LOUISVILLE—Key regulatory issues and new technical developments were the focus of the Polyurethane Foam Association's two-day Fall Meeting, held in Louisville in early November.
The meeting, which was attended by more than 150 executives from foam manufacturers, chemical suppliers and other companies supporting the industry, included presentations on recycling, flammability and regulatory developments, the PFA said.
The keynote speaker was Sharon Kerrick of the University of Louisville Business School, who spoke on how established companies in mature industries continue to innovate.
The meeting's technical program included presentations on innovations and best practices on such topics as bismuth catalysts, additives to minimize compression set, pour time technologies, plant security and a recent CertiPUR evaluation of VOC emissions from foam in Europe.
Jane Kniss of Evonik won the Herman Stone Technical Excellence Award for her technical presentation at the meeting. Van Delk and Tom Robitaille of Lonza won Lifetime Achievement Awards, and Jacob "Jake" Barnhardt Jr. was inducted into the Flexible Polyurethane Foam Hall of Fame.