(BASF) -- This year again, BASF is presenting its engineering plastics, polyurethanes and masterbatch preparations at the Fakuma, the international trade fair for plastics processing in Friedrichshafen, Germany. Styrolution and its styrenics will also be there.
A special highlight will be the world's first all-plastic wheel rim that is suitable for high-volume production. It will be shown on the new smart concept car ⌠smart forvision which includes many more BASF innovations. The wheel rim is made from Ultramid Structure, the long fiber reinforced polyamide that BASF presented at K 2010 for the first time. The material can be used not only in the automotive sector, but also for facade curtain walls and special wall plugs.
Particularly interesting for the automotive sector are also the highly heat-stabilized Ultramid Endure, which is especially well-suited for use on turbocharged engines, and Ultrason E Dimension, the polyether sulfone that combines dimensional stability, stiffness and good processability thanks to a new formulation.
From its PBT line, BASF will be discussing the new Ultradur LUX. Compared to PBT grades currently on the market, this material exhibits twice the laser transparency, creating previously unknown opportunities for reliable laser welding of PBT parts.
In the field of photovoltaics BASF has, in the meantime, become very active with its polyamides Ultramid A3X2G7 and Ultramid A3XZG5 for connectors and junction boxes. Both materials are certified on the basis of the f1 weathering test (UL).
MRC