PU Expo includes short course.

Polyurethanes Expo 2001, the International Technical Conference & Exposition, sponsored by the Alliance for the Polyurethanes Industry, will take place September 30 - October 3 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, OH.

Offered in conjunction with the exposition will be the Alliance's second annual training seminar, "Understanding polyurethanes - chemistry, raw materials, process and applications." The seminar, held September 30, and October 1 and 3, will cover the basics of polyurethane chemistry and technology - how polyurethanes are made, how they are used, and the markets and applications in which they play a vital role.

Three industry experts, Robin Grieve and James O'Connor of Syn-Uthane International, and Roy McClellan of McClellan Consulting, will host the educational seminar. This year's session will place additional emphasis on foams, elastomers and coatings.

The aim of this short course is to give delegates the information required for a greater understanding of polyurethanes; to explain and illustrate the principles and processes, in addition to providing a familiarity with the many applications and characteristics of these materials.

Short course documentation is extensive and will provide attendees with a very useful reference work for ongoing and future projects, according to the sponsor.

The short course is designed to provide an interactive learning experience where delegates can meet with industry experts in a casual, but instructive environment. The short course is targeted at people wishing to learn about properties, processing and end-use applications of polyurethanes.

The target audience for this course includes technologists, technical sales personnel, marketing personnel, plant managers, materials and development specialists and technical managers in the many manufacturing sectors that are involved with these materials or may be planning projects utilizing polyurethanes.

On Sunday, September 30, Grieve will present the course introduction, as well as a polyurethane market overview, including major market segments (U.S. and global) and production capacity supply demand estimates.

The U.S. market for polyurethane products, both flexible foam and rigid foam, will be examined.

Jim O'Connor will discuss the chemistry of polyurethanes, including what the material is, polyurethane reactions, major chemical reactions for each segment and polyurethane calculations. Other components necessary to produce a polyurethane, and health, safety and environmental issues will be examined.

Polyols will be highlighted in the course, including polyethers, polyesters, acrylics and polymer polyols.

Isocyanates will be reviewed by Grieve, including aromatic isocyanates, aliphatic isocyanates and modified isocyanates.

On Monday, October 1, McClellan will present polyurethane manufacturing equipment for rigid foam, flexible foam and CASE.

Foaming fundamentals and types of rigid foam will be discussed, along with recycling and trends in the industry, including test methods.

O'Connor will present flexible foam, including foaming fundamentals, types of foam, recycling, trends in the industry and test methods.

On Wednesday, October 3, fundamentals of polyurethane elastomers will be presented by O'Connor.

McClellan will discuss polyurethane elastomers, including cast elastomers, TPU, RIM and microcellular elastomers.

Polyurethane sealants will be examined by O'Connor, including urethane sealants versus other sealants, construction sealants, automotive sealants and insulated glass.

McClellan will examine polyurethane adhesives and binders, including different types of polyurethane adhesives, applications fields and urethane binders.

Polyurethane coatings will be presented by O'Connor, including coatings market and market segments, coatings raw materials and suppliers, types of polyurethane coatings and new technology trends.

The course includes the industry reception, lunch, coffee and class notes, as well as the conference sessions on October 2 and the closing luncheon on October 3. The advance registration rate is $500, and enrollment is limited to 150 students. Further information is available from the Cindy Kong [phone].