BASF offers new products for electric vehicles and sustainable development

Electric mobility and sustainability are creating opportunities for materials made by BASF
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Jürgen Becky, Senior Vice President Performance Materials Europe, said at Fakuma 2021 recently: "We are preparing for new trends in electric vehicles
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We are developing new safety concepts for our materials in powertrains and components
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Materials produced by BASF, based in Ludwigshafen, Germany, are also used in electric motors, batteries and battery boxes
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The company's polyurethane foam is also used in electric vehicles
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Demand for EV materials in 2021 is higher than in both 2019 and 2020, Becky said
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Supply chain issues have made it challenging for BASF to supply customers in some cases
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Becky said BASF is "going full steam ahead" into the sustainable development phase
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He added: "The most important thing is to reduce CO2 emissions
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BASF is working towards this goal by reducing the environmental impact of its production sites and supplying customers with bio-based materials or materials with recycled content
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BASF is also looking for opportunities in fuel cells and consumer electronics for its specialty polyphthalamide (PPA) resins, according to Abdullah Shaikh, head of global business management for PPA
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These materials are replacing metals in fuel cells used in bus and train powertrains
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In consumer electronics, BASF's PPA is used for structural components in notebook computers, Shaikh said
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This material has also recently been used in Casio watches
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Shaikh said PPA was chosen because of its high melting temperature, high flow, and ability to make extremely thin parts
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BASF also recently introduced a new flame-retardant Ultramid-brand nylon 6,6 grade, expanding its portfolio of color-stable, tailor-made engineering plastics for electric vehicles
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Other new material products from BASF include:

- An Ultradur brand of PBT grades that can be coextruded with PVC and now offers products with significantly improved properties
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With the new Ultradur, PVC window profiles can be mechanically reinforced during co-extrusion
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- An Ultradur grade for film extrusion and thermoforming for food packaging
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This monomer material has excellent barrier properties and can be mechanically recycled
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- An Ultrason brand polyarylethersulfone (PAES) grade for home, automotive and electrical/electronic applications
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BASF manufactures a wide range of specialty plastics and chemicals
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Globally, the company employs more than 110,000 people and generated more than $69 billion in sales in 2020
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