WYANDOTTE, MI, May 16, 2008 – Translucent reservoirs are now required by many OEM and Tier automotive parts manufacturers.  Traditionally, reservoirs have been made with a translucent bases and opaque tops, which made it difficult to see the fluid level, especially in cramped engine compartments.  In some cases, the opaque top had to be removed to see the fluid level.  Now, Ultramid® N333 PA66 from BASF enables the design of a completely translucent bottle for improved fluid level visibility and enhanced visual impact under-the-hood of a vehicle. Ultramid® N333 is a material of choice because both top and bottom can be molded using the same product streamlining the supply chain and providing for a simpler manufacturing process.

Beside visual enhancements, Ultramid® N333 provides excellent properties and attributes of polyamide.  Key properties include:

-High mechanical strength and stiffness
-Excellent temperature resistance
-Very good chemical resistance
-Outstanding fatigue resistance
-Good resistance to friction and wear

BASF - The Chemical Company. We don't make a lot of the products you buy. We make a lot of the products you buy better.®

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 15,000 employees in North America, and had sales of approximately $16.4 billion in 2007. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, or to sign up to receive news releases by e-mail, visit www.basf.com/usa.

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from oil and gas to chemicals, plastics, performance products, agricultural products and fine chemicals. As a reliable partner, BASF helps its customers in virtually all industries to be more successful. With its high-value products and intelligent solutions, BASF plays an important role in finding answers to global challenges, such as climate protection, energy efficiency, nutrition and mobility. BASF has more than 95,000 employees and posted sales of almost €58 billion in 2007. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.