First all-composite refrigerated trailer hits the road

BASF and Wabash National drive innovation within a growing global cold chain market

WYANDOTTE, MI., March 18, 2016 – Together, BASF and Wabash National Corporation (NYSE: WNC), North America’s largest manufacturer and producer of semi-trailers and liquid transportation systems, developed the industry’s first all-composite refrigerated trailer with increased thermal efficiency.

“The global cold chain market is growing in excess of 15 percent annually. Building off Wabash National’s vision, BASF identified the best material combination to allow Wabash National to disruptively innovate in this growing space,” said Jim Reddy, new market development manager for the Performance Materials Division at BASF. “With fuel economy and environmental forces continuing to grow, it was important that we work together to create a lighter and corrosion free trailer.”

The all-composite trailer, which is a fiber reinforced polymer design using a unique blend of BASF’s resins, enables:

• 20 percent increase in thermal efficiency, reducing the energy cost of protecting perishable cargo;
• 15 percent reduction in weight compared to its aluminum, wood and steel predecessor, thus increasing the tractor-trailer’s fuel and operational efficiency;
• Global warming potential (GWP) of one, compared to traditional hydrofluorocarbon foams with GWPs between 700 and 1000; and
• Elimination of corrosion-sensitive structural metals.

“The growth in cold chain infrastructure and the significant investment being made in home food delivery services presented an emerging market opportunity,” said Brent Yeagy, group president of Commercial Trailer Products at Wabash National. “Our close connection with BASF and their material expertise made this concept trailer possible. We believe it could revolutionize the cold chain transportation industry.”

For more information, visit www.performance-materials.basf.us.

About BASF’s Performance Materials Division

BASF’s Performance Materials division encompasses the entire materials know-how of BASF regarding innovative, customized plastics under one roof. Globally active in four major industry sectors - transportation, construction, industrial applications and consumer goods – the division has a strong portfolio of products and services combined with a deep understanding of application-oriented system solutions. Key drivers of profitability and growth are our close collaboration with customers and a clear focus on solutions. Strong capabilities in R&D provide the basis to develop innovative products and applications. In 2015, the Performance Materials division achieved global sales of € 6.7 bn.

More information online: www.performance-materials.basf.com

About BASF

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has nearly 17,500 employees in North America, and had sales of $17.4 billion in 2015. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.us.
 
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 112,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into five segments: Chemicals, Performance Products, Functional Materials & Solutions, Agricultural Solutions and Oil & Gas. BASF generated sales of more than €70 billion in 2015. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information at www.basf.com.

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