Evonik leadership at the Polyurethanes Technical Conference in Atlanta, USA

Evonik Business Line Comfort & Insulation recently attended the 2012 Polyurethanes Technical Conference in Atlanta, GA (USA). The conference gathers polyurethane industry leaders and professionals providing the opportunity to hear about the latest innovations, technical developments and issues affecting the global polyurethanes industry. The 2012 Polyurethanes Technical Conference featured 63 technical presentations, 36 table top exhibits, 26 poster presentations and eight Professional Development Program (PDP) courses. Nearly 900 people attended the 2012 conference, an increase of more than 100 attendees from 2011.

Steve Snead-Smith, Comfort & Insulation Business Director NAFTA, also serves as the Center for the Polyurethane Industry (CPI) Steering Committee Chairman. This industry association has more than 60 member companies and serves as the voice for the polyurethane industry in North America. Snead-Smith addressed the audience in the opening session of the conference, “Prospects for the polyurethane industry look bright and promising.” In his address Snead-Smith highlighted the benefits that polyurethane foam provides the downstream markets in support of global megatrends. He detailed that Resource Efficiency is helping to create the demand for energy efficient insulation in buildings and vehicle lightweighting. This demand translates into increased usage of polyurethane foam insulation and next generation, comfort automotive seating. “These are positive trends in many downstream industries and…will also present opportunities.”

When asked about the implications of these trends for Evonik, Snead-Smith responded, “We are creating additives in wall insulation that can regulate the cell size of the foam, delivering improved insulation properties. We are also creating additives for commercial roofing that focuses on better insulation without sacrificing foam compressive strength – a needed combination for improving insulation on the roof. Both of these help to differentiate our customers’ products and reduce energy usage for the consumer. We are creating additives that help improve the comfort and performance of lighter weight automotive foams. This partnership with our customers differentiates their products: seats, instrument panels, or noise dampening foams; ultimately reducing consumer cost to operate the vehicle. Finally, we are creating additives that reduce the volatile emissions from foams in mattresses and automobiles, creating more sustainable, consumer products.”

This is Snead-Smith’s second year as the leader of the steering committee. The Evonik Comfort & Insulation team was represented by 16 individuals. These represent sales, marketing, and technical functions both globally and in the NAFTA market. The industry conference was celebrating 75 years since the invention of polyurethane by Dr. Otto Bayer. The 2013 Polyurethanes Technical Conference will take place in Phoenix, AZ (USA) from September 23-25.