polyurethanestodaysep tember - Indian Polyurethane Association
Transcription
polyurethanestodaysep tember - Indian Polyurethane Association
PU Today S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y 1 PU Today 2 p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 PU 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 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y 3 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 [email protected] Phone: +91-124-675 3115 There is no cost to attend this conference! Sincerely, 4 p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 PU Today Contents C PUBLISHED BY THE INDIAN POLYURETHANES ASSOCIATION o n t e n t s Vice Chairman’s Message .................. EDITOR MRS. MEDHA BHUTA 3 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 [email protected] VICE CHAIRMAN DR. G. MAHESH 022 67934904 [email protected] Mr. MUKESH BHUTA 022 2768 0303/[email protected] TREASURER MR. GIAN JAIN 011 2724 6907/4237 6465 [email protected] Previews & Reports ...............................37 Books & Periodicals ..............................38 Events & Trends ................................... 42 SECRETARY GENERAL MR. K. RAMAMURTHY 044 2499 5923 [email protected] [email protected] IPUA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS MR. JAGANNATH SARANGAPAN+9140 23704551/3 [email protected] MR. G. ANAND +9122 2778 7396 [email protected] MR. MANDAR JOSHI +9122 6791 7420 [email protected] MR. DEEPAK T. MEHTA +9179 2630 4652/3/4/5 [email protected] MR. M. G. BOHRA +9144 2595 2001/2 [email protected] MR. H. S. KOCHAR +91120 4080000 [email protected] MR. S. RAJESH T. BHARGAVA +912642 247160/61/62 [email protected] MR. RABINDRA JHAJHARIA +91332229 8904/2229 5496 [email protected] MR. PRANAYA PRADHAN +9731303238 [email protected] MR. SANJAY SANGHI +91224005 9350/51/52/53/54/[email protected] MR. VINOD VORA +9122 413 5141/5889 [email protected] MR. ASHWINI K. SEHGAL +91120 4031000 [email protected] MR. ROMESH MADAN +9111 41613643/44/45 [email protected] MR. ROHIT RELAN +91124 2341258 [email protected] MR.AJAY DURRANI +91120 3921199 [email protected] MR RAVI MUTHUKRISHNAN+9144 [email protected] PERMANENT INVITEE & SPECIAL ADVISOR TO THE IPUA MR G RAMACHANDRAN +91 44 24345738 PERMANENT INVITEE MR. SAMIR ARORA S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 [email protected] 011 26912375/26917758/26831850 [email protected] [email protected] p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y 5 PU Industry Updates Today 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 6 p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y 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 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 PU 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 Today 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 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 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) p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y 7 PU 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 8 p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y 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: [email protected] 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, S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 PU 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. S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 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) p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y 9 PU Today 10 p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 PU Product News Today 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 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 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. p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y 11 PU 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 12 p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y 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 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 PU 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 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 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 p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y 13 PU Today 14 p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 PU Interview 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 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 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? p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y 15 PU Today 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, 16 p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y 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: S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 PU 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 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 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. p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y 17 PU 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 18 p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y 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 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 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 PU Today A Advertisement d v e r t i s e m e n t T a r i f f 1 Issue 2 Issues 4 Issues 16,000.00 USD 355 15,000.00 USD 335 14,000.00 USD 310 Inside Front Cover 12,000.00 USD 265 11,000.00 USD 245 10,000.00 USD 225 Inside Back Cover 12,000.00 USD 265 11,000.00 USD 245 10,000.00 USD 225 Full Page Colour 10,000.00 USD 225 9,500.00 USD 215 9,000.00 USD 200 Half Page Colour 6,000.00 USD 135 5,500.00 USD 130 5,000.00 USD 125 Quarter Page 4,000.00 USD 90 3,500.00 USD 80 3,000.00 USD 70 1/8th Page 2,000.00 1,750.00 1,500.00 Back Cover Sponsored Feature (2 pages ) Rs 12,000 (USD 270) Each Additional Page Rs 4000 (USD 100) Service Tax is applicable at the rate of 10.30% as per Government rules. The Inside Front & Back Covers And Back Cover are already booked for the next four issues. Technical Details of the Ad Bleed Size: 8.5 In X 11 In (21.59 Cm W X 27.94 In H) (Letter Size) Print Area: 7 in x 9.24 in (17.8 cm W x 29.50 cm H) YOU HAVE TO SEND THE MATTER IN A PDF FILE OR EPS OR TIFF FORMATS ALL MATTER TO BE SENT TO Ramamurthy K Secretary INDIAN POLYURETHANE ASSOCIATION Flat 7, III Floor, Shakti Mahal, New 24, Old 41, First Main Road, CIT Colony, Mylapore, CHENNAI 600 004. Tel/Fax: 044 2499 5923, H/P: 94440 55923 Email: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y 19 PU Today PU Today 20 p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 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 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 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 p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y 21 PU Today PU Today 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 22 p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y 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 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 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 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 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. p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y 23 PU Today PU Today 24 p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 PU Today S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y 25 PU Today Technical Article 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 26 p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y 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 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 Technical Article 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 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 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 p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y 27 PU Today PU Today Technical Article 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 28 p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y 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. S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 Technical Article 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 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 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 p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y 29 PU Today PU Today 30 p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 Technical Article 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 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 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. p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y 31 PU Today PU Today 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 p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y 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 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 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 p o l y u r e t h a n e s 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 p o l y u r e t h a n e s 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 S 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 p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y 35 PU Today PU Today 36 p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 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 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 p o l y u r e t h a n e s 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 p o l y u r e t h a n e s • 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 (%) Source: IAL Consultants S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 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 p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y 39 PU Today PU Today 40 p o l y u r e t h a n e s 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. Source: IAL Consultants S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 For more information about the report please contact Cathy Galbraith at [email protected] p o l y u r e t h a n e s t o d a y 41 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. 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