UTECH Europe Exhibition & Conference, 17-19 April 2012, MECC, Maastricht, The Netherlands LONDON & MAASTRICHT, The Netherlands--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Developments in the use of polyurethane-based products in the building and construction sector will be explored at the UTECH Europe Conference, which takes place at the MECC in Maastricht, the Netherlands, from 17 to 19 April. An Innovation Session on the first day of the event (17 April) will open with details of a novel method for making decorative elements for the construction industry, presented by Cannon of Italy, and a paper on the growth of bridge-deck waterproofing from Mitsubishi Plastics of Japan. An afternoon dedicated to construction insulation (18 April) will include presentations on blowing agents, flame retardants and other key raw materials. New developments in manufacturing techniques for rigid-foam insulated products including metal-faced panels will form a key part of this session, as well as papers discussing more specialised applications such as customised polyurethane systems for oil and gas pipeline products and one-component rigid PU foams dispensed from pressure vessels. Key presentations for visitors interested in the use of rigid foams in construction projects include: - Polyurethane Insulation – the Insulant of Choice for Low-energy Buildings, presented by David Evans of Huntsman Polyurethanes (18 April 2.30pm) - The Octopus Method: A Novel Lay-Down Technology for the Production of PUR and PIR Sandwich Elements for the Construction Industry, presented by a team from Bayer MaterialScience AG (18 April, 3.30pm) - Novel Fire-Rated Solutions for the European Insulated Metal Panels Construction Market, presented by Giuseppe Vairo, Dow Italia Srl (18 April, 4pm) - A New Method for Prediction of Hydrolysis Rates of Glass Syntactic Polyurethane in Deep Sea Applications, presented by Karl Gurt and colleagues Christof Grieser-Schmitz and Ian Lynam of BASF Polyurethanes GmbH (18 April, 4.45pm) Construction-related developments will also feature in the session on Safety, Health and Environmental Issues (17 April, 2pm) organised by ISOPA (the European Isocyanate and Polyol Producers Association), such as the presentation by PU Europe on polyurethane as a sustainable insulation material, featuring the latest report on the 'Passiv Haus' concept using polyurethane materials to create a dwelling with near-zero energy consumption. Running alongside the conference, the UTECH Europe Exhibition features more than 100 companies, many of whom will be presenting new solutions and technologies for this vital and fast-growing business segment.
