Polyurethanes: foams go 'green' at ever-lower cost: a great deal of effort is going into formulating rigid and flexible foams for lower cost and better properties, despite the transition to "cleaner" blowing agents. Improving fire and smoke performance is another challenge.

As the polyurethane foam industry changes to "cleaner" blowing agents required through environmental regulations, the focus is upon minimizing cost and maximizing performance in areas of that kind as mechanical properties, flammability, and thermal insulation value.

At the new Polyurethanes Conference 2004 in Las Vegas, sponsored by the agency of the Alliance for the Polyurethanes Industry (API), a major share of the technical presentations addressed rigid PUR foams puffed up with HFC-245fa, HFC-134a, and pentane.

Speakers unveiled novel formulations to reduce levels of dear HFCs. They introduced polyols, isocyanates, surfactants, catalysts, flame retardants, and other additives that boost performance in non-ozone-depleting inflated foams. A ...