The Urethane Blog

Chemtura Expands Line

Chemtura Announces Expansion of Its Urethanes Business into High-Performance Thermoplastic Polyurethane Products

5/15/2013 11:00:00 PM - Article #50429 PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Chemtura Corporation (NYSE/EuroNext Paris: CHMT), a world leader in hot-cast urethane pre-polymers, today announced the launch of its thermoplastic polyurethane product line under the Ultralast™ brand. “The unique formulation of our Ultralast Thermoplastic Urethanes allows plastic manufacturers to achieve superior performance by utilizing Chemtura's cast urethanes technology”

“The unique formulation of our Ultralast Thermoplastic Urethanes allows plastic manufacturers to achieve superior performance by utilizing Chemtura's cast urethanes technology,” said Matthew Hellstern, president and general manager of the Urethanes business.

Ultralast products are based on Chemtura's proprietary low free (LF) technology, which helps to eliminate undesired reactions. This well-defined polymer structure results in improved properties and easier processing. Chemtura's leadership in cast urethanes, with more than 300 prepolymer products under the Adiprene® / Vibrathane® / Duracast® brands, has allowed it to leverage its cutting-edge urethane technologies in designing its Ultralast products.

“We are proud of this addition to our urethanes portfolio, which signifies a commitment to innovation that allows our customers to be more successful in their industries,” Hellstern said.

Ultralast Thermoplastic Urethanes are commercially available in North America through Chemtura's current urethanes sales (www.chemtura-ultralast.com) and channel partner Adiprene Direct (www.adiprenedirect.com). More information is also available by contacting Ultralast customer service (ultralast@chemtura.com).

http://www.mfrtech.com/articles/50429.html

Nano FR Solution



Flame retardant nanocoating is safer and 'greener'

(Nanowerk News) Amid concerns over the potential health effects of existing flame retardants for home furniture, fabrics and other material, scientists are reporting development of an “exceptionally” effective new retardant that appears safer and more environmentally friendly.

Scientists have developed an “exceptionally” effective new retardant that appears safer and more environmentally friendly — ideal for the polyurethane foam in couches and bedding that causes many fire deaths. Their report on the first-of-its-kind coating, ideal for the polyurethane foam in couches and bedding that causes many fire deaths, appears in ACS Macro Letters ("Exceptionally Flame Retardant Sulfur-Based Multilayer Nanocoating for Polyurethane Prepared from Aqueous Polyelectrolyte Solutions"). Jaime Grunlan and colleagues explain that upholstery furniture and mattresses are the items that ignite in about 17,000 fires each year, causing more than 870 deaths, thousands of injuries and millions of dollars in property loss. Since the polyurethane foam in these items is highly flammable, consumer protection agencies have issued stringent safety standards to reduce flammability. But health and environmental concerns exist over some of the traditional flame retardants that manufacturers add to meet those standards. Grunlan’s team thus set out to develop safer, more environmentally benign flame retardants.

They describe successful development and laboratory testing of a new flame retardant coating for polyurethane foam. The “nanocoating” is so thin that 1,000 layers of it would fit across the width of a human hair, and it is made with a relatively benign polymer that creates a “gas blanket,” preventing oxygen from fueling a fire. It is the first flame retardant that both reduces the heat released from fire and prevents the foam from dripping and spreading flames to the rest of the room or house. “The heat release reductions are significant and likely would slow fire growth in real world fire scenarios, giving people more time to escape or to put out the foam, thus, preventing flashover events,” the report says.

Read more: http://www.nanowerk.com/news2/newsid=30490.php#ixzz2TIOGmSuY

BASF Plans Bio-Butanediol

 

BASF Plans Production of Butanediol From Renewable Feedstock Using Genomatica Technology

   -- Licensing the patented production process from Genomatica 
 
   -- Targeting large scale commercial production of renewable butanediol 
 
   -- Further enhancing BASF's portfolio with a renewable-based product 

LUDWIGSHAFEN, Germany and SAN DIEGO, May 10, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BASF plans to begin production of 1,4-butanediol based on renewable feedstock (renewable BDO) using the patented process of Genomatica, San Diego, California. The one-step fermentation process is based on sugars as a renewable feedstock. The companies have agreed not to disclose financial details of the agreement.

The license agreement allows BASF to build a world-scale production facility that will use the Genomatica process to manufacture BDO based on renewable feedstock. Under the terms of the agreement, Genomatica will continue to advance its patented renewable BDO production process technology based on sugars while BASF will produce renewable BDO, which will be available in the second half of 2013 for sampling and trials.

"We chose the Genomatica process because we consider it to be exceptionally advanced and reliable," said Sanjeev Gandhi, President of BASF Intermediates division, and added: "In line with our 'We create chemistry' strategy, we aim to offer renewable BDO and create additional value for our customers, in the plastics, textile and automotive industries."

"We are pleased to cooperate with BASF, the leading global BDO manufacturer with a worldwide manufacturing and sales network and many years of market experience," said Christophe Schilling, Chief Executive Officer of Genomatica, and continued: "This agreement highlights Genomatica's commitment to delivering innovative process technologies to the global chemical industry."

BDO and its derivatives are widely used for producing plastics, solvents, electronic chemicals and elastic fibers. The starting materials for the production of conventional BDO are natural gas, butane, butadiene and propylene. BASF currently produces BDO and BDO-equivalents at its sites in Ludwigshafen, Germany; Geismar, Louisiana; Chiba, Japan; Kuantan, Malaysia; and Caojing, China, and has an annual capacity of 535,000 metric tons. BASF has recently announced the intention of building a BDO complex in China with a capacity of 100,000 annual metric tons.

http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20130510-900735.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Bayer to Present at ASC Meeting

Bayer MaterialScience One-Component and Two-Component Polyurethane Sealants – Composition, Advantages and Uses

Atlanta, GA, April 22, 2013 --(PR.com)-- Although the terms “caulk” and “sealant” are often used interchangeably, they have fundamental differences. Caulks are used to fill a gap or crack and do not allow a lot of movement, while polyurethane sealants are more flexible and function as a barrier to water, air or other substances. Another difference is that sealants offer properties that are higher performing than caulking agents.

Polyurethane sealants are available in one-component (1K) or two-component (2K) formulations. Prepolymers in the backbone of the sealants provide most of the sealant’s properties.

Dr. Jay Johnston, senior scientist, Bayer MaterialScience LLC, provides a further explanation of sealants in his presentation “An Introduction to Silane Terminated Resins and Polyurethane Sealants,” at 10:50 a.m., Monday, April 22. Through his presentation, Dr. Johnston aims to educate attendees on polyurethane sealants – their composition, benefits and possible uses.

Traditional, moisture-cure 1K polyurethane sealants are usually based on aromatic diisocyanates. According to Dr. Johnston, benefits of this type of sealant include very little shrinkage, good flexibility, low modulus, excellent durability and paintability. Additionally, 1K polyurethane sealants are able to be formulated without the use of solvents. Possible foaming when in contact with large amounts of water and slow curing in low-humidity and cold conditions are some of the drawbacks of this technology.

A more recently developed 1K polyurethane sealant technology is based on silane-terminated prepolymers. The silane-terminated prepolymer eliminates the potential for the sealant to foam when in contact with moisture. This, along with colorfast properties, makes silane-terminated sealants attractive to the construction market.

1K polyurethane sealants are mainly used in fenestration applications, such as windows and doors, but can also be used in many other residential or construction applications. Dr. Johnston explains that since both variations of prepolymers are high-performing, moisture-cure 1K polyurethane sealants and 1K silane-terminated sealants continue to grow in popularity.

In his presentation, Dr. Johnston also details 2K polyurethane sealants. These formulations initially utilized polyurethane materials, but have now transitioned to using polyurea technology due to its faster reactivity. Polyureas also cure at low temperatures, making them well-suited for use in refrigeration or low-temperature, outdoor applications. Dr. Johnston adds that polyurea sealants also provide a quick return to service, are less moisture sensitive than 1K polyurethane sealants, prevent spalling of concrete into expansion joints and have good adhesion to most substrates, among other advantages.

“Applicators choose 2K sealants to create structural bonds in applications, such as in between concrete slabs, where strength is required,” says Dr. Johnston. “Unlike 1K polyurethane sealants, 2K sealants are not preferable for use around windows or doors. The 2K sealant formulas are too hard and strong – not providing the flexibility needed for those applications,” he concludes.

Dr. Johnston will also provide a look forward at the trend toward aliphatic systems, which provide increased UV resistance and good aesthetic qualities.

Dr. Johnston’s presentation is part of the Polyurethane Short Course, taking place April 21-22, in Atlanta. This continuing education program features presenters from a number of companies discussing the many aspects of utilizing polyurethanes to formulate adhesives and sealants. It is being held in conjunction with The Adhesive & Sealant Council (ASC) 2013 Spring Convention.

http://www.pr.com/press-release/486640

Polyurethane Used in LNG Transport Systems

Hyundai Heavy Unveils LNG Cargo Containment System

Marinelink.com

Monday, April 15, 2013, 8:15 AM

Hyundai Membrane LNG Cargo Containment System

Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) announced it has developed a high performance Hyundai Membrane LNG Cargo Containment System.

 

The shipbuilding giant’s new membrane type containment system for liquefied natural gas received Design Approval from classification societies including ABS and DNV.

 

The containment system, useable for LNG carriers, LNG FPSO, LNG fueled vessel and LNG bunkering systems, features dual metal barrier and high performance insulation systems. The thin STS304L and Invar-alloy barriers, optimized to sustain thermal, fatigue and sloshing loads, are specifically designed to prevent LNG leakage at the welded secondary barrier. New insulation panels with low density polyurethane foam and glass fiber composite material reduce boil off rate by more than 10% of the stored liquefied natural gas in comparison with conventional insulation panels. Moreover, the insulation panels made up of reinforced polyurethane foam and plywood are specially designed for areas prone to sloshing damage such as LNG tank corners.

 

Hyundai Heavy’s LNG technology meets International Maritime Organization standards requiring high level of structural analysis, fatigue analysis, comparative wet/dry drop test and fluid-structural interaction analysis for membrane type LNG cargo containment system. HHI will commercialize the Hyundai Membrane LNG Cargo Containment System after the final performance test.

 

In November 2012, the Ulsan, South Korea-based company introduced an independent liquefied natural gas storage tank model, Lobe-Bundle Tank. This model uses ring-shaped plates instead of conventional flat plates to reduce the weight of the tank and building cost and spray-type insulation to substantially reduce construction time.

 

With the development of Lobe-Bundle Tank and Hyundai Membrane LNG Cargo Containment System, Hyundai Heavy now is better-positioned to build quality LNG carriers living up to the high standards demanded by the global market.

http://www.marinelink.com/news/containment-unveils353472.aspx

Propane DeHydrogenation Update

Market outlook: New PDH units may lead to US polypropylene resurgence

05 April 2013 16:37  [Source: ICB]

Proposed new propane dehydrogenation (PDH) units in the US may lead to a renaissance for this key polyolefin

In these times of wild propylene volatility, when prices are just as apt to swing up by 15 cents/lb ($331/tonne, €255/tonne) one month as they are to swing back down by 20 cents/lb the next, it is hard to imagine a future golden age for any of its derivatives - especially polypropylene (PP).

 

PDH plants will fill the propylene supply gap created by cracking lighter feedstocks Copyright: PetroLogistics

Yet, with recent announcements of eight PDH units to be built in the US over the next three to five years (see table) many market participants are banking on more pricing stability leading to a resurgence in demand for the commodity. It cannot come too soon for many buyers.

Since December 2012, US PP prices have followed feedstock propylene prices up by 31%, but in March, prices fell by 6 cents/lb - tracking lower propylene costs and kicking off what is expected to be a long slide down.

"Customers are constantly getting whipsawed," said one PP distributor about current market dynamics. "They know that within 10 minutes of getting all filled up with high-priced resins, prices are going to go careering back down on them It's no way to run a business."

VOLATILITY IMPACT
Several years of this type of volatility has had a negative impact on market growth. In 2012, Phillips Sumika shuttered its 365,000 tonne/year PP plant in Pasadena, Texas, because of tough market conditions. Market participants speculated that other closures or consolidations might be on the horizon, though that has so far not proven to be the case.

For full year 2012, the US PP market saw sales growth of less than 1%, according to data from the American Chemistry Council (ACC). While domestic sales improved by slightly more than 1%, the overall figure brought down by an 11% drop in export sales. For the year, exports accounted for less than 5% of sales, according to the ACC.

Low demand growth is expected to continue for at least the next few years, until the PDH units are up and running and propylene becomes more available, sources said.

Stewart Hardy, the global manager for petrochemical market dynamics for Nexant Chemsystems, has said the planned PDH plants will cover the propylene lost as a result of a shift by US steam crackers to lighter feedstocks, in addition to providing for some growth.

EIGHT PROJECTS

The eight new projects announced by six different producers in North America could bring at least 4m tonnes/year of propylene capacity to market. On 18 March, US-based midstream company Williams said it plans to build and operate a 500,000 tonne/year PDH plant in Alberta, Canada, at a cost of $900m. The facility is scheduled to come on line in the second quarter of 2016 and capacity could double in the future.

The propylene will be sent to plants along the US Gulf Coast, Williams said. The company expects the polymer-grade propylene (PGP) will be among the lowest-cost PDH-sourced monomer in North America. Williams is also exploring new propylene markets in Alberta.

Some naysayers doubt all of the announced PDH units will be built. LyondellBasell CEO Jim Gallogly has said he is sceptical about a lasting US propane advantage because of possible of propane exports out of the US.

But for the most part, market participants and industry watchers see good times ahead, with the first benefit being less volatility for the PP market. A more stable source of propylene tied to natural gas will lead to less reliance on the refining sector, which will lead to fewer price swings during refinery turnaround season. "Anything that can reduce the volatility of polypropylene, or ultimately help with propylene prices is a good thing, because PP has been on a rollercoaster ride for a good part of the last couple of years," said Phillip Karig, managing director of Mathelin Bay Associates, a US and European plastics industry consultancy.

It has been the volatility, more than higher resin prices, that has slowed demand in the PP market and caused processors to switch to polyethylene (PE), or, where not possible, to importing finished goods from Asia.

"The volatility is very hard to live with if you are making items for a big box retailer," Karig said. "You can't say, 'You know that microwavable tray I sold to you for 20 cents last month, well I'm now going to sell it to you for 30 cents.' It is just not going to work." Once the volatility is gone, additional growth in the PP market, is possible sources said. "There will be buyers who switch back," Karig said.

ROOM FOR MORE PP PLANTS
So far, there have not been any significant announcements about new PP capacity planned for the US. However, with US production rates running typically in the low-80% of capacity range, market participants say there is plenty of room for existing plants to increase production rates to absorb some of the extra propylene that will be produced.

And as with planned expansions in the US ethylene and PE markets, much of any additional capacity created will be targeted at the export market. "When propylene prices are too high, we export less PP, so a lot of additional propylene from PDH plants probably means that price is going to come down, which means it will make sense for the US to be able to export more," said Dan Lippe, president of Petral Consulting Company.

With global PP demand growth estimated at 5% per year, and US PP demand growth significantly lower than that, it makes sense for US producers to eventually target global buyers.However, while it will lead to more stable demand, Lippe cautioned that increased exports will not necessarily mean significant profits for PP producers. "The people who build the PDH plants, they will make money. How they sell their propylene is another question, but my view is they will turn it into PP, because it is easier to ship," he said. "I'm not saying there is going to be a golden age for PP. I don't think there is."

Additional reporting by Al Greenwood In Houston

http://www.icis.com/Articles/2013/04/05/9656095/market-outlook-new-pdh-units-may-lead-to-us-polypropylene.html

Self Assemblying Urethane Furniture

Self assembling furniture created

8 April, 2013 Cole Latimer 1 comments

 

 

A chair has been designed which is able to assemble itself in only ten minutes.

The furniture, designed by Belgian Carl de Smet, is built from smart-foam technology, which expands from a flat, compact block into a chair when heated, according to NineMSN.

Built from shape memory polyurethane, it can shrink down to five times its size and return to its original shape in around ten minutes.

de Smet has been working on the concept since 2002, and says it is a more sustainable manufacturing process.

"If it gets damaged and it's heated again, [the damage] disappears. If you ship the packaging and something happens to it, it doesn't matter because it isn't the end product; that's in the imprinted memory," he told Dezeen magazine.

The furniture will be unveiled at the Milan Design Festival, after which de Smet aims to bring the design to full size chairs.

 

 

http://www.manmonthly.com.au/news/self-assembling-furniture-created

Polyurethane Pultrusion Equipment

Polyurethane pultrusion: Next-gen equipment

Two years ago, Martin Pultrusion Group (MPG, Oakwood Village, Ohio) finalized the design of a next-generation pultrusion machine and has developed a proprietary direct injection box design for high-pressure pultrusion of polyurethane composites.

Author: Karen Wood

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Source: Composites Technology

Editor's Commentary

This short article is a sidebar to an "Inside Manufacturing" article. To read the main article, click on its title under "Editor's Picks," at top right.

According to Jeff Martin, CEO of Martin Pultrusion Group (MPG, Oakwood Village, Ohio), pultrusion with polyurethanes (PU) — with some initial equipment investment and processing tweaks — can be done on existing pultrusion equipment. Each die requires a machined injection box (for high-volume applications that incorporate dense layers of rovings and biaxial or triaxial fabrics). These are typically manufactured from aluminum or stainless steel, at an investment cost that can range, says Martin, “from a few thousand dollars to perhaps as much as $20,000 as dictated by the size and complexity of the profile being processed.” Also, a meter/mix system is required to pump the material into the injection box. Martin estimates that this piece of equipment, with a static mixer on the end, can cost between $25,000 and $40,000 for each processing cavity. There are also steps that must be taken to address PU’s high processing heat, low shrinkage and increased pull force.

MPG, however, is all-in when it comes to PU pultrusion. Two years ago the company finalized the design of a next-generation pultrusion machine and has developed a proprietary direct injection box design for high-pressure pultrusion. The tools represented a major investment in PU.    

One of the primary differences in its next-generation machine design is the overall robustness of the system. PU pultrusion can require stiffer frames and more powerful hydraulics to handle the larger profiles. Also, due to the high glass loading and stiffness of the urethane resin, PU lines can experience significantly higher pulling forces.

“Our polyester machines typically had approximately 6 tons of pulling force,” explains Martin. “The minimum we have run in urethane is 12 tons. We primarily focus on polyurethane applications that require a 20-ton pull force,” he says, noting that one upcoming order will require a 40-ton pull force.

Today MPG provides pultrusion services and markets equipment to other pultruders. For the latter, the next-gen machinery is not just an option, it’s the only option. “Even if our customers want a polyester machine,” says Martin, “we are selling the upgraded machine because we believe that those who are using polyester today will find themselves wanting to have hardware to run urethane in the future.”

Martin is equally optimistic about the future of his direct injection system, particularly in light of potential action by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Washington. D.C.). “The EPA is starting to become very critical of our industry because of the VOCs associated with traditional, open bath processing,” he points out. “Moving to a closed bath, contained injection system significantly reduces emission issues surrounding VOCs, including employee exposure.” Further, the pure PU resin system now used by Gulf Synthetics (Cummings, Ga.) — Baydur PUL 2500, supplied by Bayer MaterialScience (Pittsburgh, Pa.) — features 10 percent bio-content. According to Bayer’s new markets manager, Harry George, a new formulation (Baydur PUL 3500) will feature 20 percent bio-content.    

http://www.compositesworld.com/articles/polyurethane-pultrusion-next-gen-equipment

Direct Oxidation

Light may recast copper as chemical industry 'holy grail'

• 

Published on Mar 28, 2013

Contact Kate McAlpine, (734) 763-4386, kmca@umich.edu or Nicole Casal Moore, (734) 647-7087, ncmoore@umich.edu

Marimuthu Andiappan, a PhD student in the Linic lab, holds up a small sample of the copper catalyst.The copper nanoparticles can use light to get rid of the oxygen bound to their surfaces, making it possible for copper to catalyze a chemical industry "holy grail" reaction. Photo: Joseph Xu, Michigan Engineering Communications & Marketing.

 

ANN ARBOR—Wouldn't it be convenient if you could reverse the rusting of your car by shining a bright light on it? It turns out that this concept works for undoing oxidation on copper nanoparticles, and it could lead to an environmentally friendly production process for an important industrial chemical, University of Michigan engineers have discovered.

"We report a new physical phenomenon that has potentially significant practical implications," said Suljo Linic, an associate professor of chemical engineering, who led the study, which is published in the March 29 issue of Science.

Copper's newfound ability to shake off oxygen attached to its surface could allow it to act as a catalyst for a long-sought reaction, causing oxygen molecules to bind with propylene molecules in the way that forms propylene oxide. Propylene oxide is a precursor for making many plastics, toiletries and other household products such as antifreeze, paints and insulating foams. To meet demand for these products, the U.S. produces more than 2.4 million metric tons of propylene oxide per year, worth about $4.9 billion.

Unfortunately, producing propylene oxide involves a complex chain of reactions that generate unwanted chemicals. The process that provides about half of the propylene oxide in the U.S. also produces about twice as many tons of salt.

A catalyst that can coax propylene and oxygen to form propylene oxide in a direct reaction, avoiding the waste, has been called a "holy grail" of catalysis. Metallic copper showed promise, but it had—until now—been written off because it tends to bind itself to oxygen, forming copper oxide, which has poor catalytic properties.

"Copper in metallic form has this unique electronic structure that activates the reaction pathway for propylene oxide more than the undesired pathways," said Marimuthu Andiappan, a graduate student in chemical engineering and first author on the paper.

Metallic copper prefers to bind oxygen with two of the propylene's carbon atoms, forming propylene oxide. Copper oxide, on the other hand, tends to break the propylene down into carbon dioxide or attach the oxygen to only one carbon atom, resulting in the herbicide acrolein.

However, Andiappan, Linic, and former chemical engineering graduate student Jianwen Zhang found that if copper is cleverly structured, light can reverse its oxidation. The team made copper nanoparticles about 40 nanometers across, or roughly one-hundredth of the thickness of a strand of spider silk. They peppered tiny particles of clear silica with the nanoparticles and then floated a gas of propylene and oxygen over the resulting dust.

In the dark, the copper oxidized, and only 20 percent of the gas converted to propylene oxide. But under white light, five times the sun's intensity, the copper stayed in the metallic state and turned 50 percent of the propylene into propylene oxide.

The test reactor holds the catalyst in a tiny circular bed and exposes it to propylene and oxygen gasses. When the reactor is closed, a light shines down from the top, allowing the copper to keep the oxygen from binding to its surface. The copper can instead bind the propylene to the oxygen, forming the industrially important chemical propylene oxide. Photo: Joseph Xu, Michigan Engineering Communications & Marketing."To our knowledge, this is the first time anyone has shown that light can be used to switch the oxidation state from an oxide to a metallic state," Andiappan said.

The metallic copper under the oxidized surface concentrated the light, freeing electrons from copper atoms. Those electrons then broke the bonds between the copper and oxygen.

A new kind of reactor that can illuminate the catalyst will be needed to bring this potentially cheap and environmentally friendly way of making propylene oxide to industry.

"Theoretically, it is possible to use mirrors to focus sunlight and get this much intensity," Andiappan said.

"We are just scratching the surface," Linic said. "I can envision many processes that wouldn't be possible with conventional strategies, where changing the oxidation state during the reaction or driving reactions with light could affect the outcome dramatically."

The paper describing this work is titled "Tuning selectivity in propylene epoxidation by plasmon mediated photo-switching of Cu oxidation state." The study was funded by the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation. The university is pursuing patent protection for the intellectual property, and is seeking commercialization partners to help bring the technology to market.

http://www.ns.umich.edu/new/releases/21328-light-may-recast-copper-as-chemical-industry-holy-grail

Large Scale Cast Urethane System

Two-component urethane suits all sizes of moulding

Chemtura Corporation is launching the Adiprene Duracast two-component urethane system. This is claimed to enable customers to pour parts of all sizes - including some of the largest, most intricate parts ever - with greater ease, toughness and durability than ever before possible.

The two components of Adiprene Duracast, with its proprietary curative, offer high performance through superior phase segregation. With no MOCA or BDO cures, Adiprene Duracast delivers significantly longer pot life and quick demould times. As a result, manufacturers gain tighter control over ratio and waste - and higher productivity at lower cost.

No TDI and no MOCA also means improved environmental health and safety, especially in handling; workers do not have to deal with dust or melting issues. The four-step process is easy to learn, which reduces human error while raising quality standards.

Manufacturers can start using Adiprene Duracast without investing in major new mix technology. It works in most applications without significant changes. It is also easy to automate. These factors contribute to defect-free parts.

Another advantage of not using TDI and MOCA is that Adiprene Duracast has the potential for better long-term price stability.

Matthew Hellstern, vice president of Chemtura Urethanes, comments: "Adiprene Duracast demonstrates total improvement in process, product and cost. With the flexibility of making large or small parts with fast or slow cures, customers may now be able to capitalise on applications that were once too difficult to produce with cast urethane or rubber."

http://www.engineerlive.com/content/20618