PUR-NEWS-NAFTA
Albemarle CFO Richard J. Diemer, Jr. to Resign
Albemarle Corporation announced that Richard J. Diemer, Jr., Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, is resigning after five years with Albemarle to pursue another business opportunity.
Richard Fishman, Albemarle‘s Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Tax Counsel will serve as interim CFO.
BASF announces polyurethane systems price increase in North America
BASF announced that effective August 15th, 2010, or as contracts allow, BASF Polyurethane Systems will increase prices by $0.07/lb for rigid polyurethane products, which include, but are not limited to Elastopor® Elastocool®, and FE trade name products.
BayOne Urethane Systems Develops Renewable Resource HR Flexible Foam for Molding Applications
Recognizing market interest in products containing renewable resource content, BayOne Urethane Systems LLC, a joint venture between Bayer MaterialScience LLC and PolyOne, has followed up on its successful Bayfit® 500 flexible foam with the introduction of Bayfit® natural oil polyol (NOP) 633 High-Resiliency Moldable Flexible Foam made with 16 percent renewable resource content. NOPs are one of the building blocks of the Bayer MaterialScience LLC sustainability program, a commitment to innovation, product stewardship, excellence in corporate management, social responsibility and respect for the environment.
Bayfit 633 is 100 percent water-blown and can be molded to a density of 3.0-3.4 pounds per cubic foot (pcf) and is now commercially available. Bayfit 633 also meets California (CAL) 117 fire code standards for flammability.
Developed primarily for use in seating applications (office, recreation, transportation, etc), this "green" system has physical properties very similar to standard HR foams. Additionally, Bayfit NOP 633 has excellent flow properties, which can result in customers using a smaller amount of material in the mold, further increasing efficiency.
Graham Architectural Products joins the EcoCommercial Building Network of Bayer MaterialScience LLC
Graham Architectural Products, manufacturer of architectural-grade windows, doors, and curtain walls, joined Bayer MaterialScience LLC's EcoCommercial Building (ECB) Network as one of its inaugural product solution suppliers.
Graham Architectural Products recently launched the high-efficiency window products line - GThurm - the first American-made architecturally rated (AW) windows to feature thermal transmission measures as low as U 0.18 (R 5.5), using readily available insulating glass. GThurm windows feature Graham glass-reinforced polyurethane (G2RP) technology, offering improved dimensional stability, durability, thermal insulation, and environmental friendliness over traditional windows. G2RP technology employs a unique polyurethane resin supplied by Bayer MaterialScience LLC that contains no volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
According to Graham Architectural Products, to create these superior strength windows, 80 percent continuous stranded glass content is combined with 20 percent resin to produce window lineals using a pultrusion process. Unlike traditional fiberglass window lineals, the GThurm window lineals pultruded with the G2RP process require no additional reinforcement for structural integrity. The unique process allows for lightweight framing with superior structural performance and a thermal performance nearly triple that of ordinary AW-rated products.
In addition to superior strength and increased energy efficiency, GThurm lineals use 57 percent less energy per pound of raw materials to produce than comparable aluminum designs, supporting a sustainable design, according to Graham Architectural Products research.
BaySystemsTM spray PU foam systems and DC 315 coating assembly qualify as a fire resistive thermal barrier
BaySystems'TM Bayseal® CC (closed-cell) spray polyurethane foam (SPF) insulation and BaysealTM CC Polar cold-weather formulation SPF systems passed the stringent requirements of the Underwriters Laboratory (UL) 1715 closed-room fire test when coated with DC 315, a water-based single component product from International Fireproof Technology, Inc. (IFTI). With this approval, the assembly meets the code requirement for a 15-minute thermal barrier.
It is important to note that the UL 1715 test result applies only to Bayseal® CC and BaysealTM Polar Pro products from BaySystemsTM. All other SPF foam manufacturers must have their products independently tested with DC 315 or similar coatings to meet the code requirement.
DC 315 is a water-based acrylic paint that offers a one-step solution to meet the acceptance criteria AC-377 specific to SPF insulation.
Other benefits include:
- single application at 18 mils wet
- application with a roller, brush, or sprayer
- fast and easy cleanup of tools and equipment
- qualification as a low VOC (volatile organic compound) sealant
- a one-year shelf life
"Passing the UL 1715 test is a landmark for us," said Renee Zierden, general manager, BaySystemsTM. "We take our responsibility to offer safe products very seriously, and the approval of our BaysealTM products and DC 315 as a thermal barrier is one small example of our commitment to the end users who ultimately occupy the built facilities."
Passing performance in the UL 1715 test approval meets the international building code requirements for a fire resistive thermal barrier, which is a higher standard of performance than an ignition barrier.
"We wanted to test with BaySystemsTM because they have a genuine concern regarding fire safety issues over foam," Gary Wolfe, executive vice-president of International Fireproof Technology, Inc., said. "It is shocking how often we see confusion about the use of an ignition barrier in place of a thermal barrier. We have found that BaySystemsTM is working aggressively on educating the market place on proper use of ignition and thermal barriers," he added. International Fireproof Technology Inc. manufactures intumescent paint and fire retardant coatings. IFTI products are suitable for most building types including industrial, commercial, and residential. More information about DC 315 is available at http://www.painttoprotect.com/html/_spf__thermal_barrier.html
Brenntag adds to its strong market position in North America
Chemical distributer Brenntag continues its growth path and has agreed with Houghton Chemical Corporation (HCC) to acquire certain assets of the Industrial Chemicals & Solvents division of HCC for a total purchase price of USD 7.1 million. The acquisition enables Brenntag to increase its market share primarily in the New England states and to improve its position in focused industries like Pharmaceuticals, Personal Care, and ACES (Adhesives, Coatings, Elastomers, Sealants).
The acquired business of HCC is focused on the distribution of industrial chemicals. The unit distributes products in focused industries such as Pharmaceuticals, Personal Care, and ACES. The high quality business provides an important contribution to Brenntag North America's geographic and strategic position in New England, New Jersey, and parts of Pennsylvania. For 2010 the acquired division is expected to generate total sales of more than USD 30 million.
Huntsman appoints new polyurethane Supply Chain Director
Huntsman has appointed a new Supply Chain Director for its polyurethanes (PU) division in The Americas. Dr. Derek Crofton moves into the role after almost three decades of service with the corporation and brings extensive experience gained in Europe, USA, and Latin America. He replaces Mark Dearman, who has become Operations Director at the company's Geismar plant in Louisiana and General Manager of Rubicon LLC. Most recently a director of Huntsman's PU business in South America and its thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) business in The Americas, Derek is now responsible for all Huntsman's PU planning, logistics, blending, and warehouse facilities across The Americas. He will also continue to oversee PU activity in the key emerging markets of South America. Derek's in-depth knowledge of the Huntsman Polyurethanes business and his experience of different global markets will help the company leverage its capabilities and capacity across USA operations to supply customers in The Americas and beyond. Derek will be based at Huntsman's offices in The Woodlands, Texas. He will work closely with the team at Geismar, the company's major PU plant in the USA.
KraussMaffei Corp. and Proper Group Int. establish a strategic partnership in the U.S.
 KraussMaffei Corporation, the U.S. subsidiary of KraussMaffei AG, headquartered in Florence (Kentucky), and Proper Group International, Warren (Michigan), have established a strategic partnership. The new alliance will enhance the partners' capabilities to deliver turnkey solutions for polyurethane processing and thereby significantly enhance their customer base.
As part of the new partnership, the development expertise of KraussMaffei and the production know-how of Proper Group International will be combined in a new U.S. manufacturing facility. In the interests of process optimization, KraussMaffei is moving its polyurethane tooling activities from Novi (Michigan) to a new 4 645 m2 Polyurethane Tooling and Technology Center immediately adjacent to the headquarters of Proper Group International in Warren (Michigan). The new facility will have the full service capabilities to design, build, and validate foam and punch tooling, and to perform trials with spray skins and with the new multicomponent SkinForm process.
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