Industry News

 

>>Reports Say BASF Considering Bid for DuPont 
Source: plasticsnews.com
BASF SE is considering making a bid for DuPont Co., according to published reports. If BASF makes an offer, it could scuttle the merger between DuPont and Dow Chemical Co. that was announced on Dec. 11. 
 
>>Dr. John Straube to Be Keynote at ABAA Conference, March 22-24
Source: airbarrier.org
Dr. John Straube, Ph.D., P.Eng.will be a Keynote Speaker at hthe ABAA Conference & Trade Show, March 22-24, in Baltimore, Maryland. Strasube heads forensic investigations and research projects in the areas of low-energy building design, building enclosure performance, hygrothermal analysis, and field monitoring of wall assemblies. He is a Principal at Building Science Corporation and is the co-author of Building Science for Building Enclosures.  

>>CPI, SFC Offer Guidance on SPF Safe Use and Handling
The Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI) and the Spray Foam Coalition (SFC) are accelerating work on product stewardship projects intended to enhance the professional workers’ understanding of both the benefits of SPF and safe use and handling practices during installation. Click here for additional information on the free training. Check out www.spraypolyurethane.org and www.whysprayfoam.org for more information on the free guidance documents.  

>>Better Buildings: 2016 Report Highlights Major Progress, New Partners
Source: energy.gov
The U.S. Department of Energy released the annual Better Buildings Alliance Winter 2016 Progress Update featuring updates on the new partnerships, reports, and resources developed over the last year. Since 2015, 12 new partners and 7 affiliates have joined the program, representing 11 billion square feet of the nation’s commercial building space. 

>>SPFA, NEMA Research on Recessed Lights Results in New Standard 
Based on a recent research project with SPFA and the National Electrical Manufacturer’s Association (NEMA), special enclosures for recessed luminaires may be a thing of the past. In December, NEMA published NEMA LE 7-2015 Recessed Luminaires Intended for Contact with Expanding Polyurethane Foam Insulation. NEMA developed this standard to define a subset of insulation contact (Type IC) luminaires that are appropriate for use with polyurethane sprayfoam. This standard also provides requirements and recommendations for Type IC recessed luminaires intended for installation in contact with low-density and medium-density polyurethane foam thermal insulation. Read full article in SPRAYFOAM Professional. 

>>Top 10 Regulatory Concerns in the Construction Industry
Source: agc.org
See some of the federal rulemakings that are expected to have an impact on the construction industry in the near future.  

>>Additive Manufacturing: 5 Ways DOE's 3D Printed Home is Redefining What's Possible
Source: energy.gov
The U.S. Department of Energy’s AMIE project is a house, a vehicle, an integrated energy system, solar panels, energy storage, and intelligent controls that’s changing how we think about generating, storing, and using energy. Learn more with this blog post and video.

>>Icynene ProSeal Closed-Cell Spray Foam Insulation Awarded UL Greenguard Gold Certification
Source: icynene.com
High performance, ultra-low VOC closed-cell spray foam insulation Icynene ProSeal from leading spray foam manufacturer Icynene has met stringent chemical emission criteria to be awarded UL Greenguard Gold certification by UL Environment.

>>Chemours Completes First Field Application of Opteon™ 1100 Foam Blowing Agent
Source: chemours.com
The Chemours Company announced that Opteon™ 1100 foam blowing agent and BASF SPRAYTITE® foam insulation have successfully been applied in the first ever in-field sprayfoam application in a residential home.

>>Dow Announces Settlement in Urethanes Class Action Litigation
Source: dow.com
The Dow Chemical Company entered into a settlement agreement to resolve the In re Urethanes Class Action litigation. In this settlement agreement, Dow has agreed to pay the plaintiff class $835 million. This settlement agreement is conditioned on the United States Supreme Court agreeing to hold Dow’s Petition for a Writ of Certiorari in abeyance and the subsequent approval of the class settlement by the United States District Court of Kansas. The settlement will resolve the $1.06 billion judgment (and also resolve post-judgment interest and an anticipated award of attorney’s fees) against Dow entered in 2013.