Nominations Sought for Polyurethane Innovation Award

WASHINGTON, D.C. – April 21, 2014 – The Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI) of the American Chemistry Council recently opened the call for entries for its 2014 Polyurethane Innovation Award. This award recognizes visionary technologies in the global polyurethanes industry and commercialized the previous year.

Nominations for this year's award must be submitted to CPI no later than 5 p.m. EDT on June 18.The award winner will be announced during the 2014 Polyurethanes Technical Conference, which will be held Sept. 22 to 24 at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Dallas.

"Each year, we are impressed by the breadth and depth of innovation in the polyurethanes industry and its downstream partners," said Lee Salamone, senior director of CPI. "CPI's Polyurethane Innovation Award seeks to recognize the exciting and visionary technologies, products and initiatives being developed around the world."

The 2013 Innovation Award winner, Romeo RIM, Inc.'s Class A, In-mold Decorated Long Fiber Injection, will also be showcased at this year's conference.

Eligibility

Award entries in polyurethane chemistry may include raw materials, finished products, initiatives, training or education programs, or processes or processing equipment. Entries pertaining to a polyurethane product or polyurethane manufacturing must relate to polyurethane chemistry, defined as the reaction of an isocyanate with a polyol.

Entries must represent innovations that have not previously been submitted for consideration for the Innovation Award and have not been available for commercial sales longer than 15 months prior to June 18, 2014.

Award selection

All eligible submissions will be evaluated by a panel of judges comprised of experts representing technical disciplines and the polyurethane supply chain. Judges will determine three finalists from the entries based on impact on the polyurethanes industry, uniqueness of the innovation, quality of the science and societal impact.

Conference attendees will vote for one of the three finalists during the Opening Session of the Polyurethanes Technical Conference on Monday, Sept. 22. The judges' scores will represent two-thirds of the final score, while the attendees' votes will be tabulated for the final one-third of the score to determine the 2014 Polyurethane Innovation Award winner.

Award notification

Each of the three finalists will be notified by July 28 and will receive one complimentary, full registration to the 2014 Polyurethanes Technical Conference. During the Opening Session of the conference, finalists will give a three-minute presentation on their innovation, which will also be featured in the conference poster sessions. The winner of the 2014 Innovation Award will be announced on Wednesday, Sept. 24, during the Closing Session.

How to enter
Companies or individuals interested in entering the award program must submit an application no later than 5 p.m. EDT on June 18. Incomplete or late submissions will not be considered. Details on the award, including an entry form, can be found on CPi's website (link provided below).

About The American Chemistry Council (ACC): The ACC represents the leading companies engaged in the business of chemistry. ACC members apply the science of chemistry to make innovative products and services that make people's lives better, healthier, and safer. ACC is committed to improved environmental, health and safety performance through Responsible Care®, common sense advocacy designed to address major public policy issues, and health and environmental research and product testing. The business of chemistry is a $760 billion enterprise and a key element of the nation's economy. It is the largest exporting sector in the U.S., accounting for 12 percent of U.S. exports. Chemistry companies are among the largest investors in research and development. Safety and security have always been primary concerns of ACC members, and they have intensified their efforts, working closely with government agencies to improve security and to defend against any threat to the nation's critical infrastructure. For more information on the 2014 Polyurethanes Technical Conference and the Polyurethane Innovation Award, please use the contact information and the link provided below.