DynaSeal™ sealer, a new dual-cure coating, launched by BASF

UV-cure technology enables effective painting of automotive SMC materials

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., November 9, 2001 - BASF today announced the commercial introduction of DynaSeal™, a new dual-cure (UV and thermal) sealer for coating sheet molded composite (SMC) materials used in automotive applications. This launch will enable BASF to participate in this high growth area.

DynaSeal™ is a dual-cure (UV and thermal) sealer for coating sheet molded composite (SMC) materials used in automotive applications, enabling BASF to participate in this high growth area. SMC is extensively used in automotive applications because of its favorable weight-to-strength ratio and ability to be molded into complex parts. However, cured SMC has been difficult to paint with standard automotive coating systems due to "out-gassing" from the cured substrate of atmospheric moisture and of volatile materials absorbed from paint applied to the cured substrate, during the painting process. This situation, known as porosity, usually causes high repair rates at molders and automotive assembly plants. As such, SMC’s viability for use in exterior class A body panels was limited prior to BASF’s commercial launch of DynaSeal sealer.

“DynaSeal prevents porosity defects in automotive coating layers by sealing the molded SMC surface,” explained Ray Nix, Director, Sales and Services, Automotive Components for BASF Corporation’s Coatings Regional Business Unit. “This is achieved by curing the sealer with an ultraviolet (UV) light followed by a thermal cure, which delivers the necessary performance properties for coatings like adhesion and stone chip resistance. Using this new technology allows the SMC surface to be sealed by the UV-induced polymerization before the part experiences any heat in the painting process. The UV-polymerized film prevents ‘out-gassing’ of absorbed volatiles from the molded part when the subsequent paint layers are cured.”

All other commercial SMC primers and sealers are conventional thermally-cured products. Their inability to prevent porosity makes it difficult to produce parts with a good topcoat finish, Nix added. DynaSeal sealer will allow for more extensive use of SMC in the automotive industry and will open the door for the future use of other UV-cured products on cars, such as UV clearcoats.

The innovation for DynaSeal sealer originated in BASF laboratories at the company's Automotive Campus in Southfield, Michigan. BASF also has done research and development work on UV coatings for many years in Europe. BASF currently supplies DynaSeal coatings to Meridian Automotive Systems facility in Kansas City, Kansas. At this location, more than 700 rear fenders (also referred to as "box side outers") are produced daily for shipment to the nearby assembly plant of Ford Motor Company, where they are used on pickup trucks.

In addition to resolving porosity concerns, DynaSeal sealer helps improve environmental efficiency. Prior to the use of this product, an in-mold coating was used at Meridian to coat the SMC rear fenders that was delivered at 5 mils film thickness. The DynaSeal sealer is used at 1 mil film build, thus requiring less raw material resources.

BASF is the world's largest producer of chemicals and related products. Based in Mount Olive, N.J., BASF Corporation is the North American affiliate of BASF AG (Ludwigshafen, Germany), which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol "BF." BASF Corporation had sales of $7.9 billion in 2000. BASF in North America employs more than 15,000 people at more than 50 locations, and can be found on the Internet at www.basf.com/usa.

DynaSeal is a trademark of BASF Corporation.