Low free (LF) isocyanate urethane prepolymers for adhesives and sealants

Cologne – Specialty chemicals company LANXESS will attend FEICA Conference and Expo in Riga, Latvia, from September 12 to 14, 2018. Technical experts from the LANXESS Urethane Systems business unit will present the latest developments on low free (LF) isocyanate urethane systems for adhesives, sealants, and one component foams (OCF). The company is a leading innovator in the development of low free (LF) isocyanate technology.

On Friday, September 14, at 11:30 the LANXESS experts Ronald M. Emanuel, Jr., Senior Scientist, Global Research and Development, Adhesives and Gerald King, Head of Applications Development, Europe, will speak about “Unique high performance low free (LF) isocyanate urethane prepolymers for adhesives, sealants, and one component foams”. The presentation will provide a deep insight into the low free (LF) isocyanate prepolymer chemistry. “The focus of our development work is to broaden the range of prepolymers with very low free isocyanate content – a key lever to improved industrial hygiene and worker safety,” explains King. Furthermore, there will be a table top exhibition at the event for existing and new customers to meet and talk with LANXESS scientists about how, with LANXESS’s LF technology and decades of expertise, a product can be customized to meet their needs.

Under the brand name Adiprene LF, unique low free isocyanate urethane prepolymers have been developed for use in adhesives, sealants, and one component foams. The LF technology creates prepolymers with < 0.1 percent free MDI (methylene diphenyl diisocyanate) and other isocyanates such as TDI (toluene diisocyanate), HDI (hexamethylene diisocyanate) or pPDI (p-phenylene diisocyanate), providing extraordinary industrial hygiene standards, excellent performance, and improved processing. These prepolymers are particularly suited to address increasingly strict regulatory requirements and provide for final products with lower hazard classifications.

Adiprene LF prepolymers enable the formulators to streamline their manufacturing processes and – with the ability to modify LF prepolymer viscosity to be either high or low – a tailored low free isocyanate prepolymer can be supplied. High viscosity LF prepolymers allow for the use of propellants within certain applications, while low viscosity LF prepolymers allow for minimizing or eliminating the use of solvents. By controlling the chemical structure, these prepolymers offer more consistent processing.

The FEICA Conference and Expo is firmly established as the leading event for the European adhesives and sealants industry, providing essential insights into the key issues affecting the industry, as well as excellent networking opportunities for formulators, customers and raw materials suppliers to discuss the latest trends, innovations, sustainability and technological advances.