Dow using carbon dating to determine 'green'
By David Perry -- Furniture Today, 11/3/2008 12:00:00 AM
SAN ANTONIO — Chemical giant Dow has an idea how the polyurethanes industry can better define what makes a product “green.” It is one that comes straight out of the archaeologist's toolbox.
Dow is advocating that laboratories use carbon dating technology to determine the percentage of “new” carbons — those from biologically based or “natural” oils — in foams and other products. Those new carbons are renewable, as compared to the non-renewable “old” carbons that are derived from fossil fuels.
The carbon dating analysis would enable the industry to identify the renewable or bio-based content in the products it helps create, Dow officials said at the Polyurethanes 2008 Technical Conference here.
Top Dow officials told Furniture/Today that they believe it's important to use a science-based approach to defining the green qualities inherent in the foams, which are an integral component of mattresses and upholstered furniture.
“There is no definition of what is green,” said Herman Motmans, global marketing director for Dow's polyurethanes business. “We don't want to 'greenwash,' ” he said, referring to the practice of making questionable claims that a product is eco-friendly. “The industry doesn't have a standard. Anyone can call a product renewable.”
Thomas Feige, Dow's product manager for polyurethanes in North America, said a laboratory determination of the level of renewable materials in foams would be a useful tool for Dow's customers — the companies that actually produce the foam — and for downstream users like mattress and upholstery producers.
“I could see this being used to validate (green) claims and validate product performance,” said Feige, who added that it could be “a big marketing tool.”
Dow talked about the value of measuring renewable content in foams in a number of different ways at the industry's major event, the Polyurethanes Technical Conference, hosted by the Center for the Polyurethanes Industry. The events attracted scientists, researchers, producers and marketers from polyurethane and chemical companies.
Juan Carlos Medina, polyurethane chemistry group leader for Dow Polyurethanes, delivered a technical paper on the idea at the conference.
“We are trying to educate the industry on the importance of measuring the level of bio-based carbon in both polyols and end-use products and to use that information as a competitive advantage in the marketplace,” Medina said. “By enlisting the help of independent laboratories to measure the renewable content in the final foam product and making that information available to consumers, manufacturers and retailers can help create more demand for products that are environmentally friendly.”
Specifically, Dow advocates that the industry embrace the use of what is called Method ASTM D6866, a test that several independent laboratories can perform. It can measure the percentage of bio-based carbon in a material or product.
“Using a standard measurement will help make it simpler for foam producers and manufacturers to determine what level of renewable content is possible in their product, verify the content level in the final product, and then be able to promote the 'greenness' of the product to their customers with confidence,” said Umberto Torresan, Dow Polyurethanes' global marketing manager for the company's Renuva renewable resource technology.
“Using technology to provide consumers with a choice when it comes to green products is our focus at Dow,” Medina said. “They no longer need to sacrifice a good night's sleep for improving the environment.”
