Performance Materials

Engineering plastics

Engineering plastics are used in numerous applications, such as automotive engineering, the electrical and electronics sectors, household appliances and precision technology as well as in medical technology. This product group includes Ultraform^® based on polyoxymethylene (POM), Ultradur^® based on polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) and Ultramid^® based on polyamide (PA) and polyphthalamide (PPA).

Functional foams

Basotect^® is a flexible open-cell functional foam made from melamine resin that is used for sound and thermal insulation in the construction and transportation industries and as a cleaning sponge in the consumer industry.

Polyurethanes

Polyurethane solutions make life more comfortable, safer and more pleasant, while helping to save energy. They contribute toward improved insulation of buildings and household appliances, lightweight design of cars and other consumer products. Several industry fields use the unique advantages of polyurethanes provided with the knowledge and experience of BASF’s polyurethane experts worldwide. This product group includes PU (polyurethane) systems, TPU (thermoplastic polyurethanes) and MPU (microcellular polyurethane or Cellasto^®) technologies.

Specialty plastics

Specialty plastics include certified compostable and soil-biodegradable biopolymers, mainly used in various packaging applications and sold under the ecoflex^® and ecovio^® brands, as well as Ultrason^®, a high-temperature plastic based on polyarylethersulfone (PPSU, PSU, PESU), mainly used for water filtration and household applications.

The Performance Materials division holds one of the top three market positions in almost all of the strategic business areas in which it is active.

The main competitors (alphabetical order) include Celanese, Covestro, Dow, Envalior, Huntsman, Polyplastics, Solvay and Wanhua.

Our focus is on all stages of the plastics journey: make, use and recycle. The make phase is about improving how plastics are made, from smarter product design to the choice of raw materials and the manufacturing process itself. In the use phase, we improve plastics’ strengths such as light weight, robustness and thermal resistance. At the end of the product lifecycle, recycling is key to close the loop to achieve a circular economy. We are involved in the early stage of the product development and design in order to help our customers transform toward CO₂ neutrality.

From 2022 onward

From 2022 onward

Thousand metric tons per year

1 All capacities are included at 100%, including plants belonging to joint operations and joint ventures.

First running shoe midsole based on new biopolymer grade by BASF

Together with Mount to Coast, the specialist for ultrarunning and long-distance shoes, we have developed CircleCELL^™, an innovative midsole. Based on BASF’s new biopolymer ecoflex^® BMB, this midsole is 90% more durable while showing the same energy return as midsoles made of polyether block amide (PEBA), a material widely used for performance running shoes. In ecoflex^® BMB, fossil raw materials are replaced with renewable feedstock at the beginning of the production process. The renewable feedstock comes from organic waste and residual biomass and is attributed to the ecoflex^® grade via a mass balance approach which is certified according to REDcert² and ISCC PLUS.