Polyurethane use drops slightly

ORLANDO, Fla. (Oct. 6)—Consumption of polyurethanes in North America fell almost 1.4 percent between 2000 and 2002 to 6.39 billion pounds, according to a 2002 end-use market survey prepared by Ducker Research for the Alliance for the Polyurethanes Industry. However, that figure is double the number of pounds consumed in 1989, the first year usage was tracked. Consumption in Canada increased 4.3 percent to 582 million pounds, fell about 1.3 percent to 5.53 billion pounds in the U.S. and virtually was unchanged in Mexico at 282.7 million pounds, the report showed.