LONDON & MAASTRICHT, The Netherlands--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Global market trends and the latest technical, legislative and commercial innovations in polyurethanes (PU) technology will be discussed in detail at the UTECH Europe 2018 exhibition and conference next week (29-31 May) in Maastricht, The Netherlands. Exhibitors are also set to reveal a wide range of polyurethane innovations from stands across the exhibition hall at the MECC.
Featuring more than 80 detailed technical papers delivered in 12 sessions, the conference will cover the latest developments in the world of polyurethanes and reveal unique insights into the European and global market.
Covestro Chairman and CEO Patrick Thomas delivers the conference’s keynote address. Robert Outram, Associate Director at IAL Consultants, will present a Strategic Market Overview, always one of the conference’s most eagerly awaited papers. Lee Salamone, Senior Director, American Chemistry Council, will cover The News from America: PU opportunities and challenges in the US, Canada and Mexico.
A highlight of the conference’s plenary session looking at key strategic and market developments is Jon Penrice, VP Polyurethanes at Dow Chemical, whose keynote is entitled Emotion and function—creating value via marketing the innovation. Kristof Dedecker, Innovation Manager, Huntsman, will present Step change technology for PIR panel production. Ulrich Liman, Senior Vice President for R&D at Business Unit Polyurethanes, Covestro, presents on PUR 4.0 – Digital developments for an improved PUR production.
Sustainability, recycling and the use of renewable resources are a key focus for this year’s event, with no less than 15 papers devoted to the subject in the environment sessions which run over the first two days of the conference. The full three-day conference includes sessions covering all areas of the polyurethanes industry including flexible foams, rigid and spray foams, blowing agents, CASE (Coatings Adhesives, Sealants and Elastomers), additives, polyureas, composites and automotive applications. ISOPA will also be holding a dedicated session on the second day of the conference.
Exhibitor highlights include:
- Covestro’s elastomer stand (530) will showcase the company’s new machine design concept. Alternatives to TDI-MOCA systems will feature strongly among elastomer materials on display.
- Huntsman Tecnoelastomeri (stand 506 and 600) will unveil a new generation of Castech hot-cast elastomer machines. The Castech HP3000 machines are flexible and low maintenance, offering precision metering and mixing.
- Lanxess (stand 904) will reveal new developments in flame retardants, anti-hydrolysis additives, and prepolymers for elastomers, coatings, adhesives and sealants.
- BASF Polyurethanes (stand 630) will showcase its new generation of HFO-blown spray foams, Elastospray LWP, and Slentite a high-performance insulation panel that is twice as insulating as conventional PU/PIR materials.
- Evonik (stand 518) innovations include new non-emissive products to reduce or eliminate VOC emissions in automotive and comfort applications; new additives for PIR rigid foams designed to improve insulation and fire resistance; new ultra-low VOC surfactants, non-emissive catalysts and aldehyde scavengers for automotive polyurethane applications and a new silicone surfactant with extremely wide processing latitude.
- Dow Polyurethanes (stand 310) will highlight its Cepeda rigid panel testbed in Spain, run collaboratively with Italian machinery maker Saip.
- Saip (stand 420) will outline the important details of its recently patented mouth-up foaming fixture as well as revealing its patented third-stream, high pressure mixing head.
- Colours and additives producer REPI (stand 424) will introduce a phthalate free range for its BIO based line; new of VOC/FOG-free colour and additive solutions for the automotive market and its Automatic Feeding System for self-formulators to add colour in the drumming off phase to polyol or pre-polymer using a gear pump and REPI U2011 Dosing Unit.
- Italian polyurethane machinery maker Cannon will reveal three new mixing heads for the polyurethane industry on stand 618.
- Turkish systems house, Kimteks (stand 180) will give details of its new high flow system for pentane-blown refrigerator foams, called Kimcool.
- Cutting machinery company Fecken-Kirfel will reveal its new Loop H32 LF band knife splitting machine on stand 412.
UTECH Europe has launched a fund-raising partnership with Water.org. The charity is committed to bringing access to safe water to 844 million people and access to a toilet to 2.3 billion people. Every $60 donated will help provide one family in need with life-changing access to safe water or sanitation. Donate online at: http://give.water.org/f/utech and share using the social media hashtag #UTECHWater.
UTECH Europe is uniquely placed as the only truly international conference and exhibition for the polyurethanes industry. Unique to Europe is the sheer breadth of the applications of polyurethanes technology from automotive interiors, tiny medical devices, textiles and footwear through to insulation, adhesives and coatings.
Expected to attract more than 8,000 attendees from more than 80 different countries worldwide over the three days of the event, the UTECH Europe exhibition features all the industry’s major players with a total of 208 exhibitors including machinery suppliers, systems houses, technical consultancies and test laboratories.
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UTECH Europe 2018
29-31 May 2018
MECC, Maastricht, The Netherlands
Twitter: @utech_pu Hashtag: #UTECHEurope
Linked In Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/3869236
