April 23, 2019

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

CANADIAN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACT, 1999

Notice with respect to the Proposed Code of Practice for Certain Methylenediphenyl Diisocyanates in Low-Pressure Two-Component Spray Polyurethane Foam Products

Whereas a screening assessment of benzene, 1,1′-methylenebis[4-isocyanato-; benzene, 1,1′-methylenebis[2-isocyanato-; benzene, 1-isocyanato-2-[(4-isocyanatophenyl)methyl]-; benzene, 1,1′-methylenebis[isocyanato-; and isocyanic acid, polymethylenepolyphenylene ester conducted under section 74 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 has concluded that the substances meet one or more of the criteria set out in section 64 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999;

Whereas on April 6, 2019, the Minister of the Environment and the Minister of Health (the ministers) published in the Canada Gazette, Part I, a statement under subsection 77(6) of the Act indicating their intention to recommend that benzene, 1,1′-methylenebis[4-isocyanato-; benzene, 1,1′-methylenebis[2-isocyanato-; benzene, 1-isocyanato-2-[(4-isocyanatophenyl)methyl]-; benzene, 1,1′-methylenebis[isocyanato-; and isocyanic acid, polymethylenepolyphenylene ester be added to the List of Toxic Substances in Schedule 1 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999;

And whereas subsection 91(1) of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 requires a regulation or instrument respecting preventive or control action for this substance be proposed and published;

Pursuant to subsection 55(3) of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, notice is hereby given that the Minister of Health is issuing the following proposed Code of Practice under subsection 55(1) of that Act:

Proposed Code of Practice for Certain Methylenediphenyl Diisocyanates in Low-Pressure Two-Component Spray Polyurethane Foam Products

Electronic copies of this proposed Code of Practice may be downloaded from the Consulting Canadians (Canada.ca) web page.

Any person may, within 60 days after publication of this notice, file with the Minister of the Environment written comments on the measure the ministers propose to take and on the scientific considerations on the basis of which the measure is proposed. More information regarding the scientific considerations may be obtained from the Canada.ca (Chemical Substances) website. All comments must cite the Canada Gazette, Part I, and the date of publication of this notice and be sent to the Executive Director, Program Development and Engagement Division, Department of the Environment, Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0H3, by fax to 819‑938‑5212, or by email to ec.substances.ec@canada.ca. Comments can also be submitted to the Minister of the Environment using the online reporting system available through Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Single Window.

In accordance with section 313 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, any person who provides information in response to this notice may submit with the information a request that it be treated as confidential.

Gwen Goodier
Acting Director General
Science and Risk Assessment Directorate
On behalf of the Minister of the Environment

David Morin
Director General
Safe Environments Directorate
On behalf of the Minister of Health

Read more here: http://gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2019/2019-04-06/html/notice-avis-eng.html#na3

April 22, 2019

Polyol Overview

AFPM ’19: US polyol prices likely pressured by sufficient propylene supply

Source: ICIS News

2019/03/23

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Expectation that feedstock propylene supply will remain healthy will likely keep downward pressure on the US polyether polyol market, heading into this year’s International Petrochemical Conference (IPC).

The US polyether polyol market is structurally long, and prices tend to follow the direction of changes in propylene feedstock costs with a lag of one-to-two months.

Propylene supply has risen in recent months and is expected to stay elevated for much of the year on increasing steam cracking capacity along with improving operating rates at propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plants.

Propylene is produced as a by-product in the steam cracking process, with the primary product being ethylene.

Most new US crackers are designed to use lighter feedstocks producing less propylene co-product by volume, although the sheer scale of US cracker additions is still expected to generate some increase in propylene supply.

PDH units are on-purpose propylene units and are being built out in the US and Canada to increase propylene supplies and keep propylene derivative plants sufficiently supplied.

Compressed producer margins may limit the extent of price decreases for polyether polyols, as producers had not been able to fully reflect the rise in propylene costs which occurred in 2018 onto their end-product prices.

Downstream demand for polyurethane systems has been strong over the past few years but is showing some signs of slowing as the global economy is signaling a deceleration in GDP growth across many of the world’s key economies.

Automotive demand has been slowing in Asia, Europe and the US, while demand from the furniture and bedding sector has been disappointing in North America.

Polyurethane systems are used in a wide variety of applications, with some of the major consuming sectors being automotive, furniture and bedding, construction and appliances.

Polyols are reacted with an isocyanate to produce polyurethane foams.

Major US producers of polyether polyols include Covestro, Dow Chemical and BASF.

Hosted by the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM), the IPC takes place on 24-26 March in San Antonio, Texas.

Focus article by Zachary Moore

https://www.icis.com/explore/resources/news/2019/03/23/10338336/afpm-19-us-polyol-prices-likely-pressured-by-sufficient-propylene-supply/?cmpid=SOC%257CRSS%257Ctwitter%257CFreeNewsFeed