Concentrol is present every year at PU China, organized by Crain Communications Ltd, Minmetals Corporation and the China Polyurethane Industry Association (CPUIA). PU China is the most relevant annual event for the region’s polyurethane market. At Concentrol we are very grateful that we are offered the opportunity to participate in this event of great impact and relevance.

In the last PU China (2018) a high interest in the environment was noted by the exhibitors. China is making a change towards responsible production, since the countries where it exports to require high standards of quality and respect for the environment and people’s health.

It is for this reason that the Chinese market is increasingly interested in tin-free polyurethane release agents, which reduce their toxicity or flammability and is replacing this type of components of limited or prohibited use.

Concentrol’s commitment to provide more sustainable chemical solutions with the environment and people’s health, as well as the company’s extensive experience and reliability are great arguments for Chinese companies to trust our products.

At the same time as this change in attitudes, that nowadays prioritizes in most cases sustainability and health before economics, China has experienced a change regarding working spaces in factories, which are becoming larger and more respectful for workers. Issues like protecting the surroundings of the industrial sites, such as water and landscape are now concerns in the country.

 

Importance of the polyurethane sector

One of Concentrol’s strategic divisions is polyurethane, which thanks to its excellent properties in automotive, furniture or construction applications, among others, has become a key product globally.

The following polyurethane applications stand out:

  • Vehicles, in the form of automobile upholstery or embellishing and resistant varnishes
  • Electronic components (in the form of insulators and gadget housings)
  • Applications in the textile sector (such as footwear or spandex in stockings and leggings)

Specifically, at Concentrol we prioritize the division of mold release agents, those for polyurethane representing one of our star products in this division. The high degree of specialization achieved thanks to innovation and continuous improvement has given our products a high reputation and we currently provide service and coverage to a wide variety of industrial sectors. Moreover, we are present on all continents, with international clients that give us a strategic global vision of the market, which makes us world leaders.

The Chinese market is undoubtedly strategic in the polyurethane sector and at Concentrol we maintain a close collaboration with the country. It is a market that stands out as a leader in the production of vehicles and footwear worldwide; in addition to exporting a relevant volume of processed products.

Environment and safety

Environmental, safety and health factors are also very important when we refer to the polyurethane sector and specifically to mold release agents for polyurethane foams. In this sector, there has been an increase in the demand for co-solvent release agents, 50:50 mix and water-based ones. Water-based release agents lead production, as there is strong pressure to eliminate VOC (volatile organic compounds) emissions due to the health effects on people. Water based release agents are mainly being used in the manufacture of automotive and footwear components. Despite this, there are some applications and processes where water-based release agents have some technical aspects where there is room for improvement that are being worked on, and for this reason new products have been developed, which offer technological improvements with the same quality and finish as solvent-based products, but with an emission reduction of around 50%. It can be affirmed that the 50:50 mix co-solvent release agents are a step towards the full implementation of water-based release agents applied throughout the market.

Coinciding with the present, Concentrol follows the market trend positioning itself on the water-based solvent route, along with the company’s values regarding improvement and the continuous search for the preservation of the environment, sustainability, hygiene, research and safety. Concentrol is a pioneer in offering products that respect the environment and the human being, being the mold release sector key in this regard.

It has also been noted that the main elements that customers take into account when choosing a solvent are: volatile emission levels (VOC and FOG), toxicity indicators such as TLV (Threshold Limit Value) and DNEL (Derived Not Effect Level), flammability and emissions in the work environment. These are the most critical parameters in the sector and from production we have to face these demands for improvement towards the reduction of direct VOC emissions; total elimination of TLV and DNEL values related to solvents and reduction of flammability. The solution involves: concentrated products, electrostatic products and water-based products.

In the last PU China (2018) a high interest in the environment was noted by the exhibitors. China is making a change towards responsible production, since the countries where it exports to require high standards of quality and respect for the environment and people’s health.

It is for this reason that the Chinese market is increasingly interested in tin-free polyurethane release agents, which reduce their toxicity or flammability and is replacing this type of components of limited or prohibited use.

Concentrol’s commitment to provide more sustainable chemical solutions with the environment and people’s health, as well as the company’s extensive experience and reliability are great arguments for Chinese companies to trust our products.

Concentrol that has several compositions that take into account sustainability and safety, such as our tin-free mold release agents for polyurethane range, achieving high performance in terms of finish and mold release ability, while being free of tin products.

Tin organometallic compounds are used in the formulations of polyurethane release agents, with the aim of improving the surface appearance of the parts and facilitating their release. Their use was essential until today. Nevertheless, the toxicity of tin compounds has a negative and significant effect on the variables DNEL and TLV, making necessary the research of viable alternatives that allow the development of mold release agents that do not have those compounds and achieve the same results.

Tin compounds, especially DBTDLs (Dibutyltin dilaurate) and DOTDLs (dioctyltin dilaurate), are commonly used in mold release agents to facilitate the isocyanate-polyol surface reaction, with the improvements discussed above. However, due to the high toxicity of some of these tin organic compounds, their use on the market is being limited. Concentrol has focused on the study of alternatives in the formulation, replacing these traditional compounds, whose risks to health and the environment are undeniable.

 

China’s leadership in the PU sector

China is currently the leader in the polyurethane sector. According to recent data from the China Polyurethane Industry Association (CPUIA), the country is currently the largest producer of polyurethane in the world. Also, the association reported that during 2013 it manufactured more than 40% of the global production, which means a total of 8.7 tons of polyurethane products.

The Chinese market stands out as a leader in vehicle and footwear production worldwide, in addition to exporting a relevant volume of paint. China was the world’s leading vehicle manufacturer in 2017, doubling the second largest vehicle manufacturer (United States). The country’s leadership in the automobile sector is key to understanding the importance of the Chinese market for Concentrol, a leader among others in polyurethane mold release agents, key to the manufacture of upholstery, among others. If we focus on the footwear sector, Asia is currently responsible for the manufacture of 87% of the world’s footwear. China was the world’s leading footwear producer in 2017, with a total of 13,523 million pairs of shoes manufactured out of a world total of 23,500 million pairs manufactured.

 

Concentrol. Over 75 years of quality guarantee

Concentrol is a chemical company made up of three large differentiated areas: food, mold release agents and chemical specialities. Through them we provide worldwide service and coverage to a wide range of clients in the industrial sector. Our company has more than 200 products involved in different production and manufacturing processes. Many of these products are today leaders on the international market.

Aware of the rapid and constant evolution of society, Concentrol permanently promotes and invests efforts in the research and development of new products and formulas that provide solutions to the emerging market demands.

Mold release agents represent the division with the highest level of specialization. The following product ranges stem from it:

  • Release agents for polyurethane foams
  • Stabilizers for polyurethane foams
  • Release agents for non-ferrous metal alloys

Today, the seniority and experience in this division has allowed us to provide service and coverage to a wide variety of industrial sectors and to be present on all continents, with worldwide clients that have enabled us to acquire a great deal of knowledge of the market.

Polyurethane release agents represent one of our star products in this division, thanks to a high and continuous degree of innovation. The first products that came out of the Concentrol laboratories in 1968 were, precisely, mold release agents for polyurethane foams, products that have become a worldwide reference.

Our network of collaborators, distributors and licensees worldwide, has been relevant and fundamental, which has afforded us exponential growth and a very close and constant contact with our customers.

Concentrol is already part of the small group of leading companies in the sector, but we work on a daily basis to achieve higher leadership shares in the near future, through our release agents for polyurethane foams, silicone stabilizers and release agents for non-ferrous metal alloys.

 

Innovations and future vision

Concentrol has shown that it has a strong commitment to the quality of the products it offers, as well as an awareness of responsibility towards the environment and the safety of workers. Hence, Concentrol has noted the increase in interest and work is being done on:

• Elimination of VOC emissions

• Trend towards 50:50 release agents also named hybrid’s or co-solvents

• Need for improved results and optimization of water based release agents

Along the same line of respect for the environment and the safety of people, a study on the new silicone surfactants and their effects on low-emission HR polyurethane foams has been recently developed by Concentrol laboratories. From the results obtained when determining the physical characteristics of the resulting foams, it can be concluded that some of the synthesized surfactants release almost insignificant emissions, which shows that their properties are in line with the expectations of the manufacturers of flexible HR polyurethane foams.

Tin-free release agents are trending in the sector due to their low toxicity and high safety, as are new silicone surfactants for low-emission HR foams. Concentrol con-firms that the choice of a correct chemical composition and an adequate molecular weight of the surfactant are key when it comes to reducing volatile component emissions (VDA-278) so that foams can be made almost free of emissions caused by or related to the surfactant. Hence, the company has presented 24 new surfactants synthesized from the combination of 6 polyether’s and 4 polysiloxanes that meet the target of achieving effective surfactants that in turn achieve good results in stability and cell regulation.

In the Chinese market and thanks to the new plant of our partner Xiamen Kaiping in Guangzhou and the support of our technology centre in Wuxi enable us to offer excellent service and monitoring of the applications of our products.

Recently, the Center for Industrial Technology Development (CDTI) has given Concentrol financial aid to carry out a project titled: “R&D of a new range of polyurethane dispersions with components from renewable and sustainable sources”. Thanks to this support, Concentrol will be able to start working on the research for renewable and sustainable materials to forge a new range of polyurethane dispersions for its divisions of release agents and chemical specialties. This product is used both for coating and as an adhesive. It stands out for generating a series of conditions that increase the resistance of the materials, thus preserving the aesthetics of the substrate and its properties.

Developing a new product that respects the environment and the sustainability of the planet has become a goal for Concentrol. Polyurethane dispersions are one of the most demanded solutions of the chemical industry and, therefore, it is essential to be able to offer an equally efficient alternative but is optimal for the planet, reducing the environmental footprint of our production processes.

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