NEWS

Backing for ‘common language' in construction industry: Bayer MaterialScience supports UNEP call for common approach to measuring carbon footprint of buildings

Commitment to efforts to reduce environmental impact of construction

Bayer MaterialScience, a division of Bayer AG and a prominent provider of materials used in the global construction industry, has given its support to a proposal by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) for a globally consistent Common Carbon Metric for Buildings which will provide a common language for measuring greenhouse gas emissions and energy efficiency of buildings.
A report released by UNEP SBCI (Sustainable Building and Climate Initiative), ‘Buildings and Climate Change - Summary for Decision Makers,' says energy-efficient buildings could significantly contribute to reducing the risks of climate change. It calls for buildings to be included in any declaration on emissions reductions arising from the recent COP15 meeting in Copenhagen. Patrick Thomas, CEO of Bayer MaterialScience, says that as a member of the UNEP SBCI, Bayer MaterialScience fully supports proposals in the report. "Having one common tool - a common language - in place will provide an internationally coherent and consistent method for measuring the climate footprint of buildings for the first time," says Thomas. "Bayer MaterialScience has been involved in inventing and producing energy-efficient processes and products for the last 60 years. We fully agree with the directions being taken by UNEP SBCI and are delighted that it has included our EcoCommercial Building program in its deliberations."The EcoCommercial Building initiative was launched by Bayer MaterialScience in 2007 as part of the Bayer Climate Program. A key element is the network that the company has built up with suppliers, construction companies, architects and property developers. Bayer contributes its expertise and high-tech products and arranges for the involvement of suitable companies from the network to facilitate tailored solutions for the construction of energy-optimized commercial and public buildings that range from low-energy and passive constructions to zero-emission buildings.

ALIPA Safeguard Programme "We care that you care"
"Many accidents in handling chemical products happen because of personal behaviour rather than due to the products, equipment or procedures in use," says Wolfram Frank, Secretary General of ALIPA.
ALIPA, the EUROPEAN ALIPHATIC ISOCYANATES PRODUCERS ­ASSOCIATION is committed to assure the safe and proper handling of its products and to support their Downstream Users on safety matters. To support and promote this target ALIPA has created the SAFEGUARD programme - WE CARE THAT YOU CARE!
This programme consists of information packages with recommendations and measures regarding safe handling of aliphatic isocyanates. The presentations are available on the ALIPA website in 3 languages and contain 2 packages:
- SAFE HANDLING OF DIISOCYANATE MONOMERS
- SAFE HANDLING of POLYISOCYANATES in SPRAY APPLICATIONS

This programme is aimed to raise awareness and increase understanding of safe use of its products and so achieve a significant reduction of product related incidents and accidents. ALIPA SAFEGUARD is designed as a versatile and adaptable programme submitted to continuous improvement based on a dialog with the users of our products. The programme entails a sustained and long term effort which will also help our downstream users to comply with the implications of REACH. So we are calling on all users of aliphatic isocyanates to join the program:
As WE CARE THAT YOU CARE!

Alwin Mittasch Award 2009 for Jens Weitkamp and Jens Nørskov
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jens Weitkamp, Stuttgart, and Prof. Dr. Jens K. Nørskov, Lyngby, are sharing the Alwin Mittasch Award 2009. This honour comprises a € 10 000 cash award and is presented to scientists, who both have enlarged the basics of catalysis as well as exemplary use in everyday industry. Jens Weitkamp's research areas include isomerisation and the hydrocracking of alkanes as well as the hydrogenation of aromatics using zeolithe catalysts. These processes are essential in oil refinery and processing. Jens Nørskov has made significant contributions towards the better understanding of processes on the catalyst surface through the development of theoretical models. Based on such expertise it is possible to predict the best catalysts for specific applications.
The Alwin Mittasch Award will be granted on 11th March 2010 during the 43rd Annual Meeting of German Catalysis Researchers in the city of Weimar. This meeting is organized by the German Catalysis Society.
The Alwin Mittasch Award of DECHEMA was founded in 1990 and is sponsored by BASF SE. Usually the prize is awarded every three years.

Guillermo Novo to Lead Dow Polyurethanes
The Dow Chemical Company has appointed Guillermo Novo vice president of Dow Polyurethanes. In his new assignment, Novo also takes on the role of global business director for Dow Polyols. Novo joined Dow when the Company acquired Rohm and Haas in April 2009. He succeeds Pat Dawson, who has been named President of the Asia Pacific and India regions for Dow.

Patrice Barthelmes appointed CEO of Eliokem
Patrice Barthelmes has been appointed CEO of Eliokem, a worldwide speciality chemical company.
Patrice served as Vice President and Director for the Packaging & Building Materials Division (USD 2 billion) of Rohm & Haas that he joined in 1999 until its buyout by Dow Chemical in 2009 where he was appointed Vice President and Group Director for its Adhesives & Functional Polymers Division.
Patrice Barthelmes started his career in 1983 as R&D manager at Air Liquide. In 1989 he joined Sanofi Group as Marketing Product Manager and in 1994, Systems Bio Industry (SKW Group) where he held successively the positions of Marketing and Sales Director for the Specialty Additives Division and Head of the Flavors & Fruit Systems Division. Patrice Barthelmes graduated in Chemical Engineering and holds a Master's degree in Environment from the INSA University, Toulouse, France (1983). He also attended an International Management course in the IMD Business School, Lausanne, Switzerland, (1998). Patrice Barthelmes, aged 52, is married and has 3 children.

Boosting energy efficiency for plastics machinery
With annual turnover of around 50 billion euros, the plastics processing industry is one of Germany's major economic segments. Across this industry, energy not infrequently represents up to five percent of manufacturing cost and there is substantial potential for savings. Boosting energy efficiency in plastics processing machinery is the subject of a cooperation agreement, signed on January 15, 2010, in the Mechanical Engineering faculty of the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE).
The other signatory to the agreement was KraussMaffei, the world's largest manufacturer of plastics processing machinery, headquartered in Munich. KraussMaffei develops, manufactures and markets extruders, injection moulding machinery and polyurethane / reaction processing machinery for the international plastics industry. The actual strategic cooperation partner on the university side is the department of Engineering and Plastics Machinery chaired by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Johannes Wortberg. This department specializes in plastic machinery engineering and process technology, including quality management, in plastics processing. The cooperation partners have agreed on regular information exchange and on supporting engineering students and researchers. One specific area of cooperation will be developing and optimizing alternative drive technologies for plastics processing machinery. The remit for this project includes energy consumption, energy recovery, precision and efficiency. KraussMaffei will be mainly concerned with developing and optimizing components, especially the practical implementation and the application-related process engineering. UDE will contribute its scientific and research expertise.
The agreement brings the UDE into the PRIMUS Network for Innovation, set up by KraussMaffei. Other participating universities are the Technical Universities of Dresden and Chemnitz. The UDE will be responsible for the focus area "Energy efficiency".

PANADUR GmbH - Takeover in the Management
End of last year Dr. Beck resigned from the company. Dr. Thomas Moch (51) has been appointed new CEO with immediate effect. After his education as an electronic technician, he studied physics at the Technical University of Magdeburg, Germany, where he receive a PhD in 1988 and worked as a member of a research staff until 1995. Until 2004 he managed several scientific associations, companies and institutions. 2005 - 2009 Dr. Moch was head of an innovation centre for polymer research and worked as consultant in the field of vacuum- and plasma technology.

Stepan Europe announces increased technical service capability
Stepan Europe is pleased to announce Rob Sewell has been promoted to the position of Senior Technical Manager (European Polyols), effective immediately. In this position Rob will manage all technical service activities to our customers of Stepanpol APP's (Aromatic Polyester Polyols) in Europe. Rob has been a member of the Stepan Europe team for the last 8 years playing a key role in developing the applications of Stepanpol APP's in the growing rigid foam insulation market.
Additionally Stepan has announced that Andy Bailey joint Stepan Europe as Technical Development Manager (European Polyols), from beginning of January 2010.
Andy has over 11 years experience within the Polyurethane industry and brings with him significant knowledge of all aspects of rigid PUR/PIR applications including formulation, process, line trials, product R&D and manufacturing. He has previously worked in various technical roles within Baxenden Chemicals, OMS Ltd, Dow Polyurethanes and more recently as the Technical Manager of Hemsec Manufacturing Ltd. As Technical Development Manager, Andy's primary focus will be in facilitating customers who are looking to make the switch to self-formulated PIR foam from systems within the rigid faced panel industry building on his extensive experience in this field.