Zoom imageDr. Angelina Prokofiewa (left) and Dr. Guilia Erre at the Aachen Catalysis Center, where Bayer researchers work with external partners to exploit alternative energy sources.
At K 2010 in Düsseldorf, the international trade show for the plastics and rubber industry, Bayer MaterialScience will present solutions for the effects of global megatrends such as the growing population and increasing urbanization. “Our company cannot solve these problems by itself, of course, but it does have sustainable solutions in the form of innovative products, processes and applications that exist today or are being developed for tomorrow,” said Bayer MaterialScience Chief Executive Officer Patrick Thomas at a European news conference in Leverkusen. There Thomas outlined the subgroup’s plans for its presence at K 2010, which will take place from October 27 through November 3. Under the motto “From Megatrends to Business,” the company will showcase its leadership in polymer materials and its focus on sustainable solutions and developments in the areas of climate, technology, mobility, living and health on a 1,000-square-meter stand in Hall 6.
In 2030 more than eight billion people will live on the Earth, five billion of them in cities, Thomas explained. “Today, buildings are responsible for about 30 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and more than 40 percent of global energy use.” The BMS Chairman said that sustainable reductions in carbon dioxide emissions could be achieved if buildings were retrofitted with polyurethane insulation, by far the most effective insulating material per unit weight of all materials commonly found on the market.
Thomas said that over 14 percent of all greenhouse gases worldwide come from the transportation sector, making it the third-leading emission source. “Lightweight composites can cut a vehicle’s weight by up to 30 percent, resulting in a significant reduction in fuel consumption,” he said. “We are already supplying polyurethane composites as replacements for the metal roofs of cars, and we are beginning to supply polycarbonate glazing components as a substitute for glass. Replacing very energy-intensive steel and glass components in vehicles with polymers – which are much less energy-intensive, require far less energy to manufacture and also reduce the weight of the vehicle – offers significant reduction potential.”
Citing a further example, Thomas said traditional light bulbs have a light efficiency of 3 percent compared with up to 80 percent for LEDs (light emitting diodes), and polycarbonate resin is one of the few materials that can withstand high temperatures in the manufacture and light management of LEDs.
Zoom imagePatrick Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of Bayer MaterialScience, addressed the media to explain the concept for the K 2010 trade fair.
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. “Refrigerated transportation and cold storage from the warehouse to the customer are therefore hugely important, and polyurethane insulation materials play a key role here,” Thomas explained.
Innovative products from Bayer MaterialScience are also set to become integral components of wind turbines, where the adhesives used to bond the blades are increasingly polyurethane-based instead of epoxy. Nanotubes can also be incorporated into the epoxy resins to reduce the weight of the blades.
Said Thomas: “Our materials have the potential to bring about a major improvement in the energy efficiency of every sector of the economy. The stories of the future we will be telling at K 2010 will show that Bayer MaterialScience has the necessary expertise in technology and materials to work with customers and support them in their new developments. At the same time we are a reliable, innovative partner when it comes to finding solutions that alleviate the effects of global megatrends.”