The 2014 Polyurethanes Technical Conference will showcase the latest developments, regulations and research in environment, health and safety (EH&S) during two targeted technical sessions. The conference, hosted by the Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI) of the American Chemistry Council (ACC), will take place Sept. 22 to 24 at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Dallas. Registration is still open.

“The industry has a strong commitment to environment, health and safety, and I’m looking forward to the important discussions during these sessions,” said Lee Salamone, senior director of CPI. “It’s these kinds of cutting-edge sessions about issues important to the entire industry that make the Polyurethanes Technical Conference a one-of-a-kind place for attendees to learn and grow.”

The focus on EH&S subjects begins with a special pre-conference workshop titled “Introduction to Environmental, Health and Safety Issues Relative to Diisocyanates.” For the second consecutive year, attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the fundamental concepts related to EH&S regulations, industrial hygiene, toxicology, medical surveillance and exposure control. This special-interest seminar is offered at no additional cost to registered conference attendees, and will be held on Sunday, Sept. 21, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

EH&S discussions will continue with a Monday afternoon session focused on recent regulatory developments in Europe and North America.

Experts from ISOPA will share their insight into regulatory issues in Europe and the organization’s unique approach to addressing them.
Researchers from Caleb Management Services Ltd. will evaluate hazards versus risk related to polymers under the European Union’s REACH program.
Representatives from TEGNOS Research, Inc. will introduce the current LEED initiative to evaluate risk through environmental product declarations and health product declarations for polyurethane products in building materials.
Analysts from the International Sleep Products Association will demonstrate how the mattress industry is responding to increasing regulatory requirements related to the safe disposal of manufacturing products.
Delegates from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics will discuss the latest regulatory requirements, industry best practices and key safety procedures related to the loading, transporting and unloading of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate in bulk quantities.
The discussion wraps up with a Tuesday afternoon session focused on EH&S topics specific to spray polyurethane foam (SPF), one of the fastest-growing segments of the polyurethanes industry.

Researchers from CPI will present ongoing research on ventilation rates for concentrations of SPF chemical vapor and particulates emitted during application of low-pressure, half-pound and two-pound high-pressure SPF.
Analysts from Bayer MaterialScience will describe their ongoing work on the development of an ASTM standard for volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds from SPF.
Experts from Bayer MaterialScience will also compare the actual emissions of closed-cell SPF to the predicted ASTM measurements.
Delegates from BASF Corporation and Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will present a study on safe re-entry times and emission levels from open-cell SPF in a residential setting.
Representatives from BASF Polyurethanes GmbH and BASF Polyurethanes Benelux B.V. will discuss their evaluation of the impact of process parameters on SPF emissions.
In addition to these EH&S-focused sessions, attendees can take advantage of the conference’s full program of 14 technical sessions featuring more than 60 presentations by industry experts and government officials. The advance program is available online.