Arlington, Virginia - Leading Chinese and Brazilian business leaders, engineers, manufacturers and scientists are expected to join more than 1200 of their peers from around the world at the Polyurethanes 2008 Technical Conference in San Antonio, Texas, this autumn (29 Sept-1 Oct).
During the meeting, organised by the Center for the Polyurethanes Industry, these visitors will be able to discuss issues and trends and share technical advances in the growing global polyurethane industry, said a CPI announcement.
The three-day conference, at the Marriott Rivercenter Hotel will feature more than 100 technical papers, poster presentations, and a special issue session entitled, "Smart Business, Smart Marketing: Green Goes Mainstream."
Commenting on the expected visitors, Neeva-Gayle Candelori of CPI said, "Chinese participation at our annual Conference seems to grow every year, a clear reflection of the exhilarating growth of the polyurethanes industry in China."
China's polyurethanes industry now accounts for about 25 percent of global output, supplying the rapidly growing domestic and export sectors, but Candelori said "several factors may affect this upward trend, including a shortage of raw materials, rising fuel prices and limited availability of electric power in certain regions."
Meanwhile Candelori described the Brazilian polyurethane industry as "among the most dynamic, fastest-growing in the world," accounting for nearly two thirds of South America's total production, and making it an important supplier to many of the country's most important domestic and export manufacturing sectors, including: automotive, appliances, construction, footwear, furniture and bedding.
As with China, Brazil may find the potential for further rapid growth in polyurethanes limited by similar factors in materials and energy, as well as by strong foreign competition in many key market sectors, said Candelori.
The conference will offer China and Brazil's polyurethane and end-use manufacturing sectors the opportunity to keep pace with new technical developments and more efficient processing equipment and procedures to reduce waste and maintain a competitive edge.
The meeting includes sessions on Chemistry and Fundamentals; Environment, Health and Safety; Processing Innovations; and the special industry panel assessing the complex challenges and opportunities of using polyurethane science and technology to create a more sustainable future.
In addition there are three technical sessions each for Automotive, Construction, and Coatings, Adhesives, Sealants and Elastomers (CASE), as well as the annual session for Footwear. Furniture and bedding manufacturers will find value in the Flexible Foam; Flame Retardants and Combustibility; and two Renewable Content technical sessions. Insulation Options is a session of special interest to Chinese appliance manufacturers, the CPI concluded.
PIC: One of the sessions at last year's CPI / UTECH 2008 meeting in Orlando, Florida.
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