Foam manufacturers to try-out new recycling technology
3 Oct 2001
The Dow Chemical Company and Mobius Technologies are to install a proprietary polyurethane recycling system at Dow's Technical Development Centre near Geneva in Switzerland.
The new technology gives flexible foam producers an economical way to turn scrap-foam into an asset and thereby reduce the costs of producing new foam. Dow will make the facility open to PU foam manufacturers that have an interest in using the technology. The equipment will be installed and ready for demonstration in December 2001.
'Dow and Mobius have found that scrap foam can be utilised in the manufacture of new foam at even higher concentrations than was originally anticipated,' says David Fischer, Vice President of Dow's Polyurethanes business. 'Consequently, the two companies have received a high level of interest from foam manufacturers.'
The facility will be able to process commercial quantities of scrap foam. Dow will show customers scrap foam being recycled, and made into foam grades comparable to those they currently manufacture.
Mobius' polyurethane flexible foam recycling technology pulverises scrap foam left over from the foaming and conversion process into a very fine polyurethane powder of less than 75 microns. The powder is fine enough that it can be mixed into polyols in the production of new foam.
The powdered polyurethane foam can replace over 10-12% of new polyol, lowering the costs associated with producing new foam, while maintaining specifications and quality in the new foam. This technology is effectively used in moulded and slabstock foams, hot and cold cure foams, and CO2 blown foams.
