Bayer Drives Advances in Polyurethane Systems Innovation and Process Improvements

Las Vegas, NV, February 25, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Filament winding is a common process for manufacturing cylindrical structures such as pipes and tanks with composite resins. Bayer MaterialScience LLC has shown its innovation might yet again, this time with the development of a new proprietary urethane formulation tailored specifically for the filament winding process.

Filament winding offers a fast cycle time and produces parts that are strong and lightweight. Using urethanes in this process provides a styrene-free end product, unlike commonly used resin systems. With Bayer’s new polyurethane formulation, it is possible to efficiently create lightweight, strong, styrene-free parts that are also more environmentally friendly than other formulations, because they are lower in volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

“Our scientists are always looking for ways to advance the technology used to make composite parts,” said Gene Symosko, market specialist, Polyurethanes, Bayer MaterialScience. “In this instance, we tweaked the polyurethane chemistry to overcome a materials challenge, adapt it to our customers’ needs, and in doing so make an existing process more robust.”

To illustrate the end products possible using its custom proprietary polyurethane formulation in filament winding, Bayer created prototype parts – a low-pressure bottle and a cylinder.

The low-pressure bottle is similar to tanks used in water softeners and hot water heaters. A low-pressure bottle made with a custom Bayer polyurethane system via filament winding has a 15 – 20 percent higher burst pressure compared with the same part created out of epoxy.

The cylinder can be used as tubing and pipe protection for oil-field applications, replacing the traditional metal layer used to protect pipe insulation. By using polyurethane rather than metal in this scenario, manufacturers can reduce costs while achieving ease of assembly and better impact resistance.

Regardless of the specific part being created, manufacturers utilizing Bayer’s new polyurethane formulation in the filament winding process will no longer be confined by reaction time: Finished parts can be wound in as little as 10 minutes, enabling manufacturers to improve the efficiency of their filament winding operations.

About Bayer MaterialScience LLC:
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 14,700 employees at 30 production sites around the world and 2010 sales of 10.2 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.

Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer’s public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

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