Bayer MaterialScience LLC's Commitment to Sustainable Solutions for Effects of Global Megatrends

Pittsburgh, PA, October 19, 2010 --(PR.com)-- Bayer MaterialScience is committed to help meet the global challenges of energy shortages and climate change through innovative and sustainable technologies and processes. This is the company’s central message at the UTECH North America Exhibition 2010 held at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Oct. 11-13, 2010. The company aims to be a prominent part of the solution in tackling the effects of global megatrends such as the growing population and increasing urbanization.

Under the motto "From Megatrends to Business," the company is showcasing its leadership in polyurethanes and its focus on sustainable solutions and developments in the areas of climate, technology, mobility, living and health at its booth, #507.

Global shifts in these key areas are driving Bayer MaterialScience’s search for sustainable solutions that can help meet future needs. One example is polyurethane, a versatile material that offers nearly unlimited opportunities to replace natural resources such as wood and save energy through reducing weight in automobiles and insulating buildings. The Polyurethane Business Unit, the largest section within Bayer MaterialScience, offers its customers a wealth of product solutions through its wide range of product brands. The Polyurethane Business Unit of Bayer MaterialScience also distinguishes itself as a leader of the global polyurethane industry.

In 2030 more than eight billion people will live on the Earth, five billion of them in cities. According to current statistics, buildings are responsible for about 30 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and more than 40 percent of global energy use.

Retrofitting materials to combat climate change has significant benefits, and if buildings were retrofitted with polyurethane insulation – by far the most effective insulating material per unit weight – then real reductions in carbon dioxide emissions could be achieved.

The transportation sector creates over 14 percent of all greenhouse gases worldwide, making it "number three" as an emission source. To combat this, use of lightweight composites can cut a vehicle's weight by up to 30 percent, resulting in a significant reduction in fuel consumption. Bayer MaterialScience is already supplying polyurethane composites as replacements for the metal roofs of cars. Replacing very energy-intensive steel in vehicles with polyurethanes offers significant weight and energy reduction potential.

Materials from Bayer MaterialScience also play an important role in the cool chain: Up to 50 percent of food is wasted between the time it is produced and the time it is consumed. Proper refrigerated transportation and cold storage are hugely important to eliminating food waste, and polyurethane insulation materials play a key role in that process.

In addition, innovative products from Bayer MaterialScience are set to become integral components of wind turbines, where the adhesives used to bond the blades are increasingly polyurethane-based instead of epoxy.

Bayer MaterialScience’s materials have the potential to bring about a major improvement in the energy efficiency of every sector of the economy. At UTECH 2010, the company is demonstrating that it has the necessary expertise in technology and materials to work with customers and support them in their new developments, and is a reliable, innovative partner when it comes to finding solutions that alleviate the effects of global megatrends.

Bayer MaterialScience LLC is one of the leading producers of polymers and high-performance plastics in North America and is part of the global Bayer MaterialScience business with approximately 14,300 employees at 30 production sites around the world and 2009 sales of 7.5 billion euros. The company manufactures high-tech polymer materials and develops innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, electrical and electronics, construction, medical, and sports and leisure industries. Sustainability is central to Bayer MaterialScience LLC’s business and is based around the key areas of innovation, product stewardship, excellence in corporate management, social responsibility and respect for the environment.

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