What’s on the outside matters too –Creative packaging made from plastic

Essential for climate protection –Energy efficiency with insulation from BASF

No need to fear big waves –Coastal protection with Elastocoast

1/2008

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Editorial

Dear Readers,

On January 1, 2008, I took over respon-sibility for BASF’s Plastics divisions on the Board of Executive Directors of BASF SE. I am delighted to present to you the new issue of our customer magazine plastics. We regularly report here on product and applica-tion innovations which help our customers to enjoy even greater success in their markets. The main focus of this issue is on BASF’s solutions for greater energy efficiency. There is great potential for savings in the construction industry: the use of foam products based on polystyrene and poly- urethane makes a vital contribution to help-ing to significantly increase the energy efficiency of buildings. Polymeric materials also play a crucial role when it comes to mobility: cars and aircraft would be heavier and would consume a great deal more fuel without plastics. Our plastics and their use

in our customers’ products are significantly helping to achieve the ambitious targets politicians have set for reducing emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. This contribution is notable: a study of 90 prod-ucts carried out by BASF shows that BASF materials can save three times the level of greenhouse gas emitted during their produc-tion and disposal. Innovative plastic products will continue to make a vital contribution in this area in the future.BASF is demonstrating that it will continue to place its confidence in innovations as a driver of growth with biodegradable plas-tics as well. By 2010, the company will be expanding the capacity of the biodegrad-able plastic Ecoflex® from 14,000 to 74,000 metric tons a year. We will continue to focus our efforts on being able to offer our custom-ers innovative solutions time and time again. I am absolutely convinced that the potential here is far from exhausted.

I hope you enjoy reading this issue.

Dr. Martin BrudermüllerMember of the Board of Executive DirectorsResponsible for the Plastics segment and the region Asia Pacific

“Plastics save greenhouse gases”

Dr. Martin

Brudermüller

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Contents

Design award for hot prototype 20

The wonder tree bears fruit 21Polyamide based on renewable raw materials

You can do without a coating 22Cover frame made from Luran S

Robust looker 23Italian designer chair made from Luran

Getting rid of another thermal bridge 24Energy-efficient window frame profiles with plastic reinforcement

Flame protection for the electricity supplier 25Bosch alternator cover now made from laser-inscribable Ultramid

No need to fear big waves 26Coastal protection with Elastocoast

They make vehicles lighter, more efficient and more appealing: Polyurethane applica-tions in cars.

Main theme: Packaging design

Focus: Energy efficiency News 6-7

Innovations and Applications

More efficient, cheaper and more secure: coastal protection with Elastocoast.

26

What’s on the outside matters too 8Packaging design with BASF plastics

Packaging is part of the whole brand 10

BASF will expand production of Ecoflex 12 The market for biodegradable plastics is growing

Hitting the market with High Speed 14New types of PBT and PA high speed

Energy efficiency: The key contribution to climate protection 16Construction insulation with BASF foams

The ease of driving 18Polyurethane applications in cars

18

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Contents

Mobility - light and quiet 28Boeing and Toyota use Basotect

On the sunny side 30BASF special foam in solar installations

No slippage! 32Car seat made from Neopolen P reduces weight and saves costs in the VW Touareg

Great hollow parts 33New Ultraform type for blow molding

Soft and light footed 34First high-load torque rods made from plastic for Opel and Saab

Step by step 36Therapy for stroke patients

Achieving the desired coloring more fluidly 38Plastic coloring with liquid systems

Protection for old ruins 40Base slab system made from Styrodur C

Only flying is more delightful 41Small bird house made from Luran S

New plant for producing thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) 42

A delicate nothing 43Perlon: A plastic sets fashion trends

34

Opel and Saab have it: The first high-load torque rod.

38Plastic coloring with liquid systems from BASF Color Solutions: It colors everyday life.

Dates �2

Competition ��

New therapy possibi-lity for stroke patients using Terlux 2802 HD.

36

BASF’s Terblend N in GL class head restraints.

The SkinForm® process is being used for the first time for a standard part in automotive construction, in the

head restraints for the current Mercedes-Benz series C, S, M, R and GL classes. The thermoplastic support for the rear head restraint covers is made of the plastic Terblend® N NM-19, BASF’s ABS/PA blend. It is easy to process and has very

good adhesion to polyurethane, producing a leather-like

grain and feel in the flexible outer com-

ponent. The functional plastic part of the head restraint

is manu-factured at

Schenk Plastic Solutions GmbH, Esslingen.

Hot air in car lungs

BASF’s highly heat-stabilized and highly-filled Ultramid® A3W2 G10 has found its first large-scale application in the air chambers of Behr intercoolers. The G10 nomenclature means 50% glass fibers. The material was specifically developed to meet Behr’s needs – because for continuous temperatures of 190°C and changes of excess pressure as found in intercooler circuits, there has not, until now, been a material on the market based on Polyamide 66. Continuous infla-tion and deflation at such high tempera-tures is a major challenge for plastics. Behr intercoolers are already used in the current Ford Compact transporter series Transit Connect/Tourneo Connect with 1.8 l TDCi common-rail turbodiesels.

www.plasticsportal.eu/ultramid

The SkinForm process was presented at K2004 tradeshow by its developers, Krauss-Maffei Technologies GmbH, Rühl Puromer and Schenk Plastic Solutions. It cleverly combines reaction and injection molding techniques, producing high-qual-ity, leather-like plasticsurface finishes in one

process step. The finished moldings consist of a polyurethane outer skin and a mechani-cally stable thermoplastic support. They are intended for use primarily in automotive construction, but also for office chairs and everyday items such as vacuum cleaners, electrical tools and computer notebooks.

High-quality head restraints produced using a new process

Podcasts from BASF

Audio podcasts, including information on biodegradable plastics such as Ecoflex® and Ecovio®, can be downloaded from BASF’s website. Podcasts are sound files that can be played on computers, cell phones and MP3 players. The files are available directly by subscription on BASF’s web pages or can be accessed at:

www.basf.com/podcast

6

News

6

7

3:1 for greater climate

protection

In February, BASF was the first company worldwide to put forward a comprehensive CO2 balance scorecard. Research shows that BASF products can save three times more greenhouse gas emissions than are emitted in the production and disposal of all BASF products. The CO2 balance shows for the first time not only the emissions from BASF’s production, but also includes emissions from raw material supply and intermediates, and disposal of all products. The company has also looked at the life cycles of 90 products which, used in end products, clearly reduce the impact of CO2 emissions. An independent expert’s report from the Öko-Institut at Freiburg (Germany) confirms that BASF’s calculations are cor-rect.

BASF now an SE

By entry in the commercial register at the Ludwigshafen (Germany) District Court on 01.14.2008, BASF Aktiengesellschaft officially became a European Company (Societas Europaea, SE). Since then, the company has been trading under the name BASF SE. The general meeting decided on this change on April 26, 2007. The Chair-man of BASF SE, Dr. Jürgen Hambrecht, said: “As the first company in our industry, we are keen to comply with the European ethos in our legal form. At the same time, we are increasing the participation of the BASF Group’s European employees and improving our Corporate Governance.”

In a nutshell

BASF has shared its know-how at a sustain-ability workshop held by its biggest Poly-amide 6 customer, Mohawk Industries. The meeting was held on February 18 and 19 at the customer’s site in Dalton, Georgia, where company representatives from a number of different areas such as Production, R&D, Logistics, Accounts, Planning and Market-ing took part. Mohawk is working on several initiatives to develop a sustainability platform, with particular attention paid to eco- and CO2 balances. Chris Bradlee, BASF’s manager responsible for environment and occupation-al safety, gave presentations on the “green” industry and BASF’s ecoefficiency analysis. He showed how BASF uses the ecoefficiency

analysis to compare alternative products or processes based on their ecobalance. This enables BASF and its customers to develop a better understanding of which technology is best suited for a particular application, both economically and from the point of view of environmental protection. In addition, BASF employees from four operating divisions – Polyamides and Intermediates, Functional Polymers, Construction Chemicals and Plasticizers – presented a broad spectrum of products and solutions that BASF feels can contribute to Mohawk’s business. Mohawk has been involved in carpet production for over 120 years and today is one of the lead-ing suppliers of floor coverings worldwide.

Sustainability workshop at Mohawk Industries

Styrolux® 3G46, which, until now, has mainly been used in extrusion and injection molding, is also suitable for

blow molding. This plastic from BASF is simpler to process both in extrusion blow molding and in injection blow molding. Styrolux weighs 30% less than alternative materials such as PVC, PET-G or PC. Transparent blown containers – such as storage and decorative containers, sports bottles and dispensers – can be more economically produced. The highly-trans-parent BASF plastic can be processed on

all current blow molding machines with low processing temperatures and shorter cycle times. Further cost savings can be made because the material does not have to be pre-dried. The high impact strength and breaking strength, together with high transparency and remarkable gloss, make Styrolux a very economic alternative for el-egant bottles with integrated handles and it can also be easily colored, printed, bonded and welded. Both Styrolux 684D and Styrolux 3G46 can be used for blow molding.

Transparent forms made of Styrolux

Cost-efficient alternative: bins made of Styrolux.

7

News

What’s on the outside matters tooBASF plastics offer packaging designers a number of potential applications

Whether it is brightly-colored and eye-catching or simple and functional, packaging shows a

product in its true light. A sophisticated and unique package helps the product to stand out from the competition and promote its own brand. Research con-ducted by Information Resources shows a communication medium packaging

can underpin product properties such as “freshness” much better than some television advertising. Ultimately, the eye does the buying.

But packaging design is much more than just clever presentation strategies. When design-ing packaging, it is just as important to look at matters concerning engineering and pro-

duction as it is the aesthetics of a package. Packaging should not just attract attention but should enable the product to reach the cus-tomer undamaged. Many forms of packaging have to be tear-resistant, hygienic or durable, with elasticity, water vapor permeability and a high resilience as other requirements that packaging designers can place on materials. Biodegradable plastics are suitable for special

The quantity of different materials on the

German packaging market as a percentage

of production value. Development can in

principle be transferred to other European

countries. (Graphic: GADV/RKW, IK,

PlasticsEurope).

* Surveyed annually for 2000-2003

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1970 1985 1990 1995 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005

%

*

plastics

paper/cardboard

metals

glassother

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Packaging design

Unsurpassed: The flexibility of the specialty plastic Styroflex, which can also be used for food packaging.

applications, for example in farming.BASF provides a wide range of plastics for both challenges – creative product marketing and functional design. In Ger-many, for example, plastic is the leading packaging material. According to one study*, the plastic pack-aging share in 2005 was over 40 percent. Plastics can offer significant properties depending on what is required. They provide protection against moisture, light and dam-age, weigh less and do not require a lot of space. The packaging in fact makes up between one to three per-cent of the product weight; 0.0044 pounds (two grams) of plastic film can wrap 0.44 pounds (200 grams) of cheese, and a bottle weighting 0.08 pounds (38 grams) can hold 1.5 liters of liquid, according to calcula-tions by the PlasticsEurope Association. Lower weight saves energy; lighter packaging not only means that less raw material is used, but also lower trans-portation weight. “Adding up energy consumption and other environmental effects of production, transportation

and disposal gives a positive result that is often unsurpassed,” according to the Association.

“Adding up energy consump-tion and other effects gives a

positive result that is often unsurpassed.”

The diversity of plastic packag-ing is quite evident. Applica-tions range from cosmetics through food to high-quality electronics. Sophisticated containers are in demand in the beauty industry, in particular; BASF produces a variety of specialty plastics for designers for creams, make-up etc. The transparent Terlux® offers glossy surfaces and a high level of toughness. Luran®, which is also transparent, gives high-quality surfaces with high rigidity and above-average depth of color. BASF has a specialty foam for packaging high-quality equip-ment. Neopolen® E is used in protective bolsters of sensitive production. The polyethylene foam scores primarily with a high degree of resilience with static and dynamic load, ex-cellent elasticity and smooth

surface. Bottles for milk and yogurt

drinks can be manufactured cost-effectively from impact-resistant polystyrene. BASF,

together with ALPLA, one of the largest manufacturers of plastic drink bottles in the world, has succeeded in doing this for the first time. The lower density of polystyrene compared with PET means that material costs can be reduced by up to 25%, and packaging manufacturers also save energy and money because less compressed air is needed for injection stretch blow molding. Polystyrene, unlike PET, does not have to be pre-dried. Dairy products and soft drinks are increasingly being packed in bottles with shrink-wrap that can be produced from Styrolux® HS 70 (plas-tics 2/2007). Foils for so-called stretch-hood-packaging with particularly high reset force are produced out of Styroflex®.BASF not only offers interested packaging designers plastics that are easy to process, it also provides support in implementing their ideas, including the appropriate skills at the designfabrik™, an absolute treasure trove for creative minds looking for advice with the construction of their products.

www.plasticseurope.org

www.plasticsportal.eu/packaging

www.designfabrik.basf.com

* set up by GADV (Gemeinschaftsausschuss

deutscher Verpackungshersteller), IK (Industrievereini-

gung Kunststoffverpackungen) and RKW (Rheinische

Kunststoffwerke Worms)

The properties of Terlux … … can look good … … in any application.

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Packaging design

Polystyrene milk bottle with a

Styrolux shrink-sleeve.

What clothes do for a person, packaging does for a product. It steers attention in the desired direc-tion and helps lock on to an individual target in the

crowd. “plastics” spoke to packaging consultant Carolina E. Schweig about trends in packaging design and potential ap-plications for plastics.

Mrs. Schweig, why, in times of cost efficiency, should manu-facturers concentrate so much time on packaging? Would they not be better concentrating on the products?On average, for example, 600 new items make their way on to Ger-man supermarket shelves in one week, yet the average household buys just 466 different articles a year. Of these, around half are its usual products. If we believe consumer researchers who complain about the many interchangeable brands and products, the conclu-sion is that we should redefine the subject of cost efficiency and product development. On the one hand, we can see that the matter of pure abstract cost efficiency is turning into a matter of consumer orientation. The question is primarily “What do consumers want, and what will they pay at what price?” On the other hand, the prod-uct image has become something quite different. The time when a product was produced and then a packaging quickly developed for it is past or should be past if a manufacturer takes its product and its consumers seriously. Packaging is part of the whole brand. It should underpin the brand, highlight its profile and convey the brand value. Ideally, product and packaging should form a single unit and not be viewed, let alone developed, separately from one another. Only together do they meet an important customer need.

Packaging is part of the whole brand

Carolina E. Schweig: Member of the editing team on the specialist jour-nal “creativ verpacken” and head of “Verpackungsberatung C. E. Schweig” consultants. After studying paper and plastic processing, she specialized in converting consumer insights (finding out customers’ preferences) into pack-aging concepts, technical solutions for niche markets and “open innovations” involving working in the creative area through several development and man-ufacturing steps, involving research departments of companies.

“The time when a product was pro-

duced and then a packaging quickly

developed for it is past or should be

past.”

10

Packaging design

What are the current trends in packaging? Our society is becoming more complex, so the demands we place on our environment, our products and our packaging are becom-ing more diverse. A trend, if you want to call it that, is surely, as we have already mentioned, redefining packaging into a key instrument to satisfy customers’ demands. Let us take as an example the flood of chocolate bars packaged today in bite-size form, in a practical folding box wrapping found on every shelf. Here we find ourselves with another trend that the packaging has to cater for: convenience. But what does “convenience” as a packaging trend actually mean? The IRI (Information Resources Inc.) study of October 2005 found that: “Quick and easy is no longer enough – a variety of other plus factors including nutritional value, greater ease of carrying, quality and value are expected. In addition to considerable savings in time, products in the convenience range also have to meet other pressing demands made by the customer, such as health and well-being, taste, variety and being easy to carry.” Apart from additional use, I also see new developments in the basic packaging requirements such as protection from spoilage, information and documentation – active and also, the first intelligent packaging is something we need to be looking at.

What advantages do plastics offer compared with other ma-terials in the packaging sector?Plastics can be produced comparatively easily in all conceivable forms with a different feel and look. They can have odor and color to make the whole brand perceptible and tangible. Plastics can be designed to meet the customer’s individual packaging applica-tion needs and product requirements and this means they offer the option to achieve optimum packaging uses for the consumer. As a general comment, it can be said that it is no longer possible to envisage modern packaging development without plastics. Many packaging applications would not be possible, or would be very expensive, if plastics were not used.

How do the emerging new industrialized countries affect the world of product packaging?Packaging solutions in these countries are as different as the coun-tries themselves. Interestingly, we find here two things side by side – high-priced luxury packaging and basic value-for-money pack-aging adapted to the manufacturing costs of local products. If we look at the luxury sector as found for example in Russia and China, in the manufacture of this product packaging we can assume rela-

tively small production sizes involving a number of finishing steps and a high level of technical know-how. In this case, the packaging may well be worth more than the actual product as a symbol of luxury. The situation appears to be quite different in packaging for con-sumer novices. It would actually be conceivable here for the coun-try’s agricultural situation to revolutionize the packaging material technology for regional products and packaging. In Brazil, which also has a technological lead in the bioethanol field, a development such as this would be feasible, but it should not be assumed that good products or packaging are the same as “cheap” for large lower-income sectors. In the emerging markets, consumers have at least the same high requirements for products and their packaging as buyers in Europe and the USA. Expectations regarding quality, luxury and commercial properties are higher than in the old indus-trialized countries, because buying a product for someone on a low income is more of an “investment” than a “normal purchase”.

What part does sustainability play in the packaging sector?The subject of sustainability has undoubtedly become a more pressing matter for the packaging sector and this will continue to increase. This concerns of course raw materials, their possibili-ties, their usability and processability, and also the aspects of production, transport and storage of packaging materials and their disposal and reusability must be factored into this discussion, in all regions around the world. Bioplastics can be used for some appli-cations; in other cases, it depends on specific conditions. We can see that there is actually still room here to develop something new and undertake pioneering work.

What tips would you give producers of packaging raw mate-rials?All primary suppliers in the packaging industry, such as manufac-turers of packaging, processing machinery, printing machinery or packaging machinery, should be looking very closely indeed at the consumer insights of their customers and their customers’ custom-ers. We can learn from successful brand producers in working with customers on optimized product concepts in an open development process. And here again we come back to successfully targeted cost efficiency. Not only the brand producers but also the manu-facturers of packaging, packaging materials and machinery should make the customer and its requirements a yardstick for costs, investment and development.

11

Packaging design

BASF will expand production of EcoflexThe market for biodegradable plastics is growing

12

Ecoflex

BASF SE has announced plans for a significant expansion of its production plant for the

biodegradable plastic Ecoflex® at the company’s Ludwigshafen site. The move will raise Ecoflex production capacities from the current 14,000 by 60,000 metric tons per year. Produc-tion at the expanded plant will com-mence in the third quarter of 2010.

Ecoflex is a petrochemicals-based plas-tic which has the properties of conven-tional polyethylene but is fully biodegrad-able in accordance with DIN EN 13432 requirements.At the same time, BASF plans to in-crease production capacity of the com-pounding facility in Ludwigshafen where the newly developed product Ecovio® is

manufactured. Ecovio, a derivative of Ecoflex, contains 45 percent by weight of the renewable raw material polylactic acid (PLA). The PLA content means Eco-vio is not only biodegradable but also largely biobased. Polylactic acid is ob-tained from corn (maize).

“The new production capacities will substantially strengthen and consolidate our position”.

The global market for biodegradable and biobased plastics is growing at more than 20 percent per year. “Ecoflex, our successful biodegradable polyester, and the innovation Ecovio are already giving us significant participation in this growing market. The new production capacities will substantially strengthen and consoli-

date our position,” said Dr. Michael Stumpp, head of BASF’s Specialty Poly-mers global business unit. “The expan-sion will also allow us to meet our cus-tomers’ needs even more effectively and will increase our delivery flexibility.”As the supplier of the two polymer materials Ecovio and Ecoflex, BASF is already a global market leader in the area of biobased and biodegradable plastics. The materials are used to make carrier bags, compostable bin liners, mulch film, food wrapping, and for other applications. Both properties – biode-gradability and a high renewable raw material content – are increasingly sought after in the competitive global materials market.

www.basf.de/ecoflex

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Ecoflex

Hitting the market with High SpeedBetter flow properties with new PBT and PA grades

P resented for the first time at the K Trade Fair in Düsseldorf in 2004, the High Speed range of particularly easy-flow engineering plastics is now growing at a rapid pace: three years after being launched on the market,

BASF is now able to offer 15 different Ultradur High Speed grades (PBT). And since the start of the year, the first polyamide variants have been ready for sam-pling under the name Ultramid High Speed

First series application of the plastic Ultradur S4090 High Speed in automo-tive electronicsThe particularly low-warpage version of Ultradur® High Speed has found its first series application in automotive electron-ics. The PBT/ASA blend Ultradur S4090 G4 LS High Speed has recently begun to be used in a door control unit which Continental Automotive Systems manu-factures for use in the Audi A5 and A4. The door control units are located in the doors of the vehicle and are connected to the central electronic system via the on-board power supply. However, they do

not just control the opening and clos-ing of the doors and windows, but also control safety functions such as anti-trap protection. The plastic housing needs to be particularly dimensionally stable for this application. This is why the low-warpage PBT/ASA blend is particularly well suited. Thanks to nanoparticles, improved flow properties and reduced cycle times are achieved, which in turn result in improved filling of the mold, the number of defective parts which are rejected is reduced, as is the wear on the injection mold because a lower injection pressure can be used.

1�

High Speed

Safely round the bendThe steering angle sensor which Bosch pro-duces for various prestigious international automakers is now made from Ultradur High Speed. This plastic not only allows injection molders to considerably reduce the cycle time, but at the same time allows them to give their components an even more filigree design. The steering angle sensor is an essential component for ensuring safety in the vehicle and passes on information about the position of the steering wheel to the Electronic Stability Program (ESP). That is why the component with its electronics is seated directly on the steering column.

The next generation: thin-walled and laser-inscribableFollowing on from the first generation of sensors made from Ultradur B4300 G4 LS High Speed, Bosch has developed a new sensor for the latest generations of vehicles.

Given the ever more stringent requirements in terms of the space available for installa-tion, the new steering angle sensor had to be even more thin-walled and filigree than its predecessor. The sophisticated injection mold can be filled with the highly flowable Ultradur High Speed without any problems. In addition, the steering angle sensor made from this plastic can be laser-inscribed with high contrast. This allows the components to be marked with very fine Data Matrix codes which contain a large amount of information about the component but only take up a very small amount of space. As the material can reproduce details precisely and therefore complies with Bosch’s narrow tolerances, it is very easy to produce the flexible design of the sensor, depending on the type of vehicle and the desired function-ality. The transfer from screw connections to snap-fit connections has also been suc-cessfully achieved with the BASF PBT.

High Speed for hot airThree years after Ultradur High Speed was introduced to the market, BASF is now unveiling its first Ultramid High Speed products. Initially these comprise three highly filled polyamide 66 grades. Two products are filled with 40 and 50 percent glass fibers, respectively, while the third is filled with glass fibers and mineral. The incorporation of special nanoparticles into the plastic means that these products now not only boast improved flow properties but also have considerably increased heat-aging resistance at high temperatures. There are currently no other polyamides with this unusual combination of properties on the market.

Nanoparticles: reducing weight through high flowabilityThe product developers have successfully managed to develop nanoparticles which are matched precisely to the polyamide matrix. This enabled the flowability of Ultramid A3WG8, A3WG10 and A3WGM53 to be increased by up to 100 percent. This pronounced enhancement of the flow proper-ties, coupled with the high thermal stability, predestines these new materials for the production of large components in the engine compartment such as cylinder head covers or intercooler end caps. In this area, processors can use the new products to save material and thus reduce weight because the good flow behavior allows the injection-molded parts to be thinner.

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High Speed

16

Focus on energy efficiency

Energy efficiency:The key contribution to climate protectionInsulating buildings with BASF products saves energy and costs

BASF is emphasizing its commit-ment to increasing energy effi-ciency with numerous initiatives,

such as a thermal insulation study in Europe and low-energy houses in the USA and South Korea.

The Kyoto Protocol marked a new stage in international climate protection: in the document, which was adopted in 1997, a number of industrialized nations imposed binding targets on themselves to reduce the global emission of green-house gases such as carbon dioxide. Other conferences have followed, such as one held in Bali last December, and they have made it clear that in the 21st century climate protection sits right at the top of the agenda on the interna-tional political stage.But how can the global aim of reducing emissions of CO2 over the long term ac-tually be achieved? One crucial thing we need to do is increase energy efficiency in all areas of our lives.A vital role can be played here by insula-tion products such as those produced by BASF. They ensure that less energy is required for heating and cooling build-ings. And there is great potential for saving energy in the residential sector. To take the European Union as an example: “40 per-cent of the demand for energy in Europe comes from the construction sector. It has the greatest potential for energy efficien-cy,” says the European Union. Demand could be curtailed significantly in existing buildings in particular. dena (The German Energy Agency) has calculated that in Germany these buildings consume roughly three times more energy for heating than new buildings. Constructing modern build-ing systems and proper renovation would help to reduce this by up to 80 percent.

In hot climatic zones the key thing is not to conserve heat but to conserve cold air instead. But people in Dubai, Melbourne, Johannesburg and Copenhagen have one thing in common: They have to invest

“People in different climatic zones have one thing in common. They have to invest a great deal of en-ergy in creating a pleasant indoor climate.”

a great deal of energy in creating a pleas-ant indoor climate. A study by the Passive House Institute in Darmstadt (Germany) demonstrates that making more efficient use of energy pays dividends under all climatic conditions – in cold, temperate, and hot

countries. They investigated the effects of the BASF insulation material products Neopor®, Styrodur® C and Elastopor® H on the energy budget of identical buildings in different European cities. The result was that, by using an insulating layer that is just a few centimeters thick, energy consumption can be driven down by around 70 percent – in Warsaw and also in Frankfurt, Paris, London, Rome, or Seville. According to calculations made during the study, the costs which have to be invested in the additional thermal insulation pay for themselves after just four to eight years. “With today’s energy prices, a homeowner in Paris, London or Frankfurt will be able to save between 15,000 and 17,000 euros with the right thermal insulation within 50 years,” explains the physicist Jürgen

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Hot countries: Spain – Seville

Model of energy demand and CO2 emissions

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17

Focus on energy efficiency

Schnieders from the Passive House Insti-tute. The BASF products focus on different applications here. Neopor granules made from expandable polystyrene (EPS) are an advanced version of Styropor. A visible difference is that panels and molded parts made from Neopor are silver-gray in color. This is due to small graphite particles which absorb the thermal radiation and in doing so boost the insulation capacity. Examples of uses of Neopor include the insulation of facades or insulating the insides of exterior walls.Styrodur C is suitable for applications which are subject to particular pressure and stress. Thanks to their excellent thermal in-sulation capacity, low water absorption and high compressive strength, the green-dyed

panels made from extruded polystyrene rigid foam (XPS) from BASF are used in lots of civil engineering construction projects. Elastopor H, a closed-cell polyurethane rigid foam, is ideal for use in lots of

“The increase in energy efficiency in all areas of life makes a vital contribution to climate protection.”

thermal insulation and cooling applications.It is noted for its ability to withstand high temperatures coupled with a long useful life and excellent insulating properties.The issue of climate protection is also right at the top of the agenda in the USA. For instance, a law passed in California in 2006 demands a 25% reduction in CO2 emissions

by 2020. Back in 2005, seven states in the northeast United States combined to come up with a regional greenhouse gas initiative. With the “Better Home, Better Planet” proj-ect, BASF is showing how Styropor® can be used to reduce the amount of energy consumed in a building by 80 percent.There is also great interest in measures for ensuring greater energy efficiency in South Korea. The country meets less than three percent of its energy needs using local energy sources such as coal, nuclear power and hydroelectric power, but at the same time in terms of pro-capita consumption it comes 19th in a global comparison. BASF presents solutions for the construction sector in a “three-liter house” which lives up to its name and requires just three liters of heating oil per square meter per year. Work-ing together with the fuel cell manufacturer FuelCellPower Inc. and the construction company Daelim Industrial Co., the building was erected in 2005 in Kyonggi, around 40 kilometers from Seoul. Thermal insula-tion was provided using foams made from Neopor, which BASF has also been produc-ing in Korea since 2007. In 2005, Neopor was presented with the “EnergyWinner” award in Korea for its outstanding insulation properties and the reduced demand for raw materials resulting from its use.

www.energyefficiency.basf.com

www.betterhomebetterplanet.com

Very goodGoodAverageMinimum

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Cold countries: Poland – Warsaw

Energy [kWh/(m2a)] CO2 [kg/(m2a)]

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Focus on energy efficiency

preserve the money in your wallet and the environment in equal measure, many parts are now being manufactured from plastics. They are often cost-efficient to process, increase safety or provide greater comfort. And the best thing of all is that plastics are light and therefore reduce fuel consumption.Using the example of polyurethanes from Elastogran GmbH, plas-tics will show how diverse the range of applications for plastics in cars is.

16 Seats, headrests, armrestsElastoflex W

17 HeadrestsElastofoam I

18 Interior trimElastollan

Today most people want their own car, but this increas-ing mobility comes at a cost. To drivers, who get an-noyed about the high fuel prices when they fill up their

cars, and to the environment, which suffers from the pollut-ants which are emitted.

That is why developers, engineers and car manufacturers are increasingly opting for energy-efficient solutions. In order to

The ease of drivingPolyurethane applications in cars ensure greater energy efficiency

1 Front bumperElastolit R

2 Bonnet Elastoflex W

3 Structure parts (radiator module, air filter cover)Elastolit K

4 Filter, air filter,radial filterElastofoam I

5 Cable sheath set Elastofoam I

6 Side mirrorElastolit D,Elastolit R

7 Cable jacket,ABS/ESP systemsEllastolan

8 Flexible flat cablesEllastolan

9 Central consoleElastoflex E

10 Partial area of door sideElastoskin IElastoskin S

11 Foam backingfor door side trimElastoflex E

12 Coating for trim made from fine hard woodElastocoat C

13 Instrument panel skinElastoskin I, Elastollan Elastoskin S

14 Foam backing for instrument panelElastoflex E

15 Steering wheelElastofoam I, Elastollan

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Focus on energy efficiency

19 Cupholder, visor, door handleElastollan

24 Gearshift knob,handbrake, control elementsElastollan

20 Lumbar support filmsnElastollan 21 Gearshift knobElastofoam I

22 Roof module, hardtopElastoflex E

23 Roof linerElastoflex E

25 Floor of trunk, parcel shelfElastoflex E

26 Windscreen and window joinsElastolit R

27 Rear bumperElastolit R

28 Rear spoiler, rear spoiler lipElastolit K

29 Door sillsElastolit R

30 Foam backing for carpetElastoflex W

31 FenderElastolit R

32 Auxiliary springs, support bearing, bodywork partsCellasto

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3132

The Design Plus award handed out by the Design Council and Messe Frankfurt was presented to THE KETTLE, a kettle concept made from the engineering plastic Ultrason® made by BASF. BASF received the pres-tigious award at Material Vision, the trade fair and conference on materials for product development, design and architecture in Frankfurt am Main. Awards were presented to 30 products which stand out thanks to their combination of innovative material, winning design and intelligent function.

www.ultrason.de

Design awardfor hot prototype

20

Design

applications but also in places where the use of polyamide 6 has previously encountered barriers.

Castor oil: suitable for many plastics

As well as Ultramid BALANCE, BASF has another plastic which is produced to a large extent from castor oil: the new polyol Lupra-nol® BALANCE 50 from the BASF subsidiary Elastogran. This can be used to make poly-urethane foam blocks for mattresses. Castor oil is obtained from the seeds of the “wonder tree” (Rizinus Communis in Latin). For millen-nia, castor oil has been used for medicinal substances but it has also long been found in industrial oils, cosmetics, coatings, and hydraulic oils. Its main areas of cultivation are India, Brazil, and China.

www.plasticsportal.eu/ultramid

www.elastogran.com

The wonder treebears fruitPolyamide based on renewable raw materials

BASF developed, produced and marketed it over fifty years ago, during the pioneering age of

engineering plastics – and it is now enjoying a real renaissance: Ultramid® BALANCE, a polyamide 6.10. Roughly 60 percent of it consists of the renew-able raw material sebacic acid, which is obtained from castor oil.

“Given the interest in materials based on renewable raw materials has grown rapidly in many markets, we have reintroduced the product to our range,” explains Kurt Höfli, head of market-ing for BASF Engineering Plastics in Europe. “We have now woken it up from its deep sleep because the issue of renewable raw materials is also becoming increasingly important to our customers.” The new old material combines a density which is relatively low for polyamides with excellent cold fracture toughness, and its low water uptake means that it is very stable dimensionally. This enables it to be used not just in traditional polyamide 6

Castor oil is obtained from the seeds of the

wonder tree and is the basis for a rediscov-

ered plastic from BASF.

21

Ultramid Balance

The Dutch company, HSV, uses Luran® S (an acrylic ester styrene acrylonitrile copolymer) in the production of large

cover frames for ventilation grilles without any coating. The specialty plastic from BASF replaces the impact-resistant high-

impact polystyrene which was previously used. In contrast to polystyrene, Luran S is injection-molded in compact form. Even without a coating it displays a homo-geneous and lightly structured surface. Ronald Kersten, who is involved in research and development at HSV Plastics Engineer-ing, explains: “As part of the service which BASF offers for its specialty plastics, we carried out mold flow analyses and then injection-molded a cover frame in compact form.”The result of this is that the number of injection points is reduced from four to two, and the surface quality is improved. The use of this specialty plastic not only allows manufacturers to save a work step but also saves them material. With the aid of Luran S, it is possible to reduce the thickness of

You can do without a coatingCover frame for ventilation grille made from Luran S

Material and work steps saved: cover frame

made from Luran S.

“With the aid of Luran S, it is

possible to reduce the thick-

ness of a cover frame by more

than half.”

Modern ventilation systems create a pleasant working environment.

22

Construction

a cover frame by more than half. Luran S is not just resistant to chemicals and heat but is also particulary UV-stable and therefore resistant to aging, which becomes especially noticeable with light colors. In addition, this plastic is noted for its low level of warping and its scratch resistance. HSV is a leading Dutch company in the development and manufacture of injection-molded packaging, insulation materials and industrial molded parts from thermo-plastic materials. HSV also uses a low-pressure injection-molding process to develop and produce injection-molded products made from thermoplastic materials.

www.luran-s.com

W e humans spend up to 15 hours a day sitting down – if we are not driving our car, we

are usually sitting on a chair. This may be in the office, in the cafeteria or in a restaurant with friends in the evening.It is no wonder then that chairs these days have to satisfy many requirements. They should stand solidly on the ground with all of their legs, provide a comfort-able surface on which to sit and ensure a healthy posture – the key thing here is ergonomics. Chairs are not just for work-places but are also often used decora-tively as attractive furnishings with their own individual style and character. This is why they are designed by professionals who are attractive furnishings on shape and colors. When it comes to transform-ing their ideas into reality, many design-ers turn to plastics from BASF.For instance, the Italian company Soft-line® All Kit produces the seat shell for its SLIM designer chair using the plastic Luran® 368 R, a styrene acrylonitrile copolymer (SAN). Thanks to its high

transparency and brilliance, this thermo-plastic is suitable for designer items with a visual appeal.If the items of furniture produced are transparent, Luran’s high rigidity, lower density and easy workability means that it scores points over alternative materials such as PMMA (polymethyl methacry-late) or PC (polycarbonate). SLIM is well equipped to handle outside influences: Luran is more scratch-resistant and stress-crack-resistant than PC. The de-signer chair therefore combines several advantages, as Manuela Marzona from Softline All Kit explains: “The material is not just easy to work with but is also very chemical-resistant. This makes the chair robust, shapely and comfortable all at once.”SLIM is available from Softline. Softline All Kit is an Italian manufacturer of furniture and accessories based close to Pavia di Udine.

www.luran.de

www.softline-allkit.com

Robust lookerItalian designer chair made from Luran

2�

Design

When spring comes, the days get longer and the air be-comes milder, one thing is

unavoidable: the spring clean. One of the most popular areas requiring attention is the windows. But win-dows should not just be of interest when it comes to sporadic cleaning; they are also relevant in terms of saving energy and heat insulation.

The German window system manufacturer aluplast is launching a window system that is highly thermal insulating as well as cost-effective, using a version of the BASF plastic Ultradur® High Speed which BASF developed specifically for aluplast. This fiberglass-reinforced plastic replaces the steel – reinforced plastic that is normally used for frame profiles, thus providing much better thermal insulation features without changing the mechanical proper-ties of the window. The new profiles save time-consuming and costly work steps for window manufacturers and they can be

Getting rid of another thermal bridgeNew on the market: Energy-efficient window frame profiles with plastic reinforcement

processed at conventional manufactur-ing plants. They are also up to 60 percent lighter than their predecessors containing metal.

Thermal insulation improved by 20 percent thanks to plastic

In the new frame profile, two flat, mono- extruded strips of Ultradur High Speed replace the metal profile which is usually heavy and difficult to fit. “The metal reinforcement in the window frame pro-files used previously always constituted a thermal bridge because of its high thermal conductivity,” says Manfred Wüst, head of systems engineering at aluplast. “This is why we teamed up with BASF to look for a material which makes the window frames as rigid as they would be with metal in them. But at the same time the material was supposed to display better insulating properties and contribute to greater energy efficiency in construction.” The U-value of the window frame profiles, a measure of

the thermal insulation quality, is improved thanks to the flat strips of Ultradur High Speed compared with the standard ver-sion featuring a steel profile by roughly 20 percent.

Ultradur instead of metal: light, firm and securely anchored

“Thanks to its extraordinarily good me-chanical properties across a wide tem-perature range, its dimensional stability and the low coefficient of expansion, Ultradur High Speed is very well suited to use in window frame profiles,” explains Dr. Kay Brockmüller from BASF’s Application Development division. The Ultradur strips are optimally positioned and permanently anchored in the plastic profile by means of extrusion. The flat plastic strips also ensure that the window frame profiles are up to 60 percent lighter in weight, which makes transport and installation easier as well.

www.plasticsportal.eu/ultradur

When it comes to creating an energy-efficient design for buildings, the window frames also play a vital role.

2�

Construction

It protects the heart of a car’s electronics from dirt, moisture and other damage: the cover that Bosch

uses for the alternators of renowned car manufacturers is now being made from BASF’s plastic Ultramid® A3UG5 LS, a polyamide 66.

This is the first time that this novel material has been applied in automotive construc-tion. The material, which is dyed black in this case, is rendered flame-retardant with-out halogen or red phosphorus, and it is rated V0 according to the UL 94 fire safety standard. This is the only way to properly protect the alternator while meeting the high standards which Bosch expects of the ingredients used in components.

Moreover, this plastic is also laser-inscrib-able, a property that is becoming increas-ingly important: The logistics operations of large companies as well as the administra-tion of detailed component information often call for barcodes and data-matrix

codes that can be applied flexibly and cost-effectively using a laser.The alternator cover made from Ultramid has now gone into mass production and is assembled at Bosch’s generator plant in Cardiff, UK. Bosch intends to manufacture this product in other regions soon as well, which is why it needs suppliers such as BASF that are able to guarantee deliveries worldwide.

www.plasticsportal.eu/ultramid

Flame protectionfor the electricity supplierBosch alternator cover made from laser-inscribable Ultramid

Ultramid Material: Polyamide molding com-pounds based on PA 6 and PA 66, supplemented by various copolyamides such as PA 66/6 and partially aromatic polyamideApplication: Thanks to its outstanding properties, this material has become indispensable in virtually all areas of engineering for a wide range of compo-nents and machine elements, but also as a high-quality electrical insulation material.Properties: High mechanical rigid-ity, stiffness and thermal resistance; good toughness at low temperatures, favorable sliding friction behavior and trouble-free processing.

Background

Laser-inscribable and flame-retardant

without any halogens at the same time: the

Bosch alternator cover made from Ultramid.

2�

Mobility

No need to fear big wavesMore efficient, cheaper and more secure: coastal protection with Elastocoast

Hallig Gröde-Appelland is a 277-hectare island with 17 inhabitants in the middle of the North Frisian Wadden Sea (Germany). Stressed-out city

folk come here for rest and relaxation, but the forces of nature also pit themselves against the seashore. In winter in particular, when storms batter the island, there is a threat of flooding. Water and powerful wave action can cause considerable damage such as cracks and holes in the ground which pose a serious threat to the stability of the subsoil.

More efficient measures providing protection against flooding di-sasters are now possible thanks to the polyurethane system Elas-tocoast®. “With this method we not only save money but we also make everyday life easier for the people who live in Hallig,” says Peter Beismann, head of the office for rural areas in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein and responsible for several hundred kilometers of dike and coastline. “Previously, it was necessary to pile rocks weighing several kilos on top of one another to provide coastal protection, but things are now much easier.”

Elastocoast is a two-component plastic, around 60 percent of which consists of renewable raw materials. Its great advantage is that it is easy to process: pebbles or crushed stones and the liquid polyurethane components are mixed together in a concrete mixer. During this process, the plastic wraps itself like a thin, transparent film around the stones. The mixture can then be dis-tributed and compacted.On Hallig Gröde a “hedgehog construction” was erected. Behind the fortified, flat coastal area a ring was deposited which consists of water-permeable geotextile, a loose layer of crushed stones and a cover layer comprising a PUR/stone mixture. The Elasto-coast system starts to harden after just 20 minutes. The revet-ment is able to withstand full loading after just a day. The top layer then constitutes extremely stable yet flexible and also open-pored grouting.

Crushed stones and Elastocoast are mixed together in a concrete

mixer. The plastic/stone mixture is distributed and compacted.

In the middle of the North Frisian Wadden Sea: Hallig Gröde-Appelland.

26

Dike construction

“Just compare the land behind the construction areas which have been completed with the area which has not yet been upgraded with Elastocoast,” says Beismann. In the area where the first sections of work were carried out a few months ago, the land is undamaged with no cracks, no dents and no holes. The particu-lar role of the hedgehog on the west side of Hallig is to act as a breakwater: the force of the impacting waves is reduced. This prevents any damage in the flooded salt marshes.“The key aspect is the elasticity of the system,” says Professor Erik Pasche from the Institute of Hydraulic Engineering at Ham-burg-Harburg University of Technology. In contrast to a closed, rigid surface structure, the layer of crushed stones bonded together with Elastocoast absorbs the energy of the impacting masses of water. “The polyurethane produces two essential ef-fects,” explains Pasche, who has provided scientific guidance to the Elastocoast project from the very start. “We achieve optimum adhesion of the stones at the contact points and therefore stabil-ity. At the same time, the thin PUR coating enables the structure to be porous so that no pressure builds up within the system which could cause the surface to blow open.”

Some of the water can flow away again directly through the dike and it only impacts on the area behind it with weakened force. At the same time, the material is particularly wear-resistant and not susceptible to abrasion.The open-pored structure also boasts ecological consistency and offers plenty of space for plants and animals to live. Examining the sections of the revetment which have already been completed confirms this to be true: mussels and other very small creatures have settled in the gaps between the stones.The new breakwater revetment on Gröde covers a total area of 3,000 square kilometers. Elastocoast can provide greater protec-tion and security not just on the raw North Sea coast but also along the coastline in countries such as the Netherlands, the UK, or the USA.

www.elastogran.com

The revetment is able to withstand full loading after just a day.

The coastline of Hallig Gröde remains undamaged thanks to Elasto-

coast.

The plastic wraps itself like a transparent film around the stones.

27

Dike construction

Whether on land or in the air, on holiday or in everyday life, as an individual or a major

company, everybody can do their bit for the environment, in almost every situa-tion. BASF customers are increasingly showing the way forward. For example, the American aircraft manufacturer Boeing and the Japanese automo-tive Group Toyota were both inspired by the broad range of characteristics displayed by the BASF foam Basotect® for redefining energy efficiency in their industries.

The American aircraft manufacturer Boe-ing insulates the cabin walls and piping in its new Dreamliner 787 with the sound-

absorbent and heat-insulating melamine resin foam. The result of the close work-ing relationship between Boeing and BASF is the development of the new Ba-sotect variant UL (ultra-light), which at six grams a liter is 30 percent lighter than the conventional material. The two companies also developed new methods for testing the use of the special foam in aviation.The lightweight BASF foam helps to make the Boeing aircraft more efficient. Its high acoustical absorption capacity and its ex-cellent heat-insulation properties are key features of Boeing’s concept in kitting out the Dreamliner 787 range: the new aircraft are quieter than other airplanes of com-parable size. Thanks to the high flame retardancy of the material, Basotect also

meets the stringent fire-safety standards of the aviation authorities.

Development partnership betweenBoeing and BASF

The aim of the collaboration between Boe-ing and BASF was to use Basotect as an insulating material for cabin walls. Since re-ducing weight is of paramount importance for aircraft nowadays, this cooperation ulti-mately led to the development of Basotect UL. Randy Smith, Boeing’s Chief Interior Design Engineer, explains: “We investigated several material combinations until our experts were certain that a laminate con-taining Basotect was the lightest insulation system for reducing the noise in the forward

Mobility - light and quietBoeing and Toyota are inspired by Basotect

Will soon be taking off in the new Dreamliner from Boeing: the BASF foam Basotect.

2�

Mobility

Toyota is fitting out the Lexus LS with Basotect.

fuselage of the 787. We will continue to work together with BASF to identify other uses of Basotect in the thermal and acous-tic insulation of future 787 airplanes.”

Basotect TG under the hood of the Lexus LS

The Toyota Motor Corporation is using Basotect TG for the engine hood cover of the Lexus LS, the flagship vehicle in its luxury model range. This is the first Basotect TG application to be produced in Japan for the Japanese automotive industry. Baso-tect TG, the thermoformable version of the well-established Basotect, has won over the automaker primarily because of its excellent

sound absorption properties and because it is lightweight, temperature-resistant and flame-retardant. These qualities not only reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions but also maximize comfort for car drivers.

Outstanding sound absorption

Basotect has earned a reputation particular-ly for its excellent acoustic insulation proper-ties. Thanks to its open-cell, fine structure, the sound absorption values in the medium and high frequency ranges are very good. This feature in particular fits in well with Toyota’s concept of “superior silence”. With a density of approximately 9 kg/m3,

Basotect is lighter than glass wool, felt, and other fibrous materials usually employed as engine hood covers. The BASF mate-rial therefore helps to reduce vehicle body weight.For car manufacturers, improving safety performance in their cars in the event of col-lisions is a crucial issue. Due to the flexibility of the foam, covers made of Basotect TG allow the production of engine hoods that offer optimized protection to pedestrians. In this way, the companies can also better meet the more stringent requirements in terms of pedestrian protection.

www.basotect.com

2�

Mobility

More and more

roofs in Germany

are being fitted with

solar installations.

(Source of photo:

German Solar In-

dustry Association)

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Construction

On the sunny sideBASF special foam keeps solar installations warm for a long time

E nergy-efficient and environmen-tally friendly living is an increas-ingly worthwhile pursuit given

the increasing energy prices. Owners of detached and semi-detached houses in particular are presented with numerous possible ways of retrofitting their build-ings so that they can save energy. One of these possibilities is to fit solar collec-tors on the roof which – thermally well insulated with the BASF melamine resin foam Basotect® – trap the solar radiation, convert it into heat, and thus heat the drinking water.

In Europe, so-called flat collectors are in widespread use. They consist primarily of a pane of safety glass, an absorber (usually a sheet of metal with a dark coating) and metal pipelines in which a mixture of water and antifreeze circulates. If sunlight shines through the pane of glass onto the absorber, it collects the thermal radiation and releases it to the water in the pipes. These pipes transport the heat into the associated hot water circuit of the house.

Thermal management is crucial

The most important aspect of this envi-ronmentally friendly technique is the ther-mal management. The installation should absorb as much sunlight as possible and only reflect back a small amount. And this

is where Basotect comes in because the light, fire-resistant foam from BASF boasts excellent thermal insulation properties and does so reliably at temperatures which are very high for plastics even over a pro-longed period – ultimately solar collectors have to be able to withstand wind and weathering for at least 20 years without suffering any damage. The BASF material, which belongs to fire protection class B1, is employed primarily on the side walls and back of the flat collectors, but is also used to insulate the hot-water boiler and the pipework. Basotect gives off virtually no volatile substances which might pre-vent solar radiation, for example through condensation behind the collector glass pane, and therefore reduce the efficiency of the solar installation. This is another ad-vantage which the foam offers when used over a prolonged period of time.As solar collectors represent a high-end technology, the individual materials also need to be able to keep up. The BASF melamine resin foam is very suitable here primarily because of the ease with which it can be fitted: it is flexible, very light, fiber-free and can be cut into panels easily with a knife. These are all advantages which benefit the processor, the client and the environment in equal measure – from the roof right down to the heating cellar.

www.bastotect.com

Solar Energy: Of environmentally sound and efficient use with Basotect.

Basotect, the allrounder Originally used to provide acoustic insulation in buildings because of its excellent acoustical absorption properties, Basotect® is now available in several versions and for different applications. Particular areas of use which should be emphasized here are aviation and space travel, which benefit from the material’s fire safety. For example, this BASF foam protects the sensitive satellites which are transported into space by the Ariane 5 carrier rocket. The lightweight Basotect UL satisfies the stringent fire safety standards that apply for cabin insulation in wide-bodied aircraft. The versatile melamine resin foam has also been used in aircraft seats since 2004, and it will soon also be found in the new Dreamliner 787 made by the American aircraft manufacturer Boeing.

Background

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Construction

No slippage!Car seat made from Neopolen P reduces weight and saves costs in the VW Touareg

The legendary Paris to Dakar Rally no longer exists, but with a bit of imagination the desert feeling, driv-ing over rough and smooth terrain, can be repro-

duced in the city with a sport utility vehicle. And in the new versions you can not only battle through wild countryside, but can also tackle everyday life in the urban jungle safely and in comfort.

Thanks to the light and solid BASF foam Neopolen® P, the weight of the back seats in the VW Touareg has been reduced by 70 percent. Whereas previously metal and complicated workmanship were required, car drivers and manufacturers can now benefit in equal measure from this energy-efficient innova-tion. Car drivers save fuel and manufacturers can produce vehi-cles more efficiently using the new system.

Design and safety go hand in hand

The entire seat system comprising Neopolen P, various small plastic components and a wire frame weighs just 5.5 kilograms

In the Touareg

from Volkswagen,

passengers in the

back seat sit on

lightweight BASF

foam.

and is therefore around 70 percent lighter than previous versions made from metal and heavier foam material. At the same time, car drivers do not have to sacrifice an appealing design or ease of operation: the surface of the Neopolen components is struc-tured and is therefore presentable even where it is not covered with leather. The back seat is easier to fold down because the seat is lighter overall.Despite its low weight, the BASF foam is a very good absorber of energy and displays favorable deformation characteristics – an excellent basis for meeting high safety standards. And the safety requirements of the major car manufacturers extend right down to the finest detail: the rear seat of the VW Touareg is modeled on a typical sports seat, so it is slightly higher at the front. To en-sure that a passenger does not slip through the seat belt in the event of a collision, the saving in weight must not be at the ex-pense of the foam’s rigidity.

New process technique speeds up production

The experts from BASF have also teamed up with the seat man-ufacturer to adopt new approaches in production: all of the parts used in the bench seat – the lower supporting bench and the two upper parts together with the wires and functional elements – are transported in a monoblock mold through a shuttle system. The production system can easily be modified, which allows different

versions of the seat bench to be produced.

www.neopolen.com

Neopolen P (EPP) Material: Neopolen® P (EPP) is a poly-propylene foam made from expanded, predominantly closed-cell foam par-ticles.Application: Neopolen P components are used primarily in automobile manu-facture and in the packaging industry, but also in the construction industry and leisure sector.Properties: Foams made from Neo-polen P are noted for their high energy absorption, low weight, and good re-covery following deformation, and they are chemical-resistant and very flexible.

Background

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Mobility

The next time you pick up a can of hairspray or a canister of cooling liquid

for cars, maybe you will think of the pig: this is because a small piggy bank was the first component to be made from the new type of Ultraform that BASF experts developed specifically for blow molding.

Hairspray bottles, tins of paint and oil tanks – thanks to the new Ultraform® E3120 BM, it is now possible to produce sophisticated hollow bodies from polyoxy-methylene (POM) by extrusion blow mold-ing. Compared with polyethylene (PE) containers, they display considerably bet-ter barrier properties against gases such as oxygen, hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Ultraform E3120 BM is resistant to lots of media such as alcohol, oil and hydro-car-bons and is also steam-sterilizable. The product is available right now in commer-cial quantities.

Easy to process and chemical-resistant

The new Ultraform has very high melt rigidity, meaning that it can be processed very well by extrusion blow molding bod-ies and containers. It therefore opens up a

range of new possibili-ties for producing hol-

low bodies and con-tainers. The opti-mized crystalliza-tion behavior re-

sults in a wide processing window which means that the process can be easily au-tomated. Thanks to the plastic’s high stretchability, thin-walled sections in con-tainers can be produced. As the translu-cent material also reproduces mold sur-faces very well and is easy to dye, bottles for nail polish remover and other cosmet-ics, tins for solvents and paints, tanks for cooling liquids and brake fluids, and also pressurized vessels such as spray flasks can be given an elegant design. Barrier layers in co-extruded films are also possi-ble. The hollow bodies made from the new POM type are cheap to produce and lighter than metal or glass containers. In addition, BASF experts can help with the design of blow mold components.

www.plasticsportal.eu/ultraform

Ultraform

BASF uses the trade name Ultraform to denote its plastics in the POM class (polyoxymethylene, also polyacetal). Thanks to their high stiffness and rigid-ity, chemical compatibility and excellent spring properties, the materials enjoy a wide range of applications. Among other things, industrial components such as toothed wheels, ball bear-ings or clips and also petrol pumps, loudspeaker grilles, toy parts and the brewing units of many commercially available coffee machines are made from Ultraform.

Background

The new Ultraform type allows translucent hollow bodies to be produced efficiently and cost

effectively.

Great hollow partsNew Ultraform type for blow molding

T ogether with the renowned sys-tem supplier ContiTech Vibration Control, a business division of

Continental AG, BASF has developed the first torque rod made from plastic that can withstand high mechanical load. This component is used to se-cure the vehicle engine and transmis-sion assembly as well as to dampen vibrations and to insulate structure-borne noise.

Up until now, highly loaded components such as engine mounts, gear mounts and torque rods have been made exclusively of aluminum or steel. For the development, BASF employed its new polyamide Ultramid® A3WG10 CR together with the computer method of Integrative Simulation, which has now been expanded greatly. The part weighs 35 percent less than its predecessor made from aluminum and is used on a mass scale in the Opel Vectra and Saab 9-3. The engine

The first high-load

torque rod made

from plastic is used

in the Opel Vectra

and in the Saab 9-3.

Soft and light footedFirst high-load torque rods made from plastic for Opel and Saab

mount systems are the primary connection member between the engine/transmission unit and the car body.

New: Engine mount system made from special plastic

In addition to high loads, these systems are exposed to temperatures ranging from -30°C to 120°C as well as to contamination by oils and other chemicals.

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Mobility

Integrative Simulation

BASF based the most important part of the development of the torque rod – the comprehensive calculations and simulation – on its Integrative Simulation. In the quest to reliably predict the strength of such a highly loaded torque rod, BASF once again enhanced this tool. In order to better utilize the capabilities of fiber-reinforced polyamides, it is necessary to correctly incorporate the fiber orientation at various places in the part since the mechanical properties differ substantially as a function of the fiber alignment. This is where BASF’s Integrative Simulation comes in: it links the results of the filling simulation with an analysis in which the fiber alignment throughout the part is taken into account. These results, along with the influence of the temperature and the load rate, are all used for dimensioning the component and the mold. The complex life cycle tests as well as the final vehicle testing conducted by Opel have shown that Integrative Simulation yields a very reliable component design.

Background

Although car manufacturers are con-stantly striving to produce lightweight constructions, they are still using steel and aluminum for load-bearing structural elements in vehicles – and thus also for engine mount systems. It was previously thought that it was impossible to use thermoplastics for parts that are subject to such high mechanical loads. The prerequisites for precise dimensioning of highly loaded components include high-

quality material models, a powerful simulation tool such as Integrative Simulation and, above all, specially developed materials such as Ultramid A3WG10 CR. In the family of Ultramid CR materials, the dependence of the material properties on the fiber orientation and strain rate is characterized very precisely. Furthermore, the performance level of these plastics is higher and the standard deviation of the mechanical properties is

lower than with commercially available polyamides. The feedstocks are selected carefully and the production conditions are strictly controlled so that components made from these plastics offer a constant quality level and the calculations of their properties match the experiments very well.

www.plasticsportal.eu/ultramid

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Mobility

Step by stepNew therapy for stroke patientsusing Terlux 2�02 HD

Suddenly nothing is like it used to be: “The stroke changed my whole life!” confirms 53-year-

old Karl Papp, who is one of the first stroke patients to benefit from an en-tirely new therapy possibility. Speak-ing, walking, gripping – things that used to be a matter of course become a daily test of endurance following a stroke.

According to information from the World Health Organization, 15 million people a year suffer a stroke. For the people involved, this often means the loss of inde-pendence and a reliance on care, support, and welfare. In many cases, the disorder of the brain that occurs suddenly results in an impairment or even a persistent loss of functions of the central nervous system. This leads to a fundamental change in people’s lives. Patients, such as Karl Papp, whose movement is impaired and who suffer from weakness of dorsiflexion of the foot, can now be helped by a new develop-ment in medical technology – through the use of the BASF plastic Terlux® 2802 HD.

This limits his ability to lift his foot in the ankle joint, which means that the forward

Patients confirm that, as they

feel more secure walking, their

enjoyment of life improved

significantly too.

ActiGait consists of the

control unit (with Terlux

2802 HD), a chip under

the skin...

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Medical technology

section of his foot drags along the ground. Thanks to ActiGait® – a new product from the medical technology company Otto Bock HealthCare – which was developed using the high-quality special plastic Terlux 2802 HD, patients such as Karl Papp enjoy a totally new rehabilitation option. The new aid consists of three parts: a control unit which is attached to a belt, the so-called heel switch for the foot, and an electronic chip which is implanted under the skin in the thigh. The BASF plastic Terlux 2802 HD can be found here in the control unit and the heel switch.

More mobility means more zest for life

Going for walks, shopping or a trip to the cinema – these activities are often very arduous for stroke patients suffering from weakness of dorsiflexion of the foot. However, the neurostimulator ActiGait® is able to give them back some of their quality of life. As the implant utilizes intact nerve pathways to reactivate the muscu-lature, this enables patients to regain an ability to walk steadily and securely - step by step. Patients who have already made use of the device confirm that, as they feel

more secure walking, their enjoyment of life improved significantly too. In the same way that the patient can rely on ActiGait, the manufacturer can rely on Terlux 2802 HD. Why is this?Before they launch a new product, manu-facturers of medical technology have to demonstrate in a testing process that the product is harmless. Once this has been done, the product may not be changed. Otto Bock HealthCare and its supplier of plastic parts, SP Medical, can be sure that this is the case with the BASF plastic: “We opted for this plastic primarily because of the service package that BASF offers when using Terlux HD in medical technol-ogy applications,” says Jan Guldberg, product manager at SP Medical. The advantages of the BASF service package for manufacturers of medical technol-ogy products are obvious: in addition to the declared intention not to change the formula, there is the purity of the product and various certificates. Moreover, BASF notifies its customers at least 36 months in advance if a modification to the recipe does become necessary.

www.plasticsportal.eu/hd-plastics

... and the heel

switch for the foot.

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Medical technology

Achieving the desired coloring more fluidlyPlastic coloring with liquid systems from BASF Color Solutions

BASF Color Solutions

The origins of the masterbatch business can be traced back to BASF’s produc-tion of pigments and dyes in the 1950s. One of the ways that this production expanded was through the takeover of the pigment producer Siegle, Stutt-gart in the mid-1970s. Masterbatches were developed and produced at all pigment production sites. The long history explains the different technical focuses of BASF’s five masterbatch sites in Cologne (Germany), Apeldoorn (Netherlands), Clermont (France), Kuurne (Belgium) and Cervello (Spain), which have so far operated largely independently of one another. Since April 1, 2008, all of the sites have traded as independent companies under the name “BASF Color Solutions”, offering customers the combined development and production expertise of all the plants. This combination makes BASF Color Solutions one of the few European suppliers to offer masterbatches in solid, liquid and powder form. BASF Color Solutions currently caters for the needs of around 1000 customers with custom-ized products.

Background

T he coloring of plastics with mas-terbatches currently takes place primarily through the addition of

masterbatches in granular form. However, despite the skepticism expressed by many engineers, liquid coloring concepts are quietly emerging as a successful coloring alternative, says Hans Roelandts, head of sales for BASF Color Solutions France S.A.S, and he also provides the arguments advocating this type of coloring:• the increase in production efficiency

especially when there are many color changes.

• the reduction in coloring costs.• the expansion of the range of colors.

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Design

Liquid coloring requires a rethink from plastics processors because traditional metering devices are replaced by a pump system. Compared with the use of mas-terbatches in granular form, the metering takes place at a later point in time into the already fuzed phase. This reduces cleaning costs and increases production efficiency. Coloring costs are essentially dictated by the concentration of the colorant. As better dispersion can be achieved for a number of colorants in the liquid carrier, coloring costs can often also be saved when changing over from granule coloring to liquid coloring. Liquid coloring’s biggest plus point though is the option of very-fine metering. For in-stance, controlled metering even in ranges of 0.02 percent of colorant additive makes it possible to reproduce transparent colors.With Liqui-Kolor®, BASF Color Solutions offers special liquid preparations for the universal coloring of plastics which are processed using injection molding, blow molding or extrusion methods. These are inorganic and/or organic pigments or dyestuffs, dispersed in a liquid carrier material with a high molecular weight. In line with the requirements of the customer, the preparations can be enriched with additives such as light stabilizers or antistatics. With Sicopurol® for polyurethanes and Sicoflush® K for PVC, BASF Color Solutions offers

highly specialized liquid systems to plastics processors.

“Liquid colors are an integral part of the BASF Color Solutions strategy.”

The greatest know-how in liquid coloring exists at BASF’s site in Clermont, France. The masterbatch activities at this site have been trading since April 1, 2008 under the name BASF Color Solutions France S.A.S. and they are fully incorpo-rated into the network comprising a total of five BASF Color Solutions companies in Europe. BASF combined and refocused all master-

BASF is one of

the few European

suppliers to produce

masterbatches in

solid, liquid and

powder form.

batch activities under the name “BASF Color Solutions” in 2008. This reorganiza-tion focuses on customers in six selected segments: Packaging, Construction, Automotive, Sport and Leisure, as well as Household and fibres.The many years of application-specific expertise at these five sites is being combined for customers in these indus-tries. “We want to emerge to become a provider of systematic solutions for plastic coloring and finishing for our customers,” says Tobias Faupel, head of the Master-batch division, in summarizing this joint reorientation. This has implications for the daily work of the liquid color experts in

Clermont. Whereas their focus used to be on customers in the auto-motive and packaging indus-tries, liquid color concepts are now being presented to cus-tomers in other segments too. For instance, several custom-

ers in the construction sector are testing the liquid system from Clermont for coloring PC

panels.

www.basf.com/masterbatch

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Design

Protection for old ruinsBase slabs made of Styrodur C insulate new building on Roman wall remains

K ösching, a community with 8,604 residents close to Ingolstadt: an undistinguished place? Wrong! Hidden truths can be found lurking beneath the surface. The

key thing is to preserve treasures. This is where a base slab system comes in which is produced by the company Lohr- Element® and made from Styrodur® C, a particularly pressure- resistant foam from BASF.

For centuries it has been safely hidden away beneath the ancient little town of Kösching: a Roman fort with a village. Founded in roughly 80 AD, the “Castellum Germanicum” boasted a number of very crowded barracks, living quarters and commercial buildings, a sick bay and workshops for various tradesmen.Traces of Roman stone buildings were uncovered and document-ed for the first time in 1889, but only to the height of the walls that were preserved. The remains of the most spacious and most prestigious of the buildings which were examined back then with over 30 rooms that can still be made out are situated on Sebas-tianstraße. This is the precise location where a project to construct a new building began. To insulate the building, a base slab system from the company LohrElement was laid. Since 1994, it has been producing formwork made from Styrodur C, the extruded polysty-rene foam (XPS) from BASF.

“BASF’s long-term experience with Styrodur C over more than �0 years creates trust.”

Styrodur C is noted for its high compressive strength and can there-fore be used in what is termed “stay-in-place formwork”. The stability of the thermal insulation – even under the influence of moisture - and the fact that it does not decay are further advantages of the mate-rial. “BASF’s long-term experience with Styrodur C over more than 50 years creates trust. An important point for us is that with BASF we have a reliable and high-profile partner in the market which can

supply us exclusively with Styrodur,” says Thomas Eisert, managing director of the company. “Our company accepts great responsibility for buildings. The base slabs from LohrElement are used as the basis for establishing houses which have an intrinsic value for the builder and several generations of inheritors. This long-term experience is rare with modern insulation materials and unique for the intended purpose of the base slabs,” says Eisert. Using the pressure-resistant and mass-resistant system prevented the need for any time-consuming and expensive excavation and also rescue excavation, which is susceptible to damage and takes place under the pressure of time, by making do without any basement in the building.

“The base slabs from LohrElement are used as the basis for establishing houses which have an intrinsic value for the builder and several generations of inheri-tors.”

The base slab system provides protection from influences such as heat, cold, and the formation of mold. After concreting, the formwork remains in the building as a thermally insulating basin, thus providing a pleasant feelgood climate. A six-centimeter-thick insulating board made from Styrodur has a similar insulating effect as 30-centimeter-thick brickwork comprising lightweight vertically perforated bricks. The usual floor finish, the chiseling off at the sides and rendering of the base are no longer necessary. Thanks to the frost screen system, an insulating board laid horizontally around the building at a depth of roughly 20 centimeters which was developed together with BASF, it is in fact no longer necessary to lay foundations to the frost line. The geothermal heat which is produced under a building is kept under the building and channeled outward via the base section. This preserves not just ancient ruins but also the heat inside the building.

www.styrodur.com

www.lohrelement.com

Styrodur C can be laid in several layers under the base slab of buildings, for example in passive house construction. (Photo: www.lohrelement.com)

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Construction

Only flying is more delightfulSmall bird house made from Luran S

A biting frost, frozen lakes and a glistening covering of snow – for all that the winter can be

idyllic, this time of the year places a great strain on many animals. Native birds in particular often face a battle for life when the temperature drops below freezing even though with their warm coat of feathers they are real specialists in the cold.

What is important for the birds is that they are always able to find sufficient food, which is why in winter many bird houses are very busy places. The Dutch company Wilnest has developed a real alternative to the traditional bird home made from wood: a hideout with a modern design and made from the BASF plastic Luran® S, a styrene-acrylonitrile copoly-mer (ASA) which is impact-modified with acrylic ester rubber.In decorative terms, the small bird house is a real asset to any garden. It has already

received an innovation award for its modern design. The four-part construction set for the bird dwelling can be put to different uses: as a nesting place in spring or a feeding site in winter. Another handy feature is that the fly-in

opening can be altered. Whether the bird is a blue tit, a robin or a sparrow, the little house is suitable for all of them. The nesting box is made almost entirely from lightweight and weather-resistant Luran® S and, thanks to its double-walled design, it also provides good insulation. The birds are protected from ex-treme weather conditions and also, because of the impact strength of the material, from their natural enemies: woodpeckers and squirrels are out of luck. The smooth surface of Luran S also prevents young birds from leaving the nest too early, and increases their chances of survival as a result.

www.luran-s.com

www.wilnest.eu

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Design

Preview of datesTrade fairs BASF will be present at:

ICCE International Coastal Protection ConferenceHamburg, GermanyAugust 31 –September 5, 2008http://icce2008.hamburg.baw.de/

IAA Commercial VehiclesInternational Exhibition of Commercial Vehicles,Hanover, Germany September 25 – October 2, 2008www.iaa.com

Fakuma International Trade Fairfor Plastics ProcessingFriedrichshafen, GermanyOctober 14 – 18, 2008www.messe-friedrichshafen.com

Simac International Exhibition of Machines for the Shoe and Leather Goods IndustryBologna, ItalyOctober 28 – 30, 2008www.confabb.com/conferences/ 49931-simac-2008

BIG 5 International Construction Fair,Emirate of DubaiNovember 23 – 27, 2008www.thebig5exhibition.com

SIREMESALON INTERNATIONAL DESENERGIES RENOUVELABLESParis-Expo, Paris, FranceNovember 18 to 20, 2008www.sireme.fr

New plant for producing thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU)pen zu gewinnen

On April 16, 2008, an event was held for customers at BASF’s new regional TPU plant in Pudong,

Shanghai. Visitors were able to take part in a guided tour of state-of-the-art facilities, in-cluding a polyurethane system plant, a tech-nical research and development center and a TPU production plant. TPU is a versatile plastic which can be processed in various ways and can be utilized for a large number of applications. It is noted for its high elas-ticity and durability and is used, for example, to improve the performance properties of sports shoes, in the interiors of cars for producing dashboards, drink holders and door handles and in cable sheathes. “China is a key market for thermoplastic polyure-thanes. By building a new regional TPU plant in Shanghai, we are now better placed both to react more quickly to the needs of our customers and to develop increased local TPU expertise and innovations at the

site, which will result in more successful products and greater commercial success,”

says Martin Lange, director of TPU at BASF Polyurethanes Asia-Pacific.

Acrobatic display at the event held for customers in Shanghai.

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Trade fairs

Doesn’t tear, doesn’t crease, doesn’t scratch – for ladies’ legs in the 1930s and 1940s it was THE great

achievement when Paul Schlack disco-vered “polyamide 6” 70 years ago. Any German lady with any sense of fashion had a pair of “Perlons” in her wardrobe. The stockings quickly came to epitomize wealth, beauty and a new style of fashion: a “nothing” weight of 20 grams, see-

through to boot, with the sheen of silk. Before the arrival of this sheer fabric, only expensive silk stockings or heavily knitted garments existed. Today this material is no longer known as Perlon at BASF but is in-stead sold under the trade name Ultramid® – and used in products such as fishermen’s nets, strings in tennis racquets or housings for electric drills. The 1.5 millionth ton of Ultramid left the company in mid-March.

A delicate nothingPolyamide 6 is not just found in ladies’ stockings today

How “Perlons” used to be advertised.

Editors:David Baumgart, BASF SE(responsible)Dr. Ulla Biernat, BASF SEKaren Kling, BASF SETina Fries, BASF SEDr. Sylvia Kaufmann, Elastogran GmbHChris Wilson, BASF UKKathy Dennis, BASF North AmericaIan DeSouza, BASF South East Asia

Publisher:BASF SEKT/KC – E 10067056 LudwigshafenTel.:+49 621 60-46378Fax: +49 621 60-49497

Sales:BASF SE

Layout:Spektrum, Ludwigshafen

All of the articles in this magazine and the

full magazine are available to download as a

PDF at www.plasticsmagazine.com.

KST 0806 BE

Ballooning with BASF

Ever since it was invented by the Montgolfier brothers in the 18th century, ballooning has been syn-onymous with romance, boundless freedom and pure adventure. Since May, customers and friends of BASF have been able to see the merits of bal-looning for themselves: in cooperation with Skytours Ballooning GmbH, the company is offering trips in an almost 25-meter-tall sky tourer. The balloon has a volume of roughly 4250 m3, which equates to roughly the size of six to eight smallish single-family houses. Whereas the balloon basket is made from traditional woven wicker, the jacket of the balloon is made from state-of-the-art ripstop polyamide which is particularly tear-resistant. The trip lasts 60 to 90 minutes, and the first start points are in the vicinity of the Ludwigshafen plant.

Skytours Ballooning GmbH can provide further information if you call the following number: +49 69 95102574. If you are interested, you can register via: www.skytours-ballooning.com. “Energy efficiency is now increasingly punctuating the workplace!”

Picture credits:Front cover and pages 3, 6-7, 8-9, 12-13, 14-15, 18-23, 25-27, 33, 38-39, 42-43: BASF SEPage 10: Verpackungsberatung C.E.SchweigPage 5, 6, 14-15, 28-29, 34-35: dpaPage 22: Getty ImagesPage 24, 31, 45: SpektrumPage 30 Bundesverband SolarwirtschaftPage 32: Volkswagen AGPage 36-37: Otto Bock Healthcare/BASF SE Page 40: LohrElemente E. Schneider GmbHPage 41: Wilnest/BASF SE

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Miscellaneous