BASF: Towards more sustainability

BASF expands TPU product portfolio for the circular economy

Together with customers and partners BASF extends the sustainability efforts in three main areas: Developing recycling streams to reuse thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) as a raw material, evolving on (bio-)mass balanced feedstock and using more bio-based resources.

TPU can usually be recycled in environmentally compatible ways.  Using waste streams that offer post-industrial recycled material, several Elastollan^® grades are now available containing 30-100% recycled TPU, called Elastollan^® RC.

With the ISCC Plus certification of its production site in Lemförde, Germany, BASF again shows the commitment to support customers in achieving their sustainability goals. Three categories of the mass balance approach allow for flexible drop-in solutions combining a reduced need of fossil resources and a lower CO₂ footprint according to customers' requirements.

Bio-based Elastollan^® TPU is made with renewable-sourced material featuring identical building blocks. The bio-based carbon content of this drop-in replacement can be measured against the ASTM D6866 standard. 

PCF app PACIFIC launched on Cofinity-X   

The app PACIFIC, a solution for the exchange of Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) data of BASF products, is now available in the app store of Cofinity-X, the Catena-X Automotive Ecosystem. BASF customers can register for the application as of now. PACIFIC is a joint development of BASF and the Berlin-based start-up CircularTree.

After three years of close collaboration within the Catena-X consortium in the sustainability sector, important milestones have been reached with the development of various standards. These include, among others, a set of PCF rules, a PCF kit and a PCF data model, to name just a few examples. The standards aim to facilitate the exchange of PCF data within the Catena-X data ecosystem and thus specifically improve sustainability.

Broad product portfolio of polyamide solutions for packaging, films, monofilaments, automotive and textile fibers

With the Ultramid^® product line, BASF offers its customers both standard and increasingly sustainable solutions for the extrusion and fiber sectors. For example, recycled raw materials are used instead of fossil raw materials in the production of Ultramid^® Ccycled^® and are allocated to the Ccycled^® products via a certified mass balance approach. This also applies to Ultramid^® Biomass Balance (BMB) products, which are manufactured using renewable raw materials.

All of these products are so-called “drop-in” solutions, which are equivalent in quality to conventional products and can be used by customers without any further changes to the manufacturing process. Wherever quality, hygiene and performance are paramount, Ultramid^® from BASF is ideally suited for numerous applications.

Ultramid^® Expand – the polyamide-based particle foam that sets no limits to ideas

Ultramid^® Expand is a new class of material featuring polyamide-based foam solutions for various automotive applications. This foam is distinguished by its high temperature resistance, excellent mechanical strength, and resistance to chemicals. Developed for structural applications in the automotive industry, it comes with a combination of high temperature and thermal deformation resistance as well as excellent mechanical properties.

Ultramid^® Expand can be processed with standard EPP vapor-molding machines and is compatible with various thermal welding processes. The material can be used in a variety of automotive components, including occupant and battery protection, structural inserts, and battery cell holders. The foam is easy to overmold with compatible materials to create hybrid components that are recyclable while providing a mono-material solution. Thanks to its properties, the foam is suitable for use in battery environments and has excellent chemical resistance, according to BASF.

Ultramid^® T6000 and T7000: bridging the gap between PA and PPA

BASF shows its whole range of polyphthalamides (PPA) at the booth with a focus on the new grades Ultramid^® T6000 and T7000. The high-performance Ultramid^® T6000 (PA66/6T) flame retardant portfolio shows excellent RTI and GWIT values. It opens up colorful possibilities with even white color shades for miniaturization of E&E parts. Ultramid^® T7000 surpasses PA66 in mechanical properties especially in presence of humidity up to a temperature of 80°C. The PA/PPA blend has a high stiffness and strength, which makes it a perfect metal replacement - plus the added value of a smooth surface finish and dimensional stability.