- Ultramid’s lower moisture uptake and heat resistance ensure rear bumper stay remains dimensionally stable in humid environments
- Rear bumper stay made with high-performance material solution withstands chemical attack from road salt
Tokyo, Japan – April 8, 2020 – Molten, a global Japanese supplier of sporting goods and automotive components, has used BASF Ultramid® Balance to produce a new rear bumper stay, an automotive part designed to protect the underbody of vehicles. This innovative polyamide (PA) solution has been used in Mazda’s newly launched car models Mazda 3 & CX-30.
“Rear bumper stays are exposed to chemicals from the road – such as road salt during winter – and high heat from the silencer, causing parts made with conventional materials, such as polypropylene and polyamides, to deteriorate and deform over time. However, with BASF’s high-performance and specialized material solution Ultramid Balance the rear bumper stays are highly resistant to heat, oil, most solvents, aqueous solutions, and alkalis,” said Yasumoto, Senior Adviser, Body Product Development Section, Molten. “It also offers our customers a more sustainable solution as this grade is made with castor oil from plants.”
Bio-based sebacic acid, which is used to produce Ultramid Balance, originates from the castor oil plant. The use of Ultramid Balance in the rear bumper stay is another example of BASF’s contribution to support the increasing customer demand for raw materials based on renewable resources. Ultramid Balance is well received in the market not only because it is based on renewable materials but also due to its superior performance compared to the standard polyamides such as PA6 and PA66.
This innovative material solution, which consists of 30% glass fiber resin, possesses higher long-term service temperature and chemical resistance with stabilizers and polymer technology. As compared to other polyamides, this advanced material has lower moisture uptake, which ensures rear bumper stays remain dimensionally stable in humid environments.
“Every automotive part has its requirements, depending on the intended value proposition of the vehicles. This is where our close collaboration with automotive OEMs enables customized material solutions to meet customers’ specific needs,” said Andy Postlethwaite, Senior Vice President, Performance Materials Asia Pacific, BASF.
“We are committed to bringing in our expertise to provide solutions that can add value to our customers. We are excited to learn that two car models, Mazda 3 & CX-30, which used BASF’s high performance materials in their design, have been named as finalists of the ‘World Car of the Year 2020’. We will continue to collaborate with our customers and address their evolving needs,” said Isamu Yamamoto, Director Performance Materials, BASF Japan.
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 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 2019, the Performance Materials division achieved global sales of €6.06 bn. More information online: www.plastics.basf.com.
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 117,000 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 six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €59 billion in 2019. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com.
