This year again saw two graduates of the Technical University of Munich, Germany (TUM) awarded the Arburg Prize for outstanding theses in the field of plastics and medical technology: Dr André Hemmler for the best dissertation and Dario Pasquale Arcuti for the best master’s thesis. In both cases, the topic was the use of medical prostheses.

Huntsman has launched a new range of low-emission MDI-based foam systems for automotive interiors: the Acoustiflex LE and Rubiflex LE polyurethane product lines. The company said these technologies allow global automotive formulators and foam manufacturers to produce high-performance polyurethane foams, while significantly reducing interior emissions levels to meet OEMs’ requirements.

At Utech Europe 2021, Cannon displayed its innovative Free Pouring Laminar (FPL) SR L-shaped high-pressure mixing head reconfigured to accommodate more than 30 sensors to monitor processing performance during its life cycle.

Repsol presented its extensive polyether polyols portfolio at Utech Europe 2021, the international three-day exhibition and conference for the global polyurethanes industry, in Maastricht, The Netherlands.

OSV Technology, LLC from Ukraine announced the launch of a new generation of metering and mixing machines designed for cast PU elastomers based on MDI and TDI.

Covestro and industrial 3D printer manufacturer voxeljet are collaborating to develop a material-machine combination for economic large series additive manufacturing. With High Speed Sintering (HSS), voxeljet combines the advantages of two existing additive technologies: selective laser sintering and binder jetting, giving the benefit of both SLS part properties and binder-jetting productivity. The companies have jointly developed and qualified a TPU powder for HSS. voxeljet will contribute to the cooperation its knowledge with its large format VX1000HSS printer platform, and Covestro its expertise in designing functional materials, to develop a seamlessly working material-process solution that can be deployed for large scale manufacturing.

Sabic has launched Noryl AP2001G, an aromatic polyol that is said to significantly improve the performance of hot cast polyurethanes. Sabic said that by boosting the hardness, toughness and stiffness properties of cast PU by double digits, this polyol can enable MDI formulations cured with 1,4-butanediol to deliver equivalent or better performance compared to TDI and PTMG PU formulations cured with MOCA (4,4'-methylene bis(ortho-chloroaniline)).

Regulation(s) on the curing agent MbOCA (4,4'-methylenebis[2-chloroaniline]) has been in the news for many years and as ECHA updates information on authorisation for use under REACH, it is ever important to be ready to comply. As polyurethane elastomer processors identify alternative products to substitute the incumbent MbOCA based technology, the Notedome team while providing information on alternative curatives for their Neuthane TDI prepolymers have at the same time been developing the next generation of MDI-based technology to give their customers’ another option as they seek alternatives.

The EG-AX system from Cannon Afros includes a high-pressure foaming machine and patented multicomponent mixing head which allows the speedy processing of expandable graphite filler while maintaining the integrity of the flakes.

With its most comprehensive ever product portfolio for the polyurethane industry Lanxess exhibited at Utech Europe. The portfolio encompasses not only additives like flame retardants, plasticizers, crosslinkers, catalysts and hydrolysis stabilizers but also PU prepolymers for rigid and flexible foams, coatings, elastomers, sealants and adhesives. Recent additions to the portfolio include a range of modifiers marketed under the brand name Modulast and specially developed for use in reactive polyurethane systems.