Greetings

Raw Material Sources for Sustainable Polyols:

the Cost, Technical and Regulatory Hurdles Jeff Rowlands – Green Urethanes Limited (UK)

BUT  :    •  Linked  to  crude  oil  price  and  availability  •  Not  seen  as  sustainable  or  future  proof  

Petrochem-polyols

•  About 6 Million tonnes produced per year (8.8 Mt max capacity)

•  Historically cheap with production capacity generally exceeding demand ~ 30% overcapacity

•  Well known / reliable/ consistent / available from

various suppliers

•  Use raw materials which are available in sufficient volume

•  Be based on plant, bio or animal / fish resources with positive eco-balance story

•  Does not affect the food chain – Tank u Teller debate

•  Need to process with standard PU equipment & chemicals

•  Cost competitive with conventional raw materials

•  Final material needs to be Technically competitive

Choose your Bio-renewable feedstock

Plen7ful  raw  materials  –  Worldwide  produc7on  2012/2013:  

Crude  Oil  –  4800  Million  tonnes  (85%  incinerated)    SoyBean  Oil  –  43  Million  tonnes      Rapeseed  Oil  (Canola)  –  24  Million  tonnes    Palm  Mesocarp  Oil  –  53  Million  tonnes      Tallow    &  Lard  -­‐  50  MIllion  tonnes    Palm  Kernel  Oil  -­‐  6  Million  tonnes    Castor  Oil  –  1.5  Million  tonnes  

Choose  your  Oil  &  Get  your  Green  story  ready  

Tank  und  Teller  Debate    

Some facts : Already enough starch from wheat rice, sugar & potatoes alone to give 6.8 Billion people 2000 calories per day (USDA figures) United Nations Environmental Programme says 30% of food worldwide is wasted, as is the water, fertiliser & energy used to produce it Increase in production of Palm Oil in the last 5 years alone, is bigger than the total Petro-chem polyol capacity world wide.    

Problems launching an NOP system into the market

NOP production worldwide is low so costs are high relative to mass produced petro polyols – typical chicken & egg situation

Each NOP is different and “drop in” replacement is not simple

NOP foams will have different characteristics and so probably NOT meet the specifications written around petro-chem foams

European REACH legislation is a big problem for NOP innovation. REACH registration costs for each variant - $30k , $120k to $500k Green Polymers are not REACH Polymers.

And the Answer is……………………………

•  Find/become a low cost, consistent quality producer of Natural Oil Polyols

•  Create a pull situation : Focus on what your NOP brings and introduce that advantage to the market

•  Explore markets outside Europe because of the REACH registration systems and costs. Only attempt promotion in Europe when the technology has been finalised

•  If you want quick success; use existing /proven / competitive technology – perhaps we can help  

   

Which direction has Green Urethanes chosen?

Use Natural Oil Polyols based on the major mass production natural oils – Palm, Soy, Rape & Animal oils

We have applied for worldwide Patent Protection based on PCT/GB2010/000381

This Technology has been introduced into the US foam market

Technology replaces 55- 67% of petro-chem polyols We have an active development programme to increase the replacement of petro-polyols to 82% GU Foams have:- better flammability better humid age properties easier to produce higher SAG factors than petro-chem foams  

Identified Advantages

Case history / Success story USA

•  We produce foam down to 20 kg/ m3 with excellent properties – SAG Factor 2.49

•  Cost competitive - well priced source of NOP •  Uses existing machinery + additives •  55% NOP now; and working on 82 % use level

which will give a 50% BioPreferred® value.

Why is Europe different ?

•  We have many good contacts in the European market - suppliers/ foamers

BUT •  No cost competitive source of Natural Oil

Polyol (REACH etc…barrier to imports)

•  No pull - critical/cautious consumers , slow or declining EU economies

•  We all hope this situation will change soon

Stop  Press  NEWS!    

• We  can  pass  Cal  117  using  Green  technology,  and  lock  in  the  flame  retardant  –  more  at  the  PFA  meeKng  in  Florida,  USA  on  May  24th  2013.  

•  www.pfa.org    

www.GreenUrethanes.com