Factbook

Our specialty monomers enable innovation in our customers’ downstream applications. These include a new application of tertiary butylacrylate (tBA) in decorative paints. tBA is primarily used as a functional component in water-based exterior paints. Our customers can use tBA to formulate dispersions that improve the specific properties of their exterior paints – such as weathering and surface adhesion – without increasing production costs.

BASF has developed a program for polyamide plants that allows us to simulate production processes, predict product properties and optimize production process parameters. The simulation program is based on a dynamic, non-linear physical model. It facilitates product changes and eliminates the need for expensive tests in operating plants.
The simulation program has been successfully implemented at BASF’s biggest polyamide plant in China. It is gradually being put into operation at other BASF polyamide plants.

BASF is one of the leading global providers in the field of gas treatment. Our OASE^® brand portfolio ranges from gas treatment agents to licensing for gas treatment processes and the planning of plants. The new OASE^® connect online platform is particularly attractive for customers at remote locations. Special software enables them to find the optimum technical settings for their plants and manage them more efficiently, achieving energy savings of up to 20%.

One of the greatest challenges in the furniture industry is how to make white furniture coatings resistant to stains such as coffee or red wine. To address this issue, BASF has developed cutting-edge waterborne coatings. This platform enables furniture producers to make their coatings resistant against stains and therefore extend the lifespan of the furniture. This will also accelerate the conversion from solvent-borne coatings to more environmentally friendly and low-VOC waterborne systems.

Reliable sun protection with a light, non-greasy feel – Tinosorb^® S Lite Aqua enables both with its patented water-encapsulating technology. The water-dispersible UV filter allows cosmetic manufacturers to reduce the oil share in their products for more formulation flexibility and lighter formulations. Due to its unique properties, Tinosorb^® S Lite Aqua offers water resistance in the end consumer product, while being water-dispersible in the formulation.

BASF’s animal nutrition business unit is the industry leader in animal feed safety. In June 2017, the European Commission prohibited the use of ethoxyquin (EQ) as an animal feed additive for all species, establishing a certain transitional period. We proactively took steps to handle this transition period and ensure the use of vitamin A is in full compliance with health and regulatory concerns: Lutavit^® A NXT is an EQ-free vitamin A that enables our customers to comply with all the relevant regulatory restrictions.

“Cool roofs” are more reflective and thus do not heat up as much in direct sunlight. Roofing membranes made from thermoplastic polyolefins (TPO) are an energy-saving and costefficient solution here. BASF now offers plastic additive systems that are customized for such TPO roof membrane applications. Combinations of our light stabilizers, antioxidants and customer-specific plastic additive mixtures protect TPO membranes from the damaging effects of sunlight, extending their lifetime by up to 30 years.

This new catalyst from BASF removes the pollutant formaldehyde at room temperature with high efficiency. It is suitable for use in a wide range of portable and large-scale air purification equipment. Formaldehyde is used in the manufacture of building materials and household products, so it is found in homes and buildings as an indoor pollutant. BASF’s Formaldpure^® is a thorough, long-life technology that removes formaldehyde from indoor environments and reduces the costs otherwise associated with frequent filter changes.

This new waterproofing system protects concrete structures in wastewater and biogas plants exposed to high concentrations of chemicals. It bridges cracks in concrete to prevent penetration by aggressive substances. This prolongs the structure’s lifetime, contributes to sustainable water management and reduces maintenance costs. MasterSeal 7000 CR is easy to work with and even adheres to humid substrates. Thanks to its rapid hardening, water contact is possible only 24 hours after application, reducing downtimes.

BASF’s UV primer filler offers an ideal approach for making work processes quicker, simpler and more economical. The use of UV-A radiation, which is the least harmful part of ultraviolet light, permits the primer filler to dry extremely quickly, without developing heat. This also prevents plastic bumpers from deforming and makes the product perfect for the repair of plastic parts, which are gaining importance in car body construction.

This specialty polyamide picks up on the trend toward higher quality and functionalized surfaces in car interiors. Ultramid® Deep Gloss is suitable for higher gloss yet robust components without the need for coating. It offers excellent resistance to scratching along with high chemical and good UV resistance. The material reproduces even the smallest structures in true detail, making haptic design elements and intuitive user interfaces possible – similar to a touch screen.

Maglis^® is our brand for digital products that provide personalized agronomic knowledge for better-informed decisions linked to our core crop protection product portfolio. BASF offers several digital tools for farmers and distribution partners, as well as BASF’s own sales force worldwide. The portfolio includes, for example, the Maglis Customer Navigator which provides farmers with more convenient decision support and reduces the complexity in managing crop protection product selection and purchasing activities.

Wintershall concentrates its innovation activities on improving the success rate of exploration, developing technologies for reservoirs with challenging development and production conditions, and increasing the recovery factor of reservoirs. We are working together with BASF’s Performance Chemicals division on the development of heat-resistant and salt-tolerant surfactants. These will be used to mobilize the oil trapped in the pores of rock, especially in regions such as the Middle East and North Africa or in the North Sea.