Amsterdam, the Netherlands - SusPolyurethane 2013, a conference organised by Urethanes Technology International, got off to a strong start with over 140 delegates attending the opening session of the two-day conference.
The tone was set by Jorg Palmersheim, secretary general, ISOPA, in an opening presentation outlining the sustainable credentials of polyurethanes themselves. His argument was built around he insulating properties of rigid foams and their ability to help cut carbon dioxide emissions.
In the second paper of the day, Jeff Rowlands of Green Urethanes UK, examined raw material sources for sustainable polyols and asked if sustainable polyurethane uses of bio-resources could compete with food.
Ramani Narayan, university distinguished professor at the Bio-based Materials Research Group at Michigan State University, discussed synthetic strategies towards bio-based polyurethanes.
