First Styrodur® plant completely switched to new flame retardant
- Early implementation of REACH regulation through use of PolyFR with a more favorable environmental profile
- XPS and EPS production in Europe to be completely switched to innovative flame retardant by end of 2014
BASF is the first European manufacturer to have completely switched a production plant for XPS (extruded polystyrene rigid foam) to a new polymeric flame retardant (PolyFR). Styrodur insulating panels produced at BASF’s plant in Tudela, Spain, are now made exclusively with the polymeric flame retardant, which has a superior environmental profile while offering the same flame retardancy. BASF’s other Styrodur production plants in Ludwigshafen and Schwarzheide, Germany, and Bibbiano, Italy, will all be switched to the new flame retardant by the end of 2014.
BASF thus continues its successful strategy as the market leader for polystyrene-based insulating materials in Europe. “Through our concerted efforts, BASF is supporting the sustainable development of the European polystyrene foam industry,” said Giorgio Greening, Senior Vice President of BASF’s global business unit for polystyrene foams. “We have pushed ahead the development and introduction of this alternative flame retardant. Our goal is to enable our customers to make the switch successfully and in good time.”
In 2011, BASF announced its determination to switch to the new flame retardant in close cooperation with its customers. BASF is also already using PolyFR in the majority of its range of expandable polystyrene (EPS) products. The changeover of all EPS grades in Europe will also be completed by the end of 2014, and thus earlier than required by law.
The changeover was preceded by an intensive testing phase together with EPS customers. In the transition phase, applications specialists from BASF helped customers to adapt their production processes accordingly. This has ensured that product properties in subsequent steps in the value chain are also at least as good as before the change.
As of August 21, 2015, the general use of HBCD (hexabromocyclododecane) will be banned as a flame retardant in the European Union under the REACH legislation and because of its listing as a persistent organic pollutant (POP) by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The flame retardant PolyFR, which is without concerns, is now used instead. This was preceded by a test and development phase lasting several years that was supported by BASF. In the meantime, producers of PolyFR have announced that they will expand their capacities in the course of the year.
About BASF
BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF had sales of about €74 billion in 2013 and over 112,000 employees as of the end of the year. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.P-14-240