BASF launches impregnated fiber mat technology for nonwoven fiber composites at CAMX 2017

CHARLOTTE, NC, September 6, 2017 – BASF is launching CONTOURA™ into a rapidly growing composites industry that is demanding light-weighting, durability, and versatility in its components.  CONTOURA combines Acrodur® resins with a variety of natural, recycled or synthetic fibers to produce a pre-preg composite that is ready to be molded for a variety of uses in the automotive, RV, and home & office furnishing industries.

CONTOURA uses both thermoset and thermoplastic grades of Acrodur resins to provide a wide range of performance features from increased thermo-mechanical stability, increased rigidity, and up to 20 percent lighter weight than other nonwoven fiber composites.  Other benefits include a lower carbon footprint than current materials and CONTURA is a non-added-formaldehyde, low-VOC material.  When paired with natural fibers, it offers up to 85 percent renewable or natural content.

“The ability to obtain a moldable pre-preg directly from BASF supports a much faster, leaner implementation for our customers,” said Henning Karbstein, Manager New Business Development & Idea Management, BASF Dispersions & Resins, North America.  “Customers see benefit from our translation of their application requirements into a technical proposal, prototype parts for validation, and ultimately, the final production parts.  This drastically streamlines the customer’s manufacturing process.”

At CAMX, BASF will also feature a sustainable, lightweight composite pallet from Lightning Technologies, the all-composite, lightweight load floor in Wabash National trailers, as well as 3D printing technology from Essentium Materials and an all thermoplastic door panel for aerospace applications. Visit BASF at CAMX, booth U43.

For more information on BASF solutions for composite applications, please visit www.basf.us/composites.

About BASF Dispersions & Resins

The Dispersions & Resins business of BASF develops, produces and markets a range of high-quality resins, additives, colorants and polymer dispersions. These raw materials are used in formulations for coatings and paints, printing and packaging products, construction chemicals, adhesives, fiberberbondings, nonwovens, and paper manufacturing. With a comprehensive product portfolio and extensive knowledge of the industries we serve, our customers benefit from innovative and sustainable solutions to help them advance their formulations through chemistry. For further information about the Dispersions & Resins business in North America, please visit www.basf.us/dpsolutions.

About BASF

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 17,500 employees in North America, and had sales of $16.2 billion in 2016. 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 114,000 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 about €58 billion in 2016. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (BAS). Further information at www.basf.com.

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