception in 1986 and took
over as Managing Director in the
year 2000. He was instrumental
in the development of the project
which produced PO, PG and Polyol
for the first time in the country.
He also successfully expanded the
capacity of PO, PG and Polyol plants
using internally developed process
designs thus reducing the cost of
production significantly. A 4.2 MW
biomass fired Captive Power Plant
was also added.
PU TODAY: Mr. Ramachandran,
Congratulations on your having
completed a successful innings
in the PU Industry, over a
period of almost 25 years!
Your own perceptions on this
Industry over that time span
would be a valuable read for
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our Industry members, so do
give them to us.
Mr. Ramachandran: I was fortunate
to be associated with PU Industry of
India since 1987 and participated in
its step by step development when
MPL began production of Polyol in
India in 1990.
It has been an exciting experience
and travel - from the downs that
the industry faced between 1993
and 1995 when we struggled to sell
even 200 MTs of Flexible Polyol in
the month due to L/C limitations
for importing TDI. MPL did its bit in
expanding the market during the time
by importing TDI for use of foamers.
Mr. G. Ramachandran
Manali Petrochemicals Ltd.
business. The rate differences of
competing products of different
origins, and for the same product
different taxes in different states, etc.,
slowly vanished into the oblivion.
PU TODAY: So what would
you say are the conditions
PU TODAY: What were the prevailing now – conditions
factors that influenced “the in which you are leaving the
downs” that you mention - that Industry?
hindered the Industry along
Mr. Ramachandran: The last decade
the way?
Mr. Ramachandran: At first, the
reservations, high taxes, duties
did not allow the industry to grow.
These limitations slowly got removed
during the last decade.
Over the period of the past two
decades, we witnessed the dramatic
fall of customs duties from 240% level
to the current near 0% levels. The
differential duties between Polyol
and Isocyanate vanished. The advent
of Modvat/Cenvat regimes with VAT
helped unplug and streamline the
has been a wonderful experience,
with markets always moving up
demand – which has so far been
more than production; and the prices
are commensurate with the cost of
production and efforts for all the
segments of the market, leading to
a quick growth of the Industry.
PU TODAY: Apart from this
g r o w t h o r i e n t e d m a r ke t
conditions, what other factors
would you credit with this
wonderful experience that the
Industry has enjoyed?
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PU
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Interview
Mr. Ramachandran: Newer and
novel applications of Polyurethanes
also surfaced, which helped the
entrepreneurs to take up formulations
of the newer products for diverse
applications like gaskets, sealants,
coatings, fish floats, roof panels & car
trims besides the conventional large
volumes of insulation, refrigeration
and automotive seating’s sectors.
PU TODAY: What would you
highlight as the most exciting
aspect of this Industr y ’s
development?
Mr. Ramachandran: Our experience
with the automotive s eating
application is the most exciting. The
country uses systems with manomeric
MDI, TM/MT mixes. From moulds on
the floor with make shift heating
systems, the industry developed in
steps, initially moving to rotatable
carrousels to semi automated lines
and finally to automated systems
with robotic pouring and continuous
conveyors to transport the product
for curing and further processing. It
was a quantum leap that the industry
saw, and several excellent ‘state of the
art’ units were subsequently installed
in India - in line with the auto
revolution that the country saw.
PU TODAY: What were the
highpoints in the other sectors
that enhanced PU’s journey in
India?
M r. R a m a c h a n d r a n : T h e
refrigeration industry saw the advent
of “PUF” insulated refrigerators
during 1988 and 1989, which slowly
and steadily made in roads into the
traditional closed glass wool insulated
refrigerators. Because of its inherent
mechanical strength, PU acted as the
“bone” which revolutionized design
of the refrigerators with thinner sheet
metal covers, HIPS/ABS inner liners,
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clean backs, flexi trays, sporty looks
and what not. The industry saw
growth from a few hundred units a
day to more than 5000 units a day
with multiple design, colors, etc.
The panel industry also saw spectacular
growth from a troubled beginning in
1990 to many automated continuous
lines manufacturing products up to
international standards.
PU TODAY: W hat are the
PU Industry’s steps towards
the International policy - to
bring about a CFC/HCFC free
environment?
Mr. Ramachandran: During the mid
nineties, the efforts of indigenous
Polyol manufacturers helped the
country to eliminate the use of R 11 in
foam manufacture completely. Prior
to that, the Flexible Foam Industry
itself, on its own agenda, eliminated
R 11 in the production of flexible
foam way ahead of schedule. We
are now planning for the balance
elimination of HCFCs from all other
segments, to meet the target of 2013
for Phase I target.
To summarize: from a mere 5000
tons per year of the Polyurethanes’
market in 1990, it has already crossed
300,000 MT per year and the growth
rate in the last decade is too good to
believe, and is worth going through
all over again!
Broad product range
Diverse markets
Diverse locations
Driven by owner technocrats
2. WEAKNESSES
1. No value for quality
2. Dwindling margins
3. Too many players
4. Difficult branding
5. Restricted distribution channels
6. Too price sensitive markets
3. OPPORTUNITIES
Expanding markets
Newer applications
Technical and chemical packages
Committed markets
4. THREATS
1. Corporates entry
2. Preferences of OEMs
3. Markets swing with experience elsewhere
4. Fire properties
PU TODAY: What are your
predictions for the Indian PU
Industry in the near future?
Mr. Ramachandran: The slabstock
market will continue to grow at
the rate of 15 to 20% for another
5 years, before slowing down.
Polyester foams will also come into
prominence.
SWOT ANALSYSIS
The automotive market is expected
to grow at the current rate, and this
is a highpoint of the PU spectrum
and will be of interest to many
Industry members. However, the
market growth may be from export
of cars rather than from internal
growth. The car manufacturers are
expecting to treble their production
in the next 5 years and let us hope
it comes true!
1. STRENGTHS
Strong technology oriented
The refrigeration industr y will
definitely continue to grow, but the
PU TODAY: If you were to give
us a very brief overview of the
PU Industry – as in “A SWOT
ANALYSIS,” it would be?
Mr. Ramachandran:
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Interview
growth rate will be slower than what
was experienced in the last decade.
New applications: small volume high
end applications, suitable for small
entrepreneurs, will emerge and will
throw open many opportunities and
challenges for the industry.
PU TODAY: Finally, is there a
word of advice from you to the
members of the PU Industry, as
you retire?
Mr. Ramachandran: It has been
a wonderful experience ever since
we started the PU Association. It
has been a learning experience and
at the same time helped many of
us to contribute significantly for
betterment of the industry and life
of many. Together, the things we
achieved in the last 10 years are
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The automotive market
is expected to grow at
the current rate, and this
is a highpoint of the PU
spectrum and will be of
interest to many Industry
members. However,
the market growth
may be from export of
cars rather than from
internal growth. The
car manufacturers are
expecting to treble their
production in the next 5
years and let us hope it
comes true!
Today
tremendous which is why, we could
host PUTECH three times successfully.
The industry is growing and many
more are expected to join and an
excellent business opportunity is here
for us to enjoy. Let us stay together
and contribute to the well being of
the industry and the Association and
be a part of this wonderful, evolving
PU Industry in India.
PU TODAY: Mr. Ramachandran,
thank you for sparing time
for this interaction. We are
sure that our members will be
interested in reading about
your successful innings in this
field, as well as have your
advice for guidance. We wish
you a long and happy retired
life ahead with your loved
ones. Thank you.
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Today
Technical Updates
LFI composite panels with 3D painting
A Technical presentation on LFI PU composite with 3 dimensional painting
Background
D
ue to the striving demand in
India for the fuel economy
of rigid polyurethane s ystem
and chopped glass fibre strands.
The proportion of PU and glass
fibre is determined by the load
to the exposed surface instantly
without any external pressure. Then
the component is passed through
hot air oven for curing.
Base primer + transfer
LFI
commercial & passenger vehicles,
composites with good surface finish
will be the definite alternates for
sheet metals. The expectations from
OEM’s are light weight, durability
and uncompromised surface finish.
Polyurethane composites like
LFI-Long fibre injection draw the
attention of Indian OEM’s to suit this
technology for various applications.
Recently we have done a research
to skip our existing in mold coating
decoration on LFI components
and demonstrated transfer paint
technology which is so called 3D
painting on LFI surface. The transfer
film is directly applied on LFI
without barrier coat wherein barrier
coat is the intermediate surface
between paint and LFI in the current
IMC process. The basic agenda of
developing this surface finish with
LFI is to meet interior requirements
with good strength. The technology
will impart both functional and
aesthetic enhancements. It can also
be used for exterior panels wherever
required with better UV resistance
properties.
Constitution
The LFI composite is comprised
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characteristics of the end product.
The molding process is an open
mold process in which PU and glass
strands are wetted and poured as
a slurry mixture. There are many
processing factors in LFI process
to decide the surface quality and
strength. The molded component
taken out of the mold is subjected
to next process called transfer
painting. It is an offline process.
The component is dipped in a
water medium which contains a
water soluble PVA film coated with
pigmented patterns or grains.The
LFI surface needs to be cleaned with
IPA and primed before it is taken for
transfer painting.
Uniqueness of the product
Variable densities ranging from 800
to 1600kg/c.m can be offered with
3dimensional painting for both
interior and exterior applications.
Both glossy and matt finish can be
generated. There is no intermediate
coating required between final
lacquer coat and LFI.The final
composite properties are isotropic,
UV resistive and load bearing. It can
be a replacement for sheet metal,
SMC, DCPD and thermoplastics.
Applications
Exterior application
The PVA film is getting dissolved in
Front Anterior band of a tractor
water medium at around 50-60deg Interior application
C, and the grains get transferred
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Technical Updates
Benefits
Less cycle time –higher outputs
No VOC
ECO friendly
Developmental cost is less
Innumerable finish can be offered
for the same profile
100% reworkable
Hat rack panel of bus luggage rack
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Technical Article
Household Refrigerator:
Low GWP Blowing Agent Performance Update
Abstract
R
epor ted to the industr y in
2010, the low climate change
impact refrigerators built in 2009,
utilizing Solstice™ Liquid Blowing
Agent, exhibited 1.5 – 2.0% energy
efficiency improvement, compared
to baseline HFC-245fa. This current
study builds on the initial work
with an optimized Solstice™ LBA
formulation that demonstrates energy
efficiency improvement exceeding 6%
compared to HFC-245fa baseline,
exceeds the current DOE Energy Star
label by 9.5%., continuing to define the
application and performance more
broadly across the appliance industry.
Solstice™ LBA, in this commercial
household refrigerator/freezer
platform exceeded the proposed
DOE 2014 energy standard.
As with all new materials, prior to
adoption, the industry requires an
understanding of factors beyond the
initial polyurethane performance
characterization. These analyses
include quality measures such as
dimensional stability and adhesion to
liner and exterior case. In all ancillary
assessment related to a household
refrigerator/freezer, met or exceeded
all requirements. Solstice™ LBA
regulatory approvals are in process
in major markets, encompassing
excellent properties of ultra low
GWP (GWP < 7), non flammability,
and anticipated to be non-VOC
Commercial manufacture of Solstice™
LBA is estimated by late 2012.
Disclaimer
Although all s tatement s and
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information contained herein are
believed to be accurate and reliable,
they are presented without guarantee
or warranty of any kind, expressed or
implied. Information provided herein
does not relieve the user from the
responsibility of carrying out its own
tests and experiments, and the user
assumes all risks and liability for use of
the information and results obtained.
Statements or suggestions concerning
the use of materials and processes
are made without representation or
warranty that any such use is free
of patent infringement and are not
recommendations to infringe on
any patents. The user should not
assume that all toxicity data and
safety measures are indicated herein
or that other measures may not be
required.
Development Summary
A key raw material in the production of
high performance, rigid polyurethane
insulation foam is the blowing agent.
Although many blowing agent
technologies are available to the
foam formulation chemist, the use
of fluorocarbon blowing agents has
historically resulted in foams with the
highest insulation performance, best
physical properties, safest and simplest
processing characteristics, and best
value in use. The use of fluorocarbon
blowing agents began as early as the
mid-1950s with the introduction of
trichlorofluoromethane, or 11. This
blowing agent became the industry
standard until the mid 1990s, when
concerns over ozone depletion led
to the development of a second
generation of high performance foam
blowing agents, the HCFCs. For the
rigid polyurethane foam industry,
the most commonly used HCFC
was 1,1-dichloro-1-fluoroethane, or
141b. Although conversion to HCFC141b reduced the ozone depletion
potential of the blowing agent by
90%, subsequent regulation required
that these HCFC blowing agents also
be phased out and a third generation
of high performance blowing agents
was developed, the HFCs. The most
commonly used HFC blowing agent
in rigid polyurethane foam is 1,1,1,3,3pentafluoropropane, or 245fa. This
material satisfied the requirements
of ozone depletion regulation while,
at the same time, retained the high
performance and non-flammability
required in many foam applications.
In many par t s of the world,
conversion from HCFC technology to
HFC technology is complete while, in
certain other regions, this conversion
is now occurring.
In recent years, concern over climate
change is driving the development of a
fourth-generation fluorocarbon, one
that meets the requirements of both
ozone depletion and climate change
regulations, current and anticipated.
Honeywell, formerly AlliedSignal, has
been the leader in the development
of fluorocarbon blowing agents and
is now leading the development of
this fourth-generation fluorocarbon
technology. Honeywell has developed
two such fourth generation products:
HFO-1234ze(E), a gaseous blowing
agent; and a proprietary liquid
blowing agent called Solstice™
LBA. Both products successfully
incorporate required environmental
properties, while maintaining the
non-flammability, non-VOC, and high
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Technical Article
performance characteristics that have
differentiated fluorocarbon blowing
agents as the best choice for high
performance rigid foam insulation
applications. These two fourthgeneration blowing agents are also
ideal for those applications where a
flammable blowing agent is unsafe,
too costly to use, or fails to provide
the desired foam performance. These
new high performance materials,
while they contain fluorine, also
contain an olefin structure, and are
therefore referred to as haloalkenes.
Because of the presence of a double
bond in the molecule backbone,
these haloalkenes are a separate and
distinct class of materials from their
predecessor HFC materials, resulting in
a much shorter atmospheric lifetime
than their predecessor fluorocarbons,
thereby resulting in a much lower
global warming potential, or GWP.
Environmental And
Regulatory Status
Although current activity is limited,
the United States government is
considering various approaches to
address climate change, particularly
regulatory-driven changes., which
while still too early to predict the
final structure and language, will in
all probability impact high global
warming potential materials to some
degree. In anticipation of these
regulations, and in response to
similar regulatory initiatives globally,
industry is preparing solutions to
meet current and future climate
change regulations. Honeywell counts
among this group of industries with
its low GWP development program,
including, in addition to blowing
agents, refrigerant gases and other
fluorochemicals.
The European Parliament and the
Council of the European Union have
committed the Community and its
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Member States adoption of the Kyoto
Protocol in reducing anthropogenic
emissions of greenhouse gases listed
in Annex A to the Kyoto Protocol by
8% compared to 1990 levels in the
period from 2008 to 2012.
To this end, the F-Gas Regulation
as outlined in (EC) No 842/2006
(OJEC L161 of 14.06.2006) prohibits
the use of fluorinated greenhouse
gases with a 100-year GWP of 150
or greater, which include certain
HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons), PFCs
(perfluorocarbons), and SF6 (sulfur
hexafluoride) as listed in Annex I (EC
842/2006). The EU F-Gas Regulation
will be reviewed in 2011, which may
result in additional use restrictions
for high GWP fluids (Article 10, F-Gas
Regulation).
Honeywell’s 1234ze(E) and Solstice™
LBA are both in full compliance
with the EU F-Gas regulation, with
respect to two matters: (1) they are
not listed in Annex I as a fluorinated
greenhouse gas, and therefore not
covered by the provisions of the F-Gas
regulation, and (2) the GWP of these
materials is more than an order of
magnitude less than 150. Since the
purpose and intent of the EU F-Gas
Regulation is to control emissions of
high GWP materials, 1234ze(E), with a
GWP of <6, and Solstice™ LBA, with
a GWP of <7, are in the same GWP
range as many other blowing agents
that are considered acceptable, such
as hydrocarbons. Therefore, these
materials are a solution to globalwarming-potential issues facing the
industry.
Japan has made voluntary Kyoto
Protocol commitments to reduce or
limit emissions of greenhouse gases,
though has not formally promulgated
domestic regulations to enforce
these commitments. 1234ze(E) and
Solstice™ LBA can play an important
role in meeting these voluntary
commitments.
It is anticipated that, as climate
change regulations are developed in
other countries, these regulations will
contain GWP limits similar to those
being promulgated in Europe and,
voluntarily, in Japan. 1234ze(E) and
Solstice™ LBA will, in all likelihood,
meet or exceed the requirements of
these regulations and will therefore
be an integral part of any GWP
reduction strategy.
Low GWP materials, because of their
very short atmospheric lifetime,
often prove to be volatile organic
compounds (VOCs), contributing to
ground level ozone formation. The
measure that characterizes whether
a chemical is a VOC is the Maximum
Incremental Reactivity (MIR). This
measure (MIR) at which chemicals are
generally considered to be a VOC, by US
regulation, is that of ethane. The MIR
of both 1234ze(E)and Solstice™ LBA
has been measured at less than the
value for ethane, hence are expected
to be classified as VOC-exempt in
the U.S. (Carter, W. P L., 2009). The
European Union uses a somewhat
different measure to characterize
propensity for ground level ozone
formation -- photochemical ozone
creation potential (POCP) -- which is
reported, and compared to ethane,
which has a POCP of 12.3 (Nielsen,
University of Copenhagen). 1234ze(E)
has a measured POCP of 6.4, well
below that of ethane. The POCP of
Solstice™ LBA is also estimated to be
in this range.
Product Registration Status
In the United States, commercialization
of new materials requires U. S.
Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) compliance with Section 612 of
the Clean Air Act (CAA). Toxicology data
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Technical Article
is submitted to the EPA, together with
an application for a Pre Manufacturing
Notification (PMN). Approval of the
PMN, includes the material’s listing
on the Toxic Substances Control Act
(TSCA) inventory. Further, materials
to be used as blowing agents or in
certain other applications must have
listing as an acceptable substitute for
ozone depleting substances under the
Significant New Alternatives Program
(SNAP). PMN approval and listing on
the TSCA inventory is a requirement
for all new chemical materials. SNAP
listing is a requirement for all materials
in applications that have historically
used chlorofluorocarbons (CFC).
Upon completion of these regulatory
requirements, new materials can be
commercialized in the United States.
Additionally, these materials may
be regulated at the federal, state, or
local levels to comply with volatile
organic compound (VOC) regulations.
1234ze(E) has completed both the
PMN and SNAP process and is now
approved for commercial sale in
the United States. For Solstice™ LBA,
filing for SNAP and PMN has been
completed and is currently under U.S.
EPA review.
In the European Union, REACH
[Re gis tr ation, Evaluation,
Authorization and Restriction of
Chemicals, (EC) 1907/2006] regulation
has, effective June 1, 2008, replaced
the notification provisions of directive
67/548/EEC. Under REACH, each
manufacturer or importer of a
substance over 1 metric ton per year
is obliged to submit a registration
file, including a chemical safety
assessment for volumes greater than
10 tons. For volumes over 100 and
1000 metric tons, additional data
must be submitted. Moreover, for
these volume bands, the registrant
must submit proposals for animal
tests needed to obtain certain (eco)
toxicological data points. The goal
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of the latter provision is to prevent,
as much as possible, (duplication of)
animal tests. In many cases, waivers
for such tests can be proposed.
The registration should indicate
the intended uses for which the
substance is notified. Use outside
these registered uses is prohibited,
unless a downstream user submits a
separate registration file for that use.
1234ze(E) has been notified under
REACH at the >1,000 metric ton level..
REACH Registration of Solstice™ LBA
is in progress.
For Japan, the requirements for
commercialization of new chemicals
requires submission of toxicological
and environmental data to the
Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor
and Welfare (MHLW), the Ministry of
Economy, Trade and Industry (METI),
and the Ministry of the Environment
(ME) for compliance with the Chemical
Substances Control Law. 1234ze(E) and
Solstice™ LBA registration in Japan is
complete, allowing for commercial
sales in Japan.
O ther re g ions of the wor ld,
individually, have requirements
for toxicolog y assessment and
environmental impact assessment
prior to commercialization of new
materials. Honeywell is committed
to obtaining the necessary regulatory
clearances for sampling and eventual
sales of both 1234ze(E) and Solstice™
LBA globally. This registration process
is in progress for both 1234ze(E) and
Solstice™ LBA in several countries,
including China, South Korea,
Australia, Canada, and others.
Toxicity Assessment
At the writing of this paper, Honeywell
has made significant progress towards
completing risk assessment for use
and commercialization of Solstice™
LBA, as might be anticipated by the
U.S EPA SNAP and PMN submissions,
as well as the EU notification level
discussed earlier.
Blowing Agent Properties
Table 1 lists the properties of low
GWP blowing agent compared to
245fa and other commonly used
blowing agents. Note that Solstice™
LBA blowing agent exhibits certain
key physical properties, such as
boiling point and flammability,
similar to HFC-245fa and superior to
those of cyclopentane. Note that the
global warming potential (GWP) of
Solstice™ LBA is 7, and is more than
two orders of magnitude lower than
that of currently utilized HFCs, and is
more than one order of magnitude
lower than the present limitations
in the EU F-Gas Regulation.
Beyond the excellent insulation
p e r fo r m an c e t h at 12 3 4z e (E )
and Solstice™ LBA impar ts to
polyurethane foam, it is distinctly
di f fe r e n t f r o m h y dr o c ar b o n
blowing agents in flammability
characterization. 1234ze(E) and
Solstice™ LBA shipment, storage,
handling, and processing does
not require flammabilit y risk
mitigation, as is the case with
flammable blowing agents such
as cyclopentane. Solstice™ LBA is
nonflammable by ASTM E-681 test
method and has no limitation on
hazards classification. Solstice™
LBA is further distinguished from
cyclopentane and other hydrocarbon
blowing agents by the low potential
to contribute to ground level smog
formation, and is anticipated to be
classified as a non-volatile organic
compounds (VOC). Flammability
and VOC mitigation may contribute
significantly to the OEM’s cost of
adoption and use and in some cases,
such as spray foam, prohibit their
use due to safety considerations.
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Table 1. Liquid Blowing Agent Comparative Properties
Property
Solstice LBA
245fa
Cyclopentane
Molecular Weight
130.5
134
70
Boiling Point
ºC
ºF
19.0 66.0
15.3
59.5
49.3
120.7
Flashpoint
°C
ºF
None
None
None
None
-7
19
LFL/UFL
(Vol % in air)
None
None
1.5 – 8.7
GWP, 100 yr[1]
< 7[2]
103011[2]
PEL[3]300[3]
300600
1) 2007 Technical Summary. Climate Change 2007. The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of working Group 1 to the Fourth Assessment
Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (Except where noted)
2) Solstice LBA: Measured value. Cyclopentane: generally accepted value
3) Manufacturers’ literature, except where noted, Solstice LBA: Honeywell internal OEL.
Low Climate Change Impact
Household Refrigerator /
Freezer
Honeywell has reported in various
papers and proceedings on the
commercial development of LGWP
blowing agents in the various
polyurethane (PUR) applications,
including appliance foams. PUR foam
properties of thermal conductivity
(also known as lambda or k-factor),
compressive streng th, and
dimensional stability derived from
characterization of hand mix foams
or foam panels prepared by means of
a high pressure foam machine have
evidenced efficacy in comparison to
245fa foams. This type of effort to
develop baseline data is necessary
to estimate the performance in
the commercial manufacture of
refrigerators, refrigerator/freezers,
and fre e zer s. However, until
commercial refrigerator product
has been manufactured under
industrial conditions, and assessed
for energy performance and ancillary
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performance, for example, liner
compatibility, adhesion to liner and
metal cabinet and doors, freeze
stability, and other quality aspects,
an OEM cannot make a prudent
decision that a commercially viable,
‘real world’ solution is available.
Honey well repor te d in the
Polyurethanes 2010 Technical
Conference the performance of
household refrigerators/freezers
manufactured utilizing Solstice™
LBA blowing agent, compared to
baseline 245fa blowing agent in the
same refrigerator platform. Further
assessment has been performed
utilizing an Solstice™ LBA appliance
polyurethane system optimized
for thermal conductivity, for which
the resulting assessment will be
discussed and contrasted to the
prior reported data. To that end, a
full scale trial, utilizing Honeywell
Solstice™ LBA blowing agent, with
an optimized polyurethane system,
in a commercially available 623 liter
(22 ft³) household refrigerator/freezer
[bottom freezer, counter-depth
platform] was undertaken. These
thirty refrigerator cabinets, with
associated door sets, were foamed
to investigate:
• Lambda (k-factor) performance
in various locations of the
refrigerator
• Liner compatibility with High
Impact Polystyrene (HIPS)
• Dimensional stability
• Freeze stability at target density
• Compressive strength
• Adhesion to plastic liner material
and metal case
• Foam closed cell content
• DOE (Department of Energy)
Energy Performance
• Energy consumption with 134a
refrigerant working fluid
• Reverse Heat Leakage (RHL)
assessment was additionally
performed on this new set of
refrigerators
The baseline comparison for these low
climate change impact refrigerators
is the same commercial household
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refrigerator/freezer product utilizing
245fa blowing agent and 134a
refrigerant (unmodified compressor
system). It should be noted that the
Solstice™ LBA was substituted for
245fa at an equal molar level in the
PUR foam formulation.
Polyurethane Foam
Formulation
A s dis cus s e d pre viously, the
polyurethane formulation comprised
commercially available materials, and
was supplied by a major PUR systems
house, with Solstice™ LBA equal
molar substituted for 245fa. The
foaming process conditions including
machine temperatures and pressure,
were identical to the conditions for
the 245fa baseline cabinets and
doors. The polyurethane process
parameters are illustrated in Table
2. Those familiar with refrigerator
factories and scale will observe
the scale of foam through-put is
consistent to scale found in North
American world-scale factories, and
is consistent with the size refrigerators
manufactured in this trial.
Table 2. Appliance Process Parameters
Component
245fa
Solstice LBA
Door Foam Rate: kg/min (lbs/min)
40.8 (90)
40.8 (90)
Cabinet Foam Rate: kg/min (lbs/min)
95.2 (210)
106.6 (235)
B-Side Temperature °C (°F)
18.3 (65)
18.3 (65)
A-Side Temperature °C (°F)
21.1 (70)
21.1 (70)
Gel Time (sec)
17.0
17.0
Tack Free (sec)
24.0
24.0
Injection Pressure MPa (psi)
10.4 (1500)
10.4 (1500)
freezer compartment were assessed
for lambda (k-factor) performance.
PUR foam thermal conductivity
can and will vary throughout the
refrigerator/freezer due to foam
flow characteristics and associated
density variation. Chart 1 illustrates
the average lambda (k-fac tor)
performance measured in varying
locations of the refrigerator/freezer.
Solstice™ LBA lambda performance
is approximately 8% improvement to
245fa baseline.
designs and freezers. Differing
liner materials (except steel) exhibit
varying compatibility to PUR foams.
Liner compatibility is dependent
upon a wide variety of variables
including, but not limited to, plastic
thickness, extrusion conditions of
the plastic sheet, thermoforming
or vacuum forming conditions,
and not the least, the blowing
agent. Chlorofluorocarbons (11),
hydrochlorofluorocarbons (141b,
Solstice™ LBA processed very similarly
to 245fa, and no modifications were
made to the PUR foaming equipment
or process - effectively, conventional
existing PUR equipment, existing in
the factory, accommodated Solstice™
LBA.
Additionally, characterization of the
Solstice™ LBA versus 245fa foamed
cabinets and doors suggest no
differences in minimum fill weight
or over pack conditions.
Lambda (k-factor)
Performance
Foam samples from various locations
in the fresh food compartment and
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Chart 1. Average lambda measured across various refrigerator/freezer locations
Plastic Liner (HIPS)
Compatibility
Plastic liners, either high impact
polystyrene (HIPS) or acrylonitrile
butadiene styrene (ABS) are currently
utilized in household refrigerators/
freezers, though, steel liners are
used in some specific refrigerator
142b, and 22), and hydrofluorocarbons
(245f a and 13 4a), as well as
hydrocarbon blowing agents all
exhibited quite varying compatibility
with either HIPS or ABS liner material.
Liner compatibility to PUR foams
containing new blowing agents
is a consideration, as correcting
liner compatibility, while not an
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insurmountable problem, can result
in added cost to the OEM.
Unfortunately, there is no confident
method of assessing refrigerator
liner materials without building
a refrigerator, subjec ting the
refrigerator to thermal cycling, and
subsequently assessing the liner for
blistering and cracking. High impact
polystyrene (HIPS) liner material was
utilized in this refrigerator trial.
Thermal cycle testing for liner
compatibility was conducted using
four refrigerator/freezers with
doors. The units were placed in
and environmental chamber and
exposed to 54 ºC (130 °F) for 10
hours, followed by an exposure to34°C (-30 ºF) for 10 hours. This cycling
was repeated continuously for five
consecutive days, after which the
liners were observed for blistering
or cracking.
Upon completion of the five days
thermal cycling protocol, the HIPS
liners did not exhibit, and were free
of, blisters, cracks, or any visual
degradation.
These first trial refrigerators that
were reported in 2010, were built
in 2009, and continue to exhibit
no degradation of the HIPS liner
materials after two years.
DOE Energy Assessment
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
established, in July 2001, a standard
for the maximum energy consumption
of household refrigerators. In
simplified terms (Federal Register
10CFR 430 for more detail) the
standard allows a maximum energy
usage by refrigerator internal volume,
adjusted for various accessories,
such as through-the-door water
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and ice dispensers. In addition, the
DOE provides for the Energy Star
label for refrigerators, refrigerator/
freezers, and freezers, which, as of
March 2008 is DOE Standard minus
20% energy consumption. Further,
presently the DOE is in the process
of establishing, for promulgation
in 2014, a revised and presumably
more stringent energy standard for
household refrigerators, refrigerator/
freezers, and freezers.
Lambda (k-factor) assessments aside,
meeting the DOE energy standard
is the only criteria that determines
whether a refrigerator meets the
energy requirements to be sold in
the U.S. The refrigerator/freezers
manufactured in this trial not only
met the DOE Standard, not only
met the DOE Energy Star label,
but exceeded the Energy Star label
requirements. Five refrigerator/
freezers utilizing Solstice™ LBA
blowing agent in an optimized
PUR system / 134a refrigerant were
assessed by the DOE Energy Star test
method. Five refrigerators/freezers
utilizing 245fa blowing agent in an
optimized system / 134a refrigerant
was the baseline comparison. For
comparative illustration, the Solstice™
LBA refrigerator/freezer ‘drop-in’ and
245fa ‘baseline’ from the 2009 trial is
included in Chart 2.
Effectively,
t h e 2 0 11
refrigerators
containing
Solstice™
LBA in an
o p t i mi z e d
PUR system
exceeded
t
h
e
proposed
D O E 2 0 14
E n e r g y
Standard, without employment
of further energy solutions to the
platform, such as vacuum insulation
panels or compressor modification.
Summary: Household
Refrigerator Energy
Performance utilizing
Solstice™ LBA Blowing Agent
Commercially manufactured in 2009
and reported to CPI Conference
2010, 710 liter (25 ft³) household
refrigerator/freezers with Solstice™
LBA, equal molar substituted for
245fa, in a commercially available
245fa appliance PUR formulation,
exceeded the DOE Energy Star
performance criteria, and, exceeded
the 245fa baseline performance.
Commercially manufactured in
2011, 623 liter (22 ft³) household
refrigerators, utilizing an optimized
Solstice™ LBA PUR system supplied by
Bayer MaterialScience, LLC exhibited
an energy efficiency improvement
to the baseline 245fa refrigerators
exceeding 4%. Further, this 623
liter refrigerator/freezer platform
exceeded the ‘proposed’ DOE 2014
Energy Standard for this platform.
Solstice™ LBA, in all ancillar y
assessment related to a household
refrigerator/freezer, met or exceeded
Chart 2. Energy Efficiency Performance.
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all requirements, including, liner
compatibility, compressive strength,
dimensional stability, and freeze
stability.
Reverse Heat Leakage (RHL)
Assessment
A s s e s s m e nt o f r e v e r s e h e at
leakage for cold storage, such as
household refrigerator/freezers, is a
methodology to isolate and assess
the insulation performance. While
RHL is not utilized in the U.S. for
energy efficiency standards testing,
the method has continued use in
other regions of the world, and
for those regions with unreliable
electricity supply and distribution,
provides some indication of the
‘time to food spoilage’ in the event of
extended electrical disruption.
Prototype Solstice™ LBA refrigerators
from this trial were assessed for
RHL, along with baseline 245fa
refrigerators. The Solstice™ LBA
refrigerators exhibited a reduction
(in total) RHL exceeding five percent
(5%), illustrated in Chart 3. Note
that while refrigerator size and
wall thickness directly impact heat
leakage, these refrigerators were a
direct comparison from baseline
245fa refrigerators.
Chart 3. Reverse Heat Leakage Comparison
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Further, the reverse heat leakage
improvement correlates to the
separate DOE energy consumption
improvement, a validation of the
efficacy of Solstice™ LBA in an
optimized PUR system.
188 on Wednesday, September 30,
2009 (p. 50132) and Federal Register/
Vol.75/No.115 on Wednesday, June
16, 2010 (p. 34039 ff). 1234ze(E) PMN
(Pre Manufacturing Notification) has
been approved by the U.S. EPA.
Commercialization Status
In the EU, Solstice™ LBA is in the
REACH Registration process, and has
been approved for commercial sales
in Japan under the Japan Chemical
Substances Control Law. In the U.S.,
Honeywell has completed Solstice™
LBA SNAP and PMN filings and the
U.S. EPA is currently reviewing these
filings. Solstice™ LBA development
is significantly underway, with
major successful customer trials
completed or underway in all major
applications.
Honey well has successfully
commercialized 1234ze(E) in the
EU in several foam applications
coinciding with the implementation
of t h e E U F - G a s R e g ulat i o n
constraints on the use of high GWP
materials. Commercialization of
1234ze(E) in Japan and the U.S. is well
underway with several successful
major customer trials completed and
additional trials planned. Recently,
Honeywell announced plans to build
a commercial 1234ze(E) commercial
manufacturing plant at Baton Rouge,
Louisiana, USA – the plant is expect
to be in operation in 2013.
With respect to U.S. commercialization
of 1234ze(E), the Environmental
Protection Agency’s SNAP office
has added 1234ze(E) to the list of
acceptable substitutes for ozonedepleting substances in certain foam,
refrigerant, aerosol, and sterilant gas
applications. That notice appeared
in the Federal Register/Vol. 74/No.
Conclusions
A n o ptimi z e d S o ls tice™ L B A
formulation has demonstrated a
4% system level energy efficiency
improvement in household
refrigerator/freezers compared to
HFC-245fa baseline, exceeds the
current DOE Energy Star label by 9.5%.
Solstice™ LBA, in this commercial
household refrigerator/freezer
platform exceeded the proposed
DOE 2014 energy standard.
As with all new materials, prior to
adoption, the industry requires an
understanding of factors beyond the
initial polyurethane performance
characterization. These analyses
include quality measures such as
dimensional stability and adhesion
to liner and exterior case. In all
ancillary assessment related to a
household refrigerator/freezer, met
or exceeded all requirements.
Solstice™ LBA regulatory approvals
are in process in major markets,
encompassing excellent properties
of ultra low GWP (GWP <7), non
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flammability, and anticipated to be
non-VOC Commercial manufacture
of Solstice™ LBA is estimated by late
2012.
platform, such as vacuum insulation
panels or compressor modification.
Honeywell’s intent is continued
commercialization of low
environmental impact solutions
for the appliance industry, as well
as other industries requiring high
performance, cost effective energy
solutions.
With the global attention
to climate change, and
potential restrictions
on the use of high GWP Aknowledgements
blowing agents and
refrigerant gases in the Honey well acknowle dge s the
various regions of the significant contributions by the
Whirlpool Corporation for their
world, Honeywell and collaboration in providing the
Whirlpool have validated manufacturing site and refrigerators,
the energy efficiency of as well as the Bayer MaterialScience,
LLC in providing the polyurethane
Solstice™ LBA low GWP formulation utilizing Solstice™ LBA.
blowing agent in the
References
context of a second North
American design platform
v. James M. Bowman, David J.
Williams, and Samuel F. Yana
[623 liter (22 ft³)].
With the global attention to climate
change, and potential restrictions on
the use of high GWP blowing agents
and refrigerant gases in the various
regions of the world, Honeywell
and Whirlpool have validated the
energy efficiency of Solstice™ LBA
low GWP blowing agent in the
context of a second North American
design platform [623 liter (22 ft³)].
Further, this work demonstrated
improved energy efficiency to the
initial design platform [710 liter
(25 ft³)] through the use of Bayer
MaterialScience optimized Solstice™
LBA PUR system. This highly energy
efficient household refrigerator/
freezer utilizing an ultra low global
warming potential (GWP < 7) blowing
agent was demonstrated to meet
the requirements of ‘proposed’
DOE 2014 energy standard without
employment of further energy
solutions to this refrigerator/freezer
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Motta: “Low Climate Change Impact
Solution: Household Refrigerators/
Freezers”, CPI Proceedings 2010
2. James M. Bowman and Paul
Sanders. “ A Novel, Environmentally
Sustainable Blowing Agent”, Utech
March 2009
3. James M. Bowman and David
J. Williams. “ HFO-1234ze(E)
Commercial Status and LGWP
Advancements”, CPI Proceedings
2009
4. J. M. Bowman and S. F. Yana
Motta. “Advances in Environmentally
Sustainable Blowing Agents and
Refrigerants”. EEDAL Proceedings
2009
Biographies
J. M. Bowman, P.E.
Jim holds a B.S. degree in Chemical
Honeywell’s intent
is continued
commercialization of low
environmental impact
solutions for the appliance
industry, as well as other
industries requiring
high performance, cost
effective energy solutions.
Engine ering from Iowa St ate
University, Ames, IA, a M.Eng. degree
from McNeese State University, Lake
Charles, LA, a MBA from Northern
Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, and is
a registered professional engineer
in the State of Louisiana. Jim joined
Allied Corporation (AlliedSignal, now
Honeywell) in 1984 and has worked
in sales, marketing, commercial
development, and technical service
capacities. He is currently a senior
principal engineer in Honeywell’s
Blowing Agent Technical Service
and Development Group with
primary responsibility for appliance
industry applications of fluorocarbon
products.
Yordani Sinaga
Yordani holds a B.S degree in
Chemical Engineering from the
Indonesia Institute of Technology,
Indonesia and a M.S degree in
Manufac turing and Industrial
Technology from Western Illinois
University, Macomb, IL. Yordani
joined Maytag, now Whirlpool in
1998, and is currently a Senior
Engineer in Materials Technology
group for Whirlpool Corporation,
where he has been actively involved
in produc t and development
of polyurethane insulation for
household refrigerators.
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IPUA Ventures
Indian Polyurethane Association
A Report Of The Annual General Body Meeting – 2010-11
Venue:
Silver Oak 2, India
Habitat Centre, Lodi
Road, New Delhi.
Date:
2 3r d S e p te mb e r
2011
Time:
1515 Hrs.
Attendance: 50 Ipua Members
Present.
Welcome B y Chairman. The
Chairman Mr Rahul Gautam reviewed
the Indian Scenario and likely
prospect for our Industry and also
reviewed and informed members
of the Associations Activities and
plans.
1. Mr Deepak Mehta
2. Mr M G Bohara
3. Mr R T Bhargava
4. Mr.Jagannath iSarangapan
5. Mr.Rabindra Jhajharia
6. Mr Vinod Vora
7. Mr Sanjay Sanghi
8. Mr Gian C Jain
9. Mr H S Kochar
10. Mr G Anand
11. Mr Mukesh Bhuta
12. Mr Mandar Joshi
13.Mr Rahul Gautam
14. Mr Ashwini K Sehgal
Tirupati Foam, Ahmedabad
Amul Polycure, Chennai
GNFC, Bharuch
U Foam, Hyderabad
Multiwyn Foams, Kolkata
Aromatic Agencies, Mumbai
Momentive Performance, Mumbai
Panama Poly Products , Delhi
Pfeda Synthetics, Noida
Huntsman Polyurethanes
Expanded Polymer Systems, Mumbai
BASF , Mumbai
Sheela Foams
Saan Global, Noida
Secretary General’s Report 201011. The Secretary General submitted
the report – attached herewith. It
was proposed to be adopted by Mr R
Jhajharia and seconded by Mr Sanjay
Sanghi and adopted unanimously.
Since there were 14 positions and 14
candidates – the above candidates
were declared elected to the Executive
Committee of the IPUA for the period
2011-13. This was ratified by the
AGM.
Treasurers Report 2010-11. The
Treasurer submitted the audited
annual report and balance sheet
(at tached) for discussion and
adoption. He answered queries
raised by the members. The motion
to adopt and approve the same was
proposed by Mr Deepak Mehta,
seconded by Mr Romesh Madan and
adopted unanimously.
The AGM concluded with fellowship
and high tea.
Election 2011: The Secretary General
informed the members of the election
to the Executive Committee for the
period 2011-13.
The Returning Officer informed the
members that on completion of the
process the following candidates had
filed their nominations and that these
were scrutinized and found in order.
The candidates are as below:32
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Subsequently the 14 elected members
decided to co-opt 6 members as per
the rules and regulations of the
IPUA.
Dr. G Mahesh – Vice Chairman
Mr. G C Jain – Treasurer
It was further decided to request
Mr. G Ramachandran to be the
SPECIAL ADVISOR TO IPUA and
permanent invitee to the Ex Com.
Mr. Samir Arora to be a SPECIAL
INVITEE for all Ex Com Meetings and
assist in the HPMP Program.
The 6 members co-opted were
The new Executive Committee then
drew up the action plan and thrust
areas for the coming years.
1. Dr. G Mahesh
2. Mr. Rohit Relan
3. Mr. Ajay Durrani
4. Mr. Ravi Muthukrishnan
5. Mr. Romesh Madan
6. Mr. Pranaya Pradhan
It was identified that Insulation
and Education (Meeting Manpower
requirements of the Industry) were
the core thrust areas and a detailed
action plan is being drawn up for
these activities.
The 20 members then elected the
following office bearers
MR. Rahul Gautam – Chairman
Mr. Mukesh Bhuta – Vice Chairman
K.Ramamurthy
Secretary General
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IPUA Ventures
17th International Day for the Preservation
of the Ozone Layer
Address by Shri Rahul Gautam, Chairman, Indian Polyurethane Association
H
on’ble Minister, Smt. Jayanthi
Natarajan ji,
Dr. T. Chatterjee,
Shri J. M. Mauskar,
Dr. B.P. Nilratana,
And of course Dr. A. Duraisamy,
Representatives of Industry, Ladies
& Gentlemen & Members of the
Presss,
On this august occasion of the
“17th International Day for the
Preservation of the Ozone Layer”,
it is my privilege to be among this
distinguished gathering along with
the “Future of India” – the young
children. Greetings to you all.
The celebrations today would surely
help us to refocus our attention and
action on this very important issue of
the protection of the Ozone Layer. I
am indeed thankful for being invited
to as the Chairman of IPUA to share
the thoughts of the industry.
We all know what the Ozone layer
in the atmosphere is and how it
protects us from Sun-burns, Eye
diseases, Low immunity etc. If it
depletes, we all become vulnerable
to excessive UV radiation. Food
production goes down and marine
life is threatened. In fact the whole
web of life is endangered. Obviously
all of us strongly desire it to be
maintained. However there are some
substances which deplete it and
I must confess that our industry
– The Polyurethane Industry was
also using some chemicals which
reduced this atmospheric layer. As
S
e p t e m b e r
2 0 1 1
we all know the atmosphere does
not have any national boundaries,
so all the countries, both developed
and developing had to work together
- and that they did to evolve the
Montreal Protocol in 1987. India also
became a signatory to it in 1992.
The Indian Government through the
Ministry of Environment & Forests
gave this special responsibility to the
“OZONE CELL”.
Our Association interacts regularly
with the “OC” and let me say it
with confidence and with deep
satisfaction that the OC has done
an absolutely outstanding job. It
has exceeded its targets of both
advancing completion dates and
going beyond its call of duty to help
and support neighbouring countries.
Both the “OC” and Dr. Duraisamy
have been very often conferred with
awards by the international fora for
their achievements. Let’s hav a big
round of applause for them.
The India Polyurethane Industry is
represented by IPUA . The members
form a very wide base right from
the raw material suppliers to the
processors and then the actual
users. We recognize that to support
the good work of the Ozone Cell,
some corrective steps have to be
taken. Technologies need to change
and chemicals used need to change.
Let me assure all of you that the
Industry is committed to phasing
out all substances which are not
environmentally friendly.. We have
conducted awareness programs and
are now ready to usher in the new
technologies and substances.
Many years back, we used CFC11–commonly known as Freon,
which was successfully phased out
by a transition material - HCFC. HCFC
may have a low ODP but is high on
GWP. Our industry recognizes the
non-sustainability of HCFC. To us,
sustainable development should
meet the needs of today without
compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.
Hence the process of phasing out of
HCFC has already begun and on behalf
Indian Polyurethane Association, I
assure you that all targets will be
met, if not exceeded.
Today we celebrate the “Ozone Day”.
This provides us an opportunity to
renew our commitment for a better
environment for the entire world. I
am delighted to note that the MOEF
in cooperation with the UN is pushing
hard in implementing this year’s
objectives. I also appreciate that the
industry participation is very vibrant
and continues to play an important
role in a sustainable development
of India.
Allow me to conclude by wishing
the MOEF every success in its noble
endeavours towards making our
Mother Earth a better place to live
in now and in the future.
Thank you
t o d a y
33
PU
Today
PU
IPUA Ventures
Today
Secretary’s Report 2010 – 2011
Dear Members,
I
t gives me great pleasure to submit
before you my report for the
financial year – 2010-11.
At the outset, I would like to express
my sincere thanks to all the Chairman,
Vice Chairman, Treasurer, Executive
Committee Members, and Members
for all the assistance and guidance
given to me during the year.
PU TECH 2011
A detailed report of the event has
appeared in our newsmagazine
POLYURETHANES TODAY – June 2011
issue. This event exceeded all the
expectations of all the Exhibitors,
Speakers, Dignitaries and has become
an event that the entire PU Global
Fraternity looks forward to. The Gala
Evening appears to be the right topup for the event..
I would again request all members
to avail of this oppurtunity to
advertise in the magazine and get
maximum coverage in the Indian PU
industry. Technical contributions and
sponsored articles are also invited for
publication.
Website
Ozone Cell: HPMP Program
Our website is gaining increasing
popularity and we have had around
1500 clicks this year.. The enquiries
generated on the website have been
passed on to the concerned members
during the year. Since this medium
of communication is fast giving
popularity, I would request members
to advertise in this, so that their
products get worldwide attention. I
would also like to place on record the
prompt response and services of our
webhoster Ms Cherrytec Solutions.
Thanks to the pioneering efforts of
our Vice Chairman Mr Mukesh Bhuta –
we are now a recognized integral part
of the HPMP Program for HCFC Phase
out in our sector. We have conducted
three awareness workshops and have
participated in their meeting as well
as the INDO-US Joint meeting. Our
Chairman Mr Rahul Gautam recently
delivered the keynote address on the
Ozone day with the Hon Minister of
Envirnonment present.
Membership
Our sincere thank s to all the
Exhibitors, Sponsorers, Conference
Faculty and all Visitors in making
this event a grand success from all
view points.
Publications
Our quar terly new smag azine
POLYURETHANES TODAY continues to
be a comprehensive communication
and information tool for all of us
and is also gaining international
recognition. Our Thanks to the
Editorial team headed by Ms
Medha Bhuta We wish to thank the
advertisers for their support. Thanks
are also due to Red Sky Designs and
Ms Citiprint for their assistance in
this regard.
34
t o d a y
Committee Members are attending
the ASCON – CII meetings and
participating in the deliberations.
We have also furnished data required
by CII.
We have enrolled around 40 new
members this year and the total
membership now stands at 245. Of
the 245 members – 3 are life members
and 71 A Category Members. There
have been about 40 drop outs during
the current year – the total number
of dropouts has now reached an
alarming figure of 100 - and I would
request your cooperation to see
that dropouts are minimized and
the membership drive taken up so
that we cover the entire Indian Pu
industry.
CII
We continued to be associate
members of the CII. Our Executive
We are actively working out a road
map for implementation of the GOI
Commitment and Mr Mukesh Bhuta
will apprise you of further details.
We would like to express our sincere
thanks to all members of the IPUA/
HPMP Committee for their untiring
efforts in generating/collating data
for presentation to the Ozone Cell
and UNDP.
A sponsored program on new blowing
agents by Ms Honeywell is slated for
this year.
VAT IMPLEMENTATION ON PU FOAM
PRODUCTS
We have made several representations
to the Government of India and the
various State Governments regarding
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e p t e m b e r
2 0 1 1
IPUA Ventures
the VAT sales tax and have been
successful in bringing the VAT rate to
on Pu foam to 4% in several states. This
matter is being vigorously pursued in
the balance states and all members
are requested to cooperate so that
we can get an uniform equitable
rate across the country which will
encourage growth further.
Manpower Requirements Of
The Industry
Members will recall that we had
conducted brief two day orientation
programs to enhance skill of the
operating personnel. This program
could not be conducted this year
due to preoccupation with PUTECH
2011.
We are also trying to work with
the National Skills Development
Corporation and GNFC to evolve
training programmes so that skilled
manpower needs of the industry
are met.
Energy Conservation
As you are all aware, PU plays an
important part in energy conservation
and green buildings. To carry this
message further – your Association
intends to conduct two half day
programs in Delhi and Chennai to
highlight this aspect in collaboration
with the Bureau of Energy Efficiency.
This is one area we all need to work
upon unitedly since this promises
immense potential and also serves
national interest.
CPI / PUCHINA
The Secretary attended these events
on your behalf. You will be glad
to note that your Association has
gained international recognition. I
would like to thank the Chairman,
S
e p t e m b e r
2 0 1 1
PU plays an important
part in energy
conservation and green
buildings. To carry this
message further – your
Association intends to
conduct two half day
programs in Delhi and
Chennai to highlight this
aspect in collaboration
with the Bureau of
Energy Efficiency. This is
one area we all need to
work upon unitedly since
this promises immense
potential and also serves
national interest.
Vice Chairmen and Treasurer for their
untiring efforts in this regard.
Global Working Group
You will also be glad to note that a
Global Working Group consisting of
representatives from the CPI, ISOPA,
Korea Pu Society, Thai Pu Society,
China Pu Industries Association,
Japan Polyurethane and your
Association has been formed to
interact and exchange notes on
aspects of Safety, Environment and
Product Development, We have had a
meeting in New Delhi during PUTECH
2011 and are planning the next one
during UTECH Europe next March.
Members views on the activity plan
at these meetings is requested.
condolences to the family and team
members of both these members.
The undersigned has also been
regularly attending meetings of
the Plastics E xpor t Promotion
Council, Indian Plastics Institute,
CIPET, etc., so that the presence of
our Association gets established
in trade / government circles. We
are planning to strengthen all the
activities mentioned above and also
add on new activities as per your
suggestions. Your continued support
and guidance is a must to make a
success of the activities and these
are required on a daily continuous
basis.
I would like to once again express
my sincere thanks to the Chairman,
Vice Chairmen, Treasurer and all
the Executive Committee Members
for the continued guidance they
have given me in the past year. In
addition to the above my special
thanks to Ms. Lalitha (Sheela Foam),
and Mr. Mangal Chand, (Panama Poly
Products)for all the assistance given
during the year.
The strength of any Association lies
in its members – we need your active
participation and guidance – please
do not hesitate to contact me or any
of the Ex Com Members.
I wish that all of you
Achieve & Exceed Your Growth
Aspirations with Green Inspirations
With Best Personal Regards,
Condolences
During the year under review, two
of our members Mr Bhushan Jain (of
Enkay Foam) and Mr N C Garg (Crystal
Foam) passed away. Our Heartfelt
K.Ramamurthy
t o d a y
35
PU
Today
PU
Today
36
t o d a y
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e p t e m b e r
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Previews & Reports
UTECH Asia / PU CHINA 2011: A Report
Vital Statistics
Venue: Shanghai New International
Expo Centre, W5 Hall, Pudong,
Shanghai.
Dates: September 6 to 8th 2011.
Total Floor Area: 11000 sqm +
Total Stall Area: 7000 sqm +
International Exhibitors: 78
Chinese Exhibitors: 117
Estimated No. of Visitors: 9000+
- including about 100 from India.
IPUA Stall: H9
Organisers: Crain Communications/
China Minmetals Corporation/China
PU Industry Assn
Opinions/Views
Well organized – the focus appears
to be on the Chinese companies –
the Chinese Companies appear to
have become more aggressive both
in the raw material and machinery
segments – the Chinese companies
appear also to be on an expansion
mode for overseas operations – many
instances of Chinese companies
venturing into Phillipines, Vietnam,
Cambodia and Thailand.
Green Technologies also highlighted
both for polyols and blowing agents.
Recycling Technologies also on
display
Next September they are planning
PUCHINA 2012 in Shenzhen. It
appears that this event in either
name of UTECH Asia/PU CHINA will
become an annual event. It is felt
by International Exhibitors that the
frequency may reduce both exhibitor
and viewer interest.
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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e p t e m b e r
2 0 1 1
t o d a y
37
PU
Today
PU
Books & Periodicals
Today
The Chinese market for thermal
insulation products
I
AL Consultants has recently
published a new, fully updated
edition of it s repor t entitled
The Chinese Market for Thermal
Insulation.
With the enforcement of energysaving policies in China, a booming
standards and measures.
• There are about 40 billion square
meters of buildings in China currently,
of which 75% to 80% are high energy
consuming buildings. The Chinese
government focused on transforming
165 million square meters of existing
Chinese Market for Thermal Insulation
2010 (133,239,000 M3)
• Mineral Fibre: Glass wool
& Stonewool
• Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)
• Extruded Polystyrene (XPS)
• Polyurethane Foam
• Phenolic Foam
economy and fast-growing
construction sector, the market for
thermal insulation materials in China
has remained buoyant despite the
global economic recession. In 2010,
total Chinese demand for thermal
insulation reached some 133 million
m³, equivalent to approximately 4
million tonnes and valued at RMB
65 billion.
•By 2020 the Chinese government
is determined to reduce its energy
consumption by 50% from that of
2005, which will provide a significant
boost for the growth in thermal
insulation material demand in
China.
• To achieve the energy saving targets,
the government has implemented a
series of compulsory energy saving
• Improvement in incomes and living
standards will further boost demand
for thermal insulation, as heating and
air conditioning in homes become
more popular.
The Chinese Market for Thermal
Insulation is available to purchase
in one comprehensive volume and
includes both data for 2010 and
forecasts to 2015 for the following
product categories:
Source: IAL Consultants
38
will provide significant opportunities
for the thermal insulation material
industry over the next five years.
t o d a y
buildings in the 11th Five Year plan
period (2006-2010), and will continue
to reinforce the transformation of
the remaining buildings into energy
efficient buildings.
• Commercial and public buildings
will be the focus in the 12th Five
Year Plan period (2011-2015); this
Market data split by region and
by end-use application is also
provided.
For more information or a brochure
on this study, please visit www.
ialconsultants.com
End-use Sector
2010 (m³)
Domestic & Commercial Building
Cold Stores
Agricultural Storage
Total Building
Pipe Lagging
Domestic Appliances
Transport
Process Plant
Total Industry
67,217,100
119,617,800
3,948,600
7,130,500
1,991,100
3,277,700
73,156,800 130,026,000
9,465,700
21,224,000
13,812,000
22,244,000
9,743,80017,332,000
27,060,700
40,466,500
60,082,200 101,266,500
Grand Total
2015 (m³) (% Growth pa)
133,239,000 231,292,500
S
12.2
12.5
10.5
12.2
17.5
10.0
12.2
8.4
11.0
11.7
e p t e m b e r
2 0 1 1
Books & Periodicals
A Global overview of the thermoplastic
Polyurethane (TPU) market
IAL Consultants has recently published the third edition of its report titled Global Overview of
the Thermoplastic Polyurethane Market.
D
espite accounting for less than
5% of the total production of
polyurethane products, TPUs represent
one of the fastest growing and most
highly versatile parts of the industry.
TPUs are supplied as a fully reacted
material that is processed in two
main ways (injection and extrusion) to
manufacture a huge range of products
for many industries.
The TPU industry is highly fragmented
industry and it is a relatively mature in
the Western hemisphere while strong
growth prospects remain in South
East Asia.
Asia is the largest TPU market in
the world. The production is mainly
concentrated in China and Taiwan,
where there are approximately 30
major manufacturers. The Asian
region leads the global TPU with
225,610 tonnes produced in 2010,
thereby accounting for almost 60%
of the world demand of 378,550
tonnes.
Global production of TPU is expected
to increase by 5.6% per year between
2010 and 2015. The largest increase
will be seen in Asia with 7.9% growth
pa.
The versatility of TPUs continues to
drive investment in their development
and commercialisation around the
world. The growth of the Asian market
and cheaper manufacturing costs has
resulted in many Western companies
increasing their
presence in the Asian continent,
especially mainland China. This
trend is expected to continue in
the future, with more footwear and
engineering operations moving to
lower labour costs countries such as
Thailand and Vietnam. The major
use of elastomeric fibres in all types
of clothing, footwear, and especially
in the area of sportswear, means that
TPU applications will move more into
higher value-added areas.
Global TPU Production by Region, 2010
(%)
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e p t e m b e r
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There is an increasing global interest
in bio TPUs. In 2009 Spanish company
Merquinsa launched Pearlthane
Eco, a plant derived and recyclable
TPU made from renewable carbon
resources and successfully marketed
worldwide. The company serves all
major TPU markets, but its main
activity is in the adhesives market
(principally used in the footwear
industry), where it claims to hold
over 45% of the global market for TPU
primers. Accounting for nearly 20% of
global market share, Bayer Material
Science (BMS) is the leading producer
of thermoplastics polyurethanes and
technical films made from TPU.
Following the EU REACH regulations
and the WEEE Directive (Waste
Electronic Electric Equipments),
recyclability is becoming the key
within the plastics industry. Across all
markets many of the TPE applications
have been developed through
conversion from traditional rubber
materials. This is because TPEs offer
improved recyclability and they
often present more options in terms
of parts integration, manufacturing
cost reduction, colour and design
differentiation. This has a particular
impact on the automotive and
electronic sectors.
On the consumption side, TPUs
represent a relatively mature
market and continue to face strong
competition from other thermoplastic
elastomers, especially thermoplastic
olefins (TPOs) in film and sheet use.
The main advantage that other
t o d a y
39
PU
Today
PU
Today
40
t o d a y
S
e p t e m b e r
2 0 1 1
Books & Periodicals
thermoplastic elastomers have over
TPU is their more competitive price.
Therefore TPUs are often used in
special applications where they
outperform any other material.
In Asia-Pacific, demand is dominated
by the sports and leisure segments,
reflecting the extent to which
production for sporting goods (i.e.
soles for soccer shoes) and leisure
wear has almost entirely moved
to this region. It is estimated that
volume growth is approximately 8%
per year in Asia-Pacific, significantly
higher than the 1.7% growth rates
anticipated in the Americas and 2.4%
in EMEA.
China’s market is growing at almost
10% per year because it still delivers
several TPU grades to customers
across the Asia-Pacific region, whereas
other emerging markets, such as
Malaysia and Vietnam, are enhancing
their domestic production.
In Europe, the Russian automotive
industry is emerging as one of the
most competitive and dynamic in
the world. Government initiatives
and incentives are filliping the
As a result of some Asian
economies benefiting
from the transfer of
manufacturing operations
from more mature
economies, growth in
the Asian TPU market is
placed at 8.2% pa, due
to the booming housing
market and the largest
footwear industry in the
world.
industry and attracting the foreign
players, with new opportunities
for TPU. On the other hand, the
decline of the automotive sector
during the recession in both Eastern
and Western Europe has put more
pressure on those governments that
have tried to help their automakers
as the economic crisis continues to
hurt the region’s motor industry.
Global TPU Consumption by End Use 2010
(%)
T he g lob al demand for TP U
is expected to increase by 5.9%
annually until 2015; however growth
forecasts for the global TPU vary
considerably depending on the
region. Projected growth for the
EMEA markets is placed at about 2.5%
per annum over the period 20102015 whereas in the Americas this is
seen at around 1.9% pa. Neverthless
South American economies remain
buoyant, especially Brazil, where
consumer demand is growing fast
and much hope rests upon the
Football World Cup in 2014 and the
Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in
2016.
In both of these regions a further
contraction of the footwear sector is
foreseen, while the automotive sector
is expected to grow steadily.
As a result of some Asian economies
benefiting from the transfer of
manufacturing operations from
more mature economies, growth
in the Asian TPU market is placed
at 8.2% pa, due to the booming
housing market and the largest
footwear industry in the world. PVC,
rubber and metal replacement are
continuing to boost the market and
this is expected to continue in the
future.
Overall demand has been driven by
the partial recovery in the automotive
and insulation material industries.
After three quarters of growth in
2010, the outlook for 2011 is one of
stabilisation. We should see further
growth this year but not as much
as in 2010, when a knock-on effect
occurred after the global economic
down-turn.
S
e p t e m b e r
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For more information about the
report please contact Cathy Galbraith
at cgalbraith@brggroup.com
t o d a y
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PU
Today
PU
Today
Events & Trends
Events Calendar
INTERNATIONAL
25 - 29 Oct 2011
IPF Japan 2011
International Plastic Fair
Association
Tokyo
06 - 07 Dec 2011
Polymers for Implantable
Medical Devices
Smithers
Dublin
01 - 02 Nov 2011
Polyurethanes: An Introduction
– Science, Applications
Smithers
Shrewsbury, UK
01- 06 Feb 2012
Plastindia 2012
Plastindia Foundation
New Delhi
02 - 03 Nov 2011
PFA General Business Meeting
and Technical Program
Polyurethane Foam Association
Phoenix, Arizona, Usa
16 Nov 2011
Polyurethane Coating
Vincentz Network GmbH & Co.
KG
Amsterdam
17 - 20 Nov 2011
Putech Eurasia
rtkim Fuarcilik Tic. Ltd.
Istanbul
26 - 29 Mar 2012
Polyurea Development
Association Annual Conference
Pda Polyurea Development
Association
15 -17 Apr 2012
Adhesive And Sealant Council
2012 Spring Convention
The Adhesive And Sealant
Council, Inc.
Denver
29 Nov - 01 Dec 2011
Fire Resistance in Plastics 2011
Applied Market Information Ltd
Cologne
42
21 - 22 Mar 2012
Plastics In Automotive
Engineering 2012
Vdi Wissensforum Gmbh
Mannheim
Orlando
t o d a y
17 - 18 Apr 2012
Utech Europe 2012
Crain Communications Ltd
Maastricht
18 - 21 Apr 2012
Chinaplas 2012
Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd
Shanghai
07 - 10 May 2012
American Coatings Show And
Conference
Vincentz Network Gmbh & Co.
Kg
Indianapolis
08 - 12 May 2012
Plast 2012
Fiera Milano International
Milan
14- 17 May 2012
Plastvision Arabia 2012
Expo Centre Sharjah
Sharjah
16 - 23 Oct 2013
K 2013
Messe Düsseldorf GmbH
DUSSELDORF
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PU
Today
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PU
Today
44
t o d a y
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e p t e m b e r
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FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION ONLY. Edited by Ms Medha Bhuta Published by K. Ramamurthy for Indian Polyurethane Association
Printed by citiprints | 94449 42151 | www.citiprints.com

polyurethanestodaysep tember - Indian Polyurethane Association

Transcription

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