Today we took our third tour of an American company’s facility in China at Huntsman Shanghai.  Huntsman is a chemical company specializing in polyurethanes.  It develops formulae for industrial needs and then sells the correct ingredients to be mixed and molded.  The materials created appear in every kind of product you can imagine, from car seats and steering wheels to house insulation.  After an introduction about the company’s history we were taken to several laboratories, where formulae are developed and tested.  Much of their heaviest machinery is used in development to simulate the industrial conditions of their customers’ plants.

One aspect of Huntsman’s research I found particularly interesting was in limiting the long-term chemical emissions of their products.  For instance, all the plastics, gels, and cushioning in a new car continue to release toxic chemicals in small amounts for some time after the car is purchased (perhaps these contribute to “new car smell”).  The researcher we met told us that it’s important to open a new car’s windows once in a while, especially on hot days.  Our stay at Huntsman concluded with their treat of a McDonalds lunch, which was well received.  We all love Chinese cuisine, but it’s nice to have a break once in a while. 

From Huntsman we drove to Pudong, the business district of Shanghai.  This is where all the most impressive skyscrapers are found, notably the Shanghai World Financial Center, which is recognizable by the square hole in its twisting form towards.  The toilets in the Center are almost as impressive–they have heating, automatic seat cleaning, and a robot arm that pops out to function as a bidet.  Most of the cars in the Pudong area are Buicks, which are very high end in China. 

Pudong

The Shanghai World Financial Center

I liked this fire hydrant

Dinner was a special affair because it was our last meal with Sven, who will head back to the states early tomorrow.  He and Xinli selected the dishes for our tables, and made some great choices.  We’ll definitely miss Sven’s presence and his wealth of knowledge about smart traveling in the week before heading back to the United States, no one more so than Xinli, who is now the lone professor for our horde. 

After dinner, a few of us headed down Nanjing Road to a higher-end bar about forty floors up in a nearby hotel.  On the way we stopped by a pastry shop and gorged ourselves on some amazing custard and sweet bread.  The bar had a live band from the Philippines, which covered mostly pop songs (a lot of Black Eyed Peas and Lady Gaga).  Their musicality was questionable at times, but more than made up for by the classy atmosphere and an amazing view of Shanghai.  

Location: Shanghai, China