BASF and its customers are innovating with plastics solutions in Asia Pacific to address the sustainability challenges of the region and the world. At Chinaplas 2014, BASF will demonstrate solutions that help local and international companies compete in areas such as lightweight solutions that improve automotive fuel efficiency and comfort; consumer product safety; buildings with better environmental performance; and manufacturing efficiency, which is enhanced through accelerated polymer densification and other process innovations.
Dr. Zheng Daqing, Senior Vice President Business & Market Development Greater China, BASF, said, "Rapidly changing consumer needs in China and other emerging markets, the result of fast urbanization and growing disposable income, are creating challenges in areas such as energy use, consumer product safety, and waste management. With the latest plastics solutions, we are collaborating with our customers on innovations to address these challenges that are developed in Asia Pacific, for Asia Pacific and the world."
At Chinaplas 2014, for the first time BASF will reveal their latest concept for car seats, developed in collaboration with AP Solutions, a Korean design and engineering agency specialized in the automotive industry. Taking design trends and regional market needs into account, BASF materials were used in an innovative way to allow weight and space savings as well as unique styling possibilities to enable maximum design freedom for slimmer, lighter and more comfortable car seats. In line with the design approach of "today, tomorrow, future", BASF will also exhibit the extraordinary "Leaf" design car seat by Song Wei Teo. The design won the first prize in the international BASF seat design competition "sit down. move" and shows a car seat made in just a single piece.
To enable greater productivity and energy savings in the plastics industry, BASF will introduce additives that allow faster roto molding cycle for polymer densification. Polyethylene stabilized with Irganox® CB Roto promotes densification of the polymer during molding and enables the production of products with high impact properties after shorter heating times and lower oven temperatures.
Showcasing the world's first co-extruded PVC-PBT window profile, BASF will also launch the latest innovation in its Ultradur® (Polybutylene Terephthalate) product range. This new grade can be co-extruded with PVC (Polyvinylchloride) and hence optimizes the manufacturing process of window profiles. Replacing steel as reinforcement in window profiles, the lightweight Ultradur® eliminates cold bridge effects and significantly increases energy efficiency while at the same time adding comparable durability and strength.
BASF is also enhancing new technologies and materials for plastics solutions by strengthening its research and development capacity. This month, BASF established the research initiative "Network for Advanced Materials Open Research" (NAO) at its Innovation Campus Asia Pacific in Shanghai together with seven leading universities and research institutes in China, Japan and South Korea. The Beijing University of Chemical Technology, the Beijing Institute of Technology, the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Fudan University, Hanyang University, Kyoto University and Tsinghua University are participating in the initiative. The initial focus is on products for the automotive, construction, as well as the water and wind energy industries . BASF has also launched similar initiatives in Europe and North America.
Additionally, one year after its inauguration, the BASF Innovation Campus Asia Pacific in Pudong, Shanghai, now houses integrated research and development (R&D) teams, business teams, and manufacturing plants for major products. The Innovation Campus is home to 16 R&D units and further expansion of the facility is also planned. BASF plans to conduct one quarter of its research activities in Asia Pacific by 2020.
