By Liz White, UT staffWashington, DC-Union Carbide Corp. was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Polyurethane Foam Association, during the 4-5 May PFA meeting in Washington DC. "It was quite an honour," commented Joop Koster of GE Advanced Materials, a former UCC employee. "Several of us from GE who are ex UCC employees and many other ex-UCC folks now with different PU companies were asked to be part of the induction ceremony. To hear Lou Peters recite the many UCC FPF accomplishments was really amazing." "So many firsts, so many industry enabling discoveries ... as Lou and the PFAdescribe it .. 'one of the great histories in the PU business'."In his presentation speech, Peters highlighted three crucial events in PU materials development by UCC: • Tin catalysts-1950;• Polyether polyols-1953; and • Silicone surfactant (L-520)-1957Koster commented that, "there wasn't much in a FPF (flexible polyurethane foam) formula that UCC did not touch and excel at points in the past. From tin catalysts to polyols to surfactants (and even blowing agents), UCC did it all and did it well." UCC was "truly responsible for the 'one shot' slabstock PU business which revolutionised how FPF was made," Koster continued, adding: "Our (blow) catalysts and (stabilising) surfactants were true enablers that created a real stir in the industry." "
