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Global
PUR
Customer Magazine . Edition 2.2012 . No. 23
Sporty.
SPS terraces at London’s
new Aquatics Centre.
Super-light. Polyurethane in
Fiberline Composite elements.
Exemplary. PU insulation panels
for Africa’s housing market.
Environmental. Construction with
super-thin PU rigid foam panels.
1

high tech loves high flex
Pneumatic hoses used in automated systems need top-quality mechanics, high
strength and above all flexibility. This is why TPU is the ideal material, because it
masters even the tiniest bending radii while remaining dimensionally stable and
ensuring exceptional resistance to creep and bursting. High tech meets high flex.
Because at BASF, we create chemistry.
Pneumatic hoses made of TPU.
Anything else is just standard.
www.pu.basf.eu

“Saving energy is the subject
of our time. And polyurethane is the
material that makes it possible.”
Gerry Podesta, Senior Vice President
Polyurethanes North America.
Dear Reader,
When someone hears the term “zero energy building”, or “net zero building” one
thinks of modern architecture and new construction materials. And indeed, the new
mega construction trend lends itself quite perfectly to polyurethane solutions.
A zero energy building or net zero building is defined as a combination of energyproducing
technologies such as wind and solar, coupled with building- design principles
like energy-efficient insulation that allows builders to produce a building that is
no longer dependent on the traditional power grid. This innovation in the way we build
is both good for the environment, and good for the economy.
All over the world there are stringent building regulations that require higher levels of
insulation, better moisture barriers and greater load-bearing capabilities. Although these
new regulations present a real challenge to the designer, they also provide a real opportunity
for polyurethanes. Finding innovative and practical solutions to today’s pressing
problems is what BASF Polyurethanes’ approach to the market is all about!
BASF Polyurethanes have developed a multitude of sustainable construction materials
that have now set the standard across the industry. They extend from super-light composites
for window profiles, to insulation and tension-resistant spray foams for walls
and ceilings, to pervious pavement systems, to construction materials for cold storage
and warehouses, to SPS construction elements for stadia, bridges and shipbuilding –
to name just a few areas in which we have charted new territory in construction design
and provided a consistent flow of innovative product ideas.
This issue also contains reports and articles on the latest polyurethane contributions,
from lightweight automotive engineering, footwear manufacture, to the 50-year history
of the Lemförde location and other exciting news from all over the world.
Here’s wishing you an enjoyable read of the new Global PUR Magazine, and of course
providing the inspiration for your “net zero energy world”.
Gerry Podesta and the Global PUR Editorial Team
3

Contents
© Hufton + Crow
6 – 11
Global News
News in brief from all over the world,
people and positions, data, facts and
figures.
20 – 23
24 – 25
Sustainable – Elastopor ® H and
Elastopir ® in modern house building.
Lucrative – Elastospray ® and
Elastollan ® in farming.
Construction
26 – 29
Inexpensive – Vela Steel homes
with PU insulation.
12 – 15
Demountable – SPS terraces at London’s
Aquatics Centre.
30 – 31
Chill-resistant – Elastocoat ® C
Polyurea spray foam in Kazakhstan.
16 – 19
Super-light – window profiles and facade
elements made of Elastocoat ® .
32 – 33
Durable – laminate flooring with a PU
coating.
4

34 – 35
36 – 37
38 – 39
40 – 41
42 – 43
Consumer Products
Relaxing – new CosyPUR ® Visco cVE
for mattresses and pillows.
Footwear
Energetic – KEEN shoes for work
and play.
Automotive
Super-light – Elastoskin ® spray
technology in vehicle interiors.
Onshore
Heavy-duty – the strengths of polyurethane
in Asian pipeline construction.
History
Pioneering – 50 years of polyurethane
from Lemförde.
Publisher:
BASF Coordination Center Comm. V.
Drève Richelle 161 E/F
1410 Waterloo, Belgium
www.polyurethanes.basf.com
Editor and project manager:
Dr Sylvia Kaufmann, Phone: +49 544312 2238,
e-mail: sylvia.kaufmann@basf.com
Contributors:
Asia: Yan Ng, e-mail: yan.ng@basf.com
Brazil: Thierry Uccelli, e-mail: thiago.uccelli@basf.com
USA: Stacey L. Russell, e-mail: stacey.l.russell@basf.com
Concept and design:
Alder Koenig, Konzept Text Art, Hamburg, Germany, Phone: +49 40 286 698 23
Photography:
Alder Koenig, BASF SE, BASF Polyurethanes GmbH, Clarion Industries
Co. Ltd., Corbis, Fiberline Composites A/S, Getty Images, Hufton + Crow,
iStockphoto, KEEN Europe Outdoor B.V., Thinkstock
Lithography:
bockermann medien.repro, Bünde, Germany
Printer:
Druck- und Verlagshaus, FROMM GmbH & Co. KG, Osnabrück, Germany
We wish to thank our customers and partners for their kind support.
The PUR Magazine contains links to external third-party websites. Since
we have no control over the content of such websites, we cannot accept
any liability for this outside content. Responsibility for the content of linked
sites always lies with the provider or operator of the sites in question. The
linked sites were checked for possible infringements of the law at the time
of linking. Illegal content was not apparent at the time of linking. However,
constant control of the content of linked sites is not acceptable unless
there is definite evidence of legal infringements. Should we become aware
of any legal infringements, we shall remove such links without delay.
® = registered trademark
5

Global News
Prickly chair.
The “Ease” of PU flexible foam looks like a contradiction in terms.
Seat furniture made of polyurethane has been around for some time. Bestknown
is the Garden Egg by Peter Ghyczy from the Sixties, which today ranks
among the most celebrated plastic design objects. We reported on it at length
in PUR Magazine 1/2010, No. 18.
An entirely new example of contemporary creativity comes from the Osnabrück
designer Sarah Puls, who has developed an armchair as her contribution to
experimental design. The result is
certainly unconventional, full of
contradictions and wonderfully
comfy – even if it looks pretty prickly.
Called “Ease”, it is a little reminiscent
of a bird’s nest or an open,
prickly blossom. Interestingly, it has
been made from PU flexible foam
in different degrees of hardness,
which allows the individual elements
to move flexibly back and forth. So
take a seat – and don’t be put off
by the prickles.
6

Space for new ideas.
Lemförde expands its capacity with an ambitious construction
program.
With the onset of spring, mechanical diggers rolled into
action in several places at BASF Polyurethanes GmbH in
Lemförde. A new technical center is being built and the
plant site is growing by 11 to a total of 35 hectares. In addition,
the extension of the research building is scheduled to
last until well into the fall.
“This is where, among other things, twelve additional laboratory
stations are being created,” explains Dr René
Lochtman, spokesman of the Managing Board. Employees
should complete their move into the building by the end of
the year.
our strategically important business with polyurethane
specialties and hence the Lemförde location in the long
term,” Lochtman explains.
The overall investment volume, inclusive of further smaller
building projects at the BASF Lemförde location, comes to
several million euros.
The new showroom demonstrates what’s possible with polyurethane.
Immediately opposite the six-story office building, the new
hall for the test facility for the development of future polyurethane
rigid foam applications is being erected. The
building extensions are urgently needed to overcome the
shortage of space due to the expansion of the workforce
over the last few years. “These measures will strengthen
Opening of the new showroom by: (from left to right) Dr René Lochtman, Dr Martin Brudermüller,
David McAllister – Lower Saxony's Secretary of State, and Dr Uwe Hartwig.

Global News
Exceptional awards
for exceptional
achievements.
Our new man
for Asia Pacific.
BASF receives Great Wall Supplier Awards 2012 for outstanding
service and excellent solutions.
Providing a safe, reliable and comfortable journey for drivers
is the highest priority for Great Wall Motors in China.
BASF has had a major hand in this with the development of
Cellasto ® spring aids and top mounts. These are made of
microcellular polyurethane (MPU) to isolate engine vibrations
and reduce noise levels without the loss of vehicle
dynamics. In addition, BASF’s Elastoflex ® polyurethane
flexible foam system has been used in the insert-foaming of
the engine cover parts to absorb the noise and to insulate
the heat generated from the engine.
There are also ergonomically designed headrests and
seating components made of Elastoflex ® featuring outstanding
properties such as excellent absorption performance,
enhanced durability and minor resilience loss. While creating
an exquisite touch, they also reduce weight significantly. The
Great Wall Awards recognize BASF’s outstanding achievements
in delivering quality polyurethanes and engineering
plastics solutions while fulfilling application requirements
and improving quality performance. Dr Zheng Daqing,
Senior Vice President and Member of the BASF Greater
China Country Board, is enthusiastic: “We are very proud to
receive these awards, which drives us to contribute to Great
Wall Motors’ continued success by forming a stronger partnership
with them.”
Welcome, Dr Ramkumar Dhruva.
Dr Ramkumar Dhruva has been the new Senior Vice
President, Poly urethanes, Asia Pacific since August 1,
2012. He replaces Dr Melanie Maas-Brunner, who has
been appointed Senior Vice President, Engineering
Plastics Europe, at the Ludwigshafen location from
November 1, 2012.
Dhruva obtained his doctorate in chemistry at the Indian
Institute of Technology, Madras, in 1996 and then joined
BASF. After several positions in Ludwigshafen and India,
he was Vice President of the Coatings business unit in
Asia from 2008 on.
8

Champion energy saver.
The Consumers Korea Energy Winner Award 2012 goes
to WALLTITE.
At the 16th Energy Winner Award prize-giving ceremony, a
joint event of Consumers Korea and the Korean Ministry of
Economics and Knowledge, the coveted Energy Winner
Award has gone to BASF for its environment-friendly
WALLTITE ® polyurethane insulation solutions.
The closed-cell foam is simply applied to surfaces in its
initially wet state and seals all seams and poorly accessible
areas. These unique properties make it possible to apply
this insulation at a much faster rate than conventional
forms of insulation. Since unsealed areas are virtually
excluded, WALLTITE helps to control the flow of water
vapor and moisture in and out of the building and thus
effectively reduces the development of condensation and
mold. WALLTITE therefore extends a building’s service life,
as the material provides long-term protection.
Commendation for WALLTITE in Canada as well.
In July, the WALLTITE ® ECO PU insulation foam reached the
final round in the Concours Ecoconception 2012 in Montreal.
The competition commends those very special products
that are both economic and kind to the environment.
WALLTITE has already received the coveted EcoLogo and
has also been certified for its indoor room quality with the
GREENGUARD Children & Schools Certification Program
label.
Further information: www.walltite.basf.ca
Right: WooHyun Yoo, BASF Company, receives the Energy Winner
Award from Consumers Korea and the Korean Ministry.
WALLTITE is one of the best insulation solutions for modernization –
30 percent less heat loss and a cozy room climate.
9

Global News
“Only any good
for imitation cheese.”
This is how the fellows of chemist Otto Bayer responded to his invention
of polyurethane in 1937.
As laboratory director at IG Farben in Leverkusen, Otto Bayer had been
researching a process for polyaddition in 1937 in his quest for a compound to
plug the holes in his shoe soles. The outcome was the diisocyanate polyaddition
process that made it possible to produce a flexible polyurethane by
mixing an isocyanate with a polyol.
With this unusual material, BASF today offers an incredible abundance of
intelligent product solutions to customers in all important branches of industry –
the automotive sector, leisure industry, footwear production, medical technology,
consumer goods industry, mechanical engineering, on- and offshore
technology, coastal protection, and efficient and eco-friendly house building.
One of the innovative powerhouses in polyurethane chemistry was Elastogran
GmbH in Lemförde, which was founded in 1962.
Seven years later, BASF took an initial 50 percent share in the company,
before integrating it in the group as a wholly owned subsidiary in 1971. The
later development of rigid foams and the use of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate
(MDI) resulted in annual output of 1.5 million tonnes in 1980 and over 6
million tonnes by 1994. Figures that clearly tell a story of consistent growth
and success.
Today, BASF Polyurethanes, 75 years after Otto Bayer’s invention, has evolved
into the world’s leading supplier of polyurethane solutions and is a byword for
innovation, quality and diversity within the industry.
Further information: www.pu.basf.eu
Otto Bayer, the inventor of polyurethane.
10

Cellasto components make driving safer, more comfortable and less stressful.
Damping vibration,
not enthusiasm.
Top mount
Classy sports cars need athletic damping – but with the comfort afforded
by PU.
What Porsche has demonstrated on the current Carrera 911 is now being emulated
by Mercedes on its new SL: spring aids, spring isolators and top mounts
on the 911, top mounts on the new SL. All of them are made of Cellasto ® PU
for the very best travel comfort.
Cellasto damping puts a relaxed, smooth ride top of the agenda.
Overload spring rear axle
The purpose of top mounts is to absorb the vibration transmitted from the
shock absorbers to the vehicle body. Spring aids additionally isolate vibrations
from steel spiral springs to the body. This dual action of Cellasto ensures that
far less noise is transmitted and improves travel comfort thanks to enhanced
damping. In its series applications, Porsche has been resorting increasingly to
Cellasto for the rear axle for several years now – and with success. The rear
axle is actually much more sensitive than its front counterpart, as at the rear
there’s no instrument panel between the suspension and the driver. In fact
noise and vibration, particularly in sports cars, often tend to manifest right
behind the driver. Incidentally, at Mercedes Benz the SL is the very first
vehicle to use a top mount made of polyurethane instead of rubber. This
could well set a precedent for applications in other models coming off the
Stuttgart production line. Cellasto spring aids have long been used in massproduced
predecessors of the high-grade convertible sporting the illustrious
star. “Although Cellasto spring aids can be found in almost all cars, the market
for top mounts and spring isolators is much smaller,” explains Frank Thye-
Moormann. Dual isolation spells extra comfort. The current 911’s forerunner
launched in 2004 was the first Porsche with a whole-hearted commitment to
Cellasto. And it also heralded the start of something big. Today, top mounts
and spring isolators provide added comfort on the rear axles of the Cayenne,
Boxter, Cayman and Panamera as well.
Overload spring rear axle
Further information: www.polyurethanes.basf.de/pu/solutions/en/content/
group/PU_TV/Cellasto_Image#Cellasto%20Film
11

Construction
Sandwich Plate System (SPS)
Seats for the new Lon
Now you see them,
The Aquatics Centre designed by Zaha Hadid, the internationally renowned
Iraqi architect, has already become an architectural icon. In legacy mode, the
building has 5,000 seats, but can easily be expanded to 20,000 seats, inclusive
of a large number of media positions. These 15,000 extra seats, accommodated
because of the shortage of space in two demountable stands on either side
of the main pool, cantilevered out over a railway line and a canal.
In the development of the Sandwich Plate System (SPS) terraces and the steel
frame, Intelligent Engineering worked closely with Zaha Hadid, Arup engineers
and building contractor Balfour Beatty. The task was to develop a combination
of SPS terraces and steel frames that would meet the structural demands of
the site and achieve the project’s goal of a fully demountable and recyclable
structural scheme. The low weight of the SPS terraces and their ability to act
as an upper diaphragm for each stand made it possible to develop a loadbearing
structure tailored precisely to the site.
12

The SPS stand strategy from Intelligent Engineering for the
Aquatics Centre in London impresses once again with its
fascinating technology.
© Hufton + Crow
© Hufton + Crow
The new Aquatics Centre is ideal for new records.
don Aquatics Centre:
now you don’t.
13

Construction
Sandwich Plate System (SPS)
By making use of SPS terraces, the Aquatics Centre has
now shifted effortlessly into legacy mode. The main building
will remain a competitive swimming arena, but with
only 5,000 seats on SPS terraces. The remaining 15,000
seats, together with their load-bearing steel-polyurethanesteel
structure, will be simply demounted and redeployed
elsewhere. This is a breakthrough in the history of stadium
construction.
Time, cost, efficiency and flexibility – powerful arguments
in favor of SPS terraces.
Stadium seating constructed from SPS terraces offer a
wealth of benefits previously unavailable in modern stadium
construction. The extremely strong and lightweight steelpolyurethane-steel
sandwich has everything going for it.
Polyurethane is the material that is not only more durable
than conventional construction materials, but utilized in SPS
plates allows grandstands to be up to 75 percent lighter
than those constructed with concrete. Prefabricated off-site,
SPS adapts seamlessly to any architectural constraints, thus
reducing construction time and costs considerably. It makes
no difference whether the stadium is new or undergoing
modernization to increase its seating capacity.
What goes up can also come down. And go up again.
The best way to create space today for the press, public
and new projects.
What’s now possible in London could soon become the
standard procedure in modern stadium construction. Nothing
has to stay the way it is forever. And, from now on, no
idea needs to be rejected on grounds of “alleged” expense.
SPS is a magnificent example of the incredible versatility of
polyurethane. It may not be feasible (yet) to move whole
stadiums, but moving whole stands already is. And, as if
The new Aquatics Centre has 20,000 seats of which 15,000 can be
simply demounted and set up again elsewhere. Easily achieved
using SPS.
14

that weren’t enough, SPS structures already have a long
track record in shipbuilding and bridge construction. With
speed, flexibility, durability and savings that no other material
can currently match.
Further information: www.ie-sps.com
Call our number: Gunther Lukat,
Technical Sales Elastomers,
Germany, +49 5443 12 4190
or send an e-mail to:
gunther.lukat@basf.com
15

Construction
Composites
Welcome to
the Future.
Slim, super-light window frames, energy-conserving
facades, extra-high-strength profiles for wind turbines –
if “Made in Denmark” is on it, then polyurethane’s in it.
In Middelfart, a small Danish town picturesquely
placed near Lillebaelt, at the
Baltic Sea, Fiberline Composites has
been producing window profiles and
facade elements since 2006. The business
was set up in 1979 in nearby Kolding.
The profiles are made of a polyurethane-based composite
material that sets new standards in modern, energy-efficient
building construction. The company in fact has three business
sectors. Along with profiles for windows and facades,
there are structural profiles for such multifarious
applications as bridges, cooling towers, water treatment
16

Scandinavian design sets trends in many areas and is well-known the world
over for furniture, tableware and architecture. But Scandinavia is much
more than understated formal languages and attractive interiors.
Modern architecture that pays tribute to its historic roots – the architecture of the Vikings – and at the
same time symbolizes a sense of new departures into a global market.
plants and offshore platforms in which the composite
replaces traditional materials like concrete, steel or wood.
The third business activity is the production of components
for wind turbines.
A 23,000 m 2 production hall – suffused with light that is
quite something in itself.
“It was the idea of company founder Henrik Thorning to
bring products made of composites onto the market,” says
company Vice President Stig Krogh Pedersen. In sectors
like boatbuilding, plastic composites had already become
successfully established by the end of the seventies, and
Thorning saw huge potential for new materials and new
fields of application, in particular for a composite material
that could be produced in a continuous production process.
With just two employees, he started up his first pultrusion
machine in May 1979 and investigated applications for his
profiles. His first products were structural profiles for bridges
and transmission towers. “What started out as a pioneering
technical feat was steadily developed into a market-driven
business,” Pedersen explains. The first major project, and
also the crucial test, was the construction of a new bridge
in Kolding. After this, the company underwent restructuring
17

Construction
Composites
and subdivision into the current three industrial segments.
The original site soon proved to be too small for the growing
business. A new, modern company building was erected in
Middelfart in 2007, consisting entirely of window facades of
pultruded profiles and in which production and administration
are accommodated side by side – a fact ultimately only
possible thanks to the environment-friendly, emission-free
production process. As it happens, the 23,000 m² production
hall with its state-of-the-art equipment is the largest in
Denmark and quite something in itself.
When two professionals get together, the whole market
usually benefits.
Today, Fiberline Composites is Europe’s leading manufacturer
of GRP (glass-reinforced plastics) profiles, with a
second location in China. In its own development
department, it constantly improves
products, tests new fields of application
and works closely with
various experts and external operators.
Among them is BASF
Polyurethanes. In 2008, the two
companies pooled their expertise –
polyurethane chemistry on the one hand, and process
engineering on the other – to develop profiles for windows
produced by pultrusion with the Elastocoat ® C PU system.
The outcome bristles with positive material properties.
Lighter, harder, more flexible and more insulating –
when it really matters, polyurethane always comes out
on top.
A key feature of the composite material is that it is lighter
than traditional materials such as steel or aluminum. “The
composite’s characteristics can be also controlled with great
precision during the production process and tailored to the
specific application,” explains Lars Tilsted Lilleheden, in
charge of technical development. The end-product exhibits
outstanding strength without being brittle. What’s more, the
PU profile has favorable insulation values that, in combination
with its low weight, pave the way for entirely new design
ideas. “Polyurethane has good insulation values in any case,”
explains Gorm Carsting of BASF Polyurethanes. “Although
thinner frames are possible, the heat loss is much lower.”
The efficient use of sunlight makes passive houses
active energy savers.
The new profiles from Fiberline are ideal for use in highly
energy-efficient buildings and comply with the passive
house standard targeted by the EU for 2020. Architects can
also give their creativity free rein, for the window profiles
are not only structurally strong, but also permit greater
design freedom. Thanks to their low weight, window surfaces
can be enlarged and frames can be
produced with slimmer,
more elegant profiles
and appreciably more
detail. Pedersen: “Our
profiles make modern architecture
feasible – including buildings consisting
entirely of a window facade with the profiles fitted behind
the glass. The sunlight is exploited so that it meets a large
portion of the building’s energy needs.” Considering that
40 percent of energy in Europe is consumed in residential
buildings, the scope for savings achievable with building
insulation is enormous. This applies as much to new buildings
as to the modernization of existing ones.
First window frames and facades, and then wind turbines.
With polyurethane, Fiberline has found the ideal
material for its next innovations.
There’s still plenty of unexplored potential in the process and
material. Lars Lilleheden suggests the way development
18

Left: View inside the production hall. Center, from left to right: Gorm Carsting,
BASF, Lars Tilstedt Lilleheden, Stig Krog Pedersen, Fiberline. Right: Cross section
through various profiles. Bottom left: Cross section through a Fiberline rotor blade.
How the pultrusion
process works.
work could go: “Our next idea is an integral design in which
the entire frame is made of expanded polyurethane. In
addition to the profile, a PU rigid foam is then used that
raises the insulation value still further, but not the weight.”
Innovative combinations of materials are called for not only
in the construction sector, for wind power is also growing in
importance globally for Fiberline. Glass-reinforced PU profiles
are ideal for wind turbines, as they are light, strong and
extremely weather-resistant.
In addition, the composite makes a quick and cost-effective
installation process possible. The decades of experience of
Fiberline and BASF offers the optimum of quality and
custom er-oriented service.
Further information: www.fiberline.com
Pultrusion (a portmanteau word: “pull” + “extrusion”) is
a continuous process in which reinforcing fibers, usually
glass fibers, are wetted (impregnated) with a resin and
pulled through a die. The process for the production of
fiber-reinforced plastics profiles ensures unchanging
quality with properties and cross sections adapted precisely
to the profile’s intended purpose.
The reinforcing material (in this case glass fibers) is
pulled continuously by rollers through a heated die in
which the fibers are impregnated with the matrix material
(in this case polyurethane). The polyurethane is
injected in the closed die. The composite then cures in
the shape dictated by the die and is cut to the defined
length with a traveling saw. After further heating in the
next die section, the fully cured, dimensionally stable
profile can be removed.
Call our number: Gorm Carsting,
Business Team Leader,
BASF Polyurethanes Nordic,
+45 3510 2024 or send an e-mail
to: gorm.carsting@basf.com
Fiberline facts:
Year of foundation: 1979
Employees: 160, thereof 90 in production
Production unit in China
CEO since 2011: Peter Thorning
19

Construction
Rigid Foam Insulation
Mineral wool with
lambda 40 mW/mK
308 mm
Energy efficiency across
Anyone who insulates his four walls with super-thin PU
rigid foam boards is bound to benefit in terms of home
comfort, energy efficiency and costs.
Do you want a warm and cozy house or
apartment, cut energy bills and do your
bit for the environment – and all this
without really thick walls? Then polyurethane
is the ideal choice of insulant – for
new buildings and renovation projects,
and for homes and commercial properties. Elastopir ® systems from BASF
Polyurethanes succeed in cutting costs while also enabling highly sustainable
construction. Within the EU, 40 percent of energy is used in residential and
commercial buildings and nearly 60 percent of that energy is used for heating
and cooling them – a figure that could easily be reduced, says Peter Fookes,
responsible at BASF for the European insulation panel market. “Polyurethane
rigid foam achieves the best insulation or lambda value, and this with much
thinner boards than other conventionally available materials.” The following
examples from Europe show how this is done.
20

PU with
lambda 23 mW/mK
176 mm
More space for living with PU.
the board.
Example 1: Construction of a new detached house in
Abtsgmünd, Germany, with high-performance insulation
materials made of PU rigid foam.
For his new house built in 2006, the client wanted attractive
architecture with large roof overhang. The roof structure
was to be visible in the interior while displaying high energy
efficiency. Together with puren GmbH, BASF’s longstanding
customer in Abtsgmünd, he opted for elements highly insulated
with Elastopir, which are light, inexpensive and simple
to install. The puren Plus insulation is extra-thin, completely
fills the spaces between the rafters, eliminates thermal
bridges, and is covered with a special breathable nonwoven
fabric. The entire roof construction with a total surface area
of 200 m² thus delivers top-notch long-term protection from
the winter chill and summer swelter. On the inside, such an
open structure without any further chemical wood protection
or costly interior finish also makes for an agreeable
room climate. In short, with Elastopir, the roof construction’s
insulation value more than doubles.
Further information: www.puren.eu
Example 2: Construction of a new logistics center with
a flat roof in Pfungstadt.
PU rigid foam is also ideal for applications on industrial buildings.
This is demonstrated by the Topdeq logistics center
with its steel profile roof insulated sustainably and inexpensively
with Elastopir. The insulation boards faced with aluminum
on both sides create a walkable and mechanically
21

Construction
Rigid Foam Insulation
strong roof surface – with an extra-slim layer of insulation.
Its high compression resistance prevents puddle-promoting
depressions and keeps the construction maintenance-free.
The PU rigid foam is also fire-resistant and durable – a
forward-looking solution for industrial buildings as well.
Further information: www.puren.eu
Construction of a new detached house in Abtsgmünd, Germany, with
high-performance insulation materials.
Example 3: Renovation of Gent Teaching Hospital and
the Court of Justice in Hasselt, Belgium, with PIR insulation
boards.
Interview:
Oliver Loebel, Secretary
General PU Europe*,
Brussels, on sustainable
construction with
PU insulation.
PUR: Why is sustainable construction so important?
IKO Enertherm panels provide optimal insulation and are easy to install.
For the refurbishment of several public buildings in Gent and
Hasselt, the clients decided here in favor of insulation with
PIR insulation boards. The BASF customer IKO Insulations is
delighted by the decision, as extra-thin IKO Enertherm
boards provide optimal insulation and are easy to install.
They are also highly dimensionally stable, shape-retaining
and compression resistant. The hospital and Court of Justice
have been given a retrofitted envelope of PIR insulation
boards with the highest insulation value per square meter. A
good choice for the buildings, which are certain to benefit
from considerably lower heating costs from the coming winter
onward.
OL: Within the EU, buildings account for 40 percent of overall
energy costs. Since people spend around 90 percent of
their lives indoors, buildings have an impact on most areas
of life in terms of well-being, the use of resources, waste
management and ultimately on climate protection and global
warming.
PUR: Can polyurethane make a contribution to sustainable
construction?
OL: Yes, a major contribution, as PU offers ways of reducing
the heating and cooling needs of buildings. What’s
The new logistics center in Pfungstadt has also been sustainably and
inexpensively insulated with Elastopir.
Example 4: Again in Gent, this time on the new regional
head office building of the KBC Bank.
At 119 m, the new regional head office of the KBC Bank in
Gent will be Belgium’s tallest building made of stone. Here
again, the tower, the Arteveldetoren, as it is known, will be
insulated with PIR insulation boards from IKO Insulations.
The clients are impressed by the insulation’s outstanding fire
rating and optimal insulation values with an extra-thin insulation
layer. So that costs stay well within bounds.
Further information: www.enertherm.eu or
www.daemmt-besser.de
22

more, it’s an inexpensive alternative with low material
input and makes thinner and lighter construction elements
possible.
PUR: Is it sustainable?
OL: PU insulation panels are more sustainable than most
other products. In a recently conducted life cycle study,
research has shown that PU incurs the lowest costs
during its service life. Such analyses enable manufacturers
to precisely trace their products’ impact on the environment
from production through to waste disposal.
* PU Europe, founded in 1981 and based in Brussels, is the European association
representing the interests of the PU and PIR insulation materials
industry.
Further information: www.pu-europe.eu or
www.excellence-in-insulation.eu
Call our number: Peter Fookes,
BASF Polyurethanes, European
Segment Leader, Insulation Board
and Can Foam, +44 161 881 2855;
or send an e-mail to:
peter.fookes@basf.com
PU / PIR
insulation panels.
PU and PIR construction panels have a core of PU
rigid foam laminated with two outer layers – usually of
aluminum or paper. Owing to the foam’s closed-cell
structure and its blowing agent, PU rigid foam has the
lowest lambda value of all insulation products commonly
available on the market. The lambda value, incidentally,
supplies information on a material’s thermal
conductivity and insulation properties. In addition, PU
insulation boards have excellent dimensional stability,
good resistance to compression stress and good resistance
to moisture ingress.
Elastopir insulates impeccably and looks good.
23

Construction
Agricultural Solutions
With two intelligent product solutions, BASF Polyurethanes is now
achieving sustained success in agriculture.
Poultry farming in Argentina.
Most people automatically associate agriculture in Argentina
with cattle farming. And beef does indeed account for a large
chunk of the country’s exports. At the same time, poultry
farming has been growing steadily since the nineties.
Investment has been heavy in this sector since the beginning of the
nineties in a bid to consistently increase output. This has inevitably
meant bringing the buildings on poultry farms into line with modern
findings. Top of the list of priorities is more efficient insulation in order
to cut costs and protect fowl from what are often abrupt temperature
changes. Since 1992, the Elastospray ® PU system has been successfully
used for the thermal insulation of poultry sheds. One of the customers,
Miralejos S.A. in Brandsen in Buenos Aires province, ranks among the country’s
biggest poultry producers.
24

Ear tags made of Elastollan, a thermoplastic
polyurethane elastomer, are
unmistakable and virtually indestructible.
Lagging and tagging
in South America.
There are many good reasons for insulating poultry
sheds with Elastospray.
Even the subsequent insulation of poultry sheds with the
Elastospray PU spray system yields significant benefits, with
the energy input to heat the sheds dropping by 50 to 60
percent. The mortality rate, particularly in winter, has been
reduced by seven percent simply because of the reduction
in the stress induced by major temperature fluctuations. And
average feed consumption has fallen by a sizable six percent.
All this has resulted so far in a seven percent increase
in overall output.
abrasion-resistant, UV-stable and durable. The two-part
ear tags are manufactured in different colors and sizes by
Allflex, an internationally active company that also has an
offshoot in Hamburg.
Further information: www.miralejos-sapucai.com.ar
Brazil: Paulo Scarparo, Technical Sales – TPU,
+55 11 4542 7268, paulo.scarparo@basf.com
Incidentally, Elastospray is easy to apply and can be sprayed
quickly and unproblematically onto any substrate, irrespective
of the nature of the building. And in addition to its
exceptional insulating effect, it is also extremely durable
even in intensively used sheds.
Cattle farming in Brazil.
Brazil is the second-largest producer of beef and had the
world’s highest export rate in 2011. For livestock identification,
ear tags made of Elastollan ® , a thermoplastic polyurethane
elastomer, are being increasingly used. Elastollan has
become established as the best material for this application.
Polyurethane prevents animals’ ears from chafing and
provides long-lasting identification. The tags are highly
Call our number: Argentina
Alejandro Tucci, Sales Manager
PU Systems, +54 11 42996816
or send an e-mail to:
alejandro.tucci@basf.com
25

Construction
Modular Homes
Vel’ekhaya – providing houses
for millions.
For Vela Steel Building Systems in South Africa, quick-build systems
with insulated panels made of polyurethane are the most costeffective
way to overcome the staggering housing problems in the
south of the continent.
The International Monetary
Fund (IMF) predicts
that, in the coming five
years, ten of Africa’s
fastest growing economies
will be south of the
Sahara. For most of the
last decade, the growth rates in black African countries exceeded those in
Asia. The region has a consumer population of almost 840 million inhabitants,
most of whom live in fast-growing towns and cities.
Providing appropriate housing for Africa’s rapidly growing population is a
mammoth task.
“In Africa, there’s a huge need for inexpensive alternative construction methods
and materials to satisfy the demand for housing and infrastructure. This primarily
means schools and hospitals as well as office buildings and retail premises,”
26

Vela also concentrates on large housing projects, temporary
emergency accommodation and municipal buildings. The
complete solutions are supplied chiefly to the South African
Development Community and other customers in the countries
of black Africa. These include modular construction
systems, lightweight steel frames for multi-story buildings
and lightweight steel roof trusses as an alternative to traditional,
more expensive timber solutions.
Housing for people in Africa means a huge challenge
for builders in terms of cost and technology.
“The central factor in Vela’s development work has been the
close relations between our company and BASF since 2009,”
plant manager David van Zyl reports. “Product innovation
and refinements and BASF’s technological contribution are a
key element in this process.” The core of Vela-BASF cooperation
is two specific modular building systems: Modular
construction solutions supplies affordable official and semiofficial
accommodation options for single people, miners’
housing, companies and governments.
Vel’ekhaya is the name of bungalow-like units “off the peg”.
A genuine alternative to the shanty settlements caused by
uncontrolled urban expansion. With this system, Vela can
build houses much faster and above all more cheaply.
says Brent Harris, founder and CEO of Vela Steel Building
Systems. The company domiciled in South Africa is a leading
supplier of innovative and sustainable quick-build systems
that represent a true alternative to bricks and mortar and,
more importantly, are affordable. Along with private homes,
Modular, high-grade, durable and affordable for many
people – this is how Vela aims to fill the housing gap in
southern Africa.
Under the term “modular building solutions”, Vela has
developed a rapid building method with solid, modular
walls, making it possible to erect quality, durable housing at
relatively low cost. Erection is simple, quick and can be
Brent Harris, CEO (left) and David van Zyl (right), Operations Director at Vela Steel.
27

Construction
Modular Homes
performed on site with people of low skill. This is a way of
overcoming the shortage of skilled staff and the problem of
bringing construction materials into remote areas.
The modular system is particularly suitable for governmentfunded
housing projects known in South Africa as “gap”
housing – so-called because it fills the gap for people such
as teachers, nurses, policemen and miners who earn too
little for loan-assisted admission to the housing market but
too much to obtain state assistance.
With a solid core of polyurethane rigid foam, Vela
structurally insulated panels are a true alternative to
all conventional construction techniques.
Vela’s modular system comprises 1.2 m wide, interlocking
structurally insulated panels with a height of up to 3 m and a
thickness of 110 mm. The panels consist of a fire-rated
magnesium oxide outer board and a solid core of polyurethane
rigid foam from BASF Polyurethanes. The thermally
efficient and fire-resistant panels are supplied ready-fitted
with aluminum or steel windows and door frames and are
easy to transport over long distances. After erection and
plastering, the modular units are visually indistinguishable
from conventional buildings. PU construction and insulation
elements are now helping to provide people in Africa with
modern, energy-efficient and, above all, inexpensive housing.
1,600 modular homes for Angola.
Vela is supplying and building 1,600 modular homes for a
government housing project in the south of Angola. At the
same time, a modular demonstration home for a mining
company is being built in neighboring Zambia to provide
employees with affordable homes. The modular system’s
versatility is also evident from its use in the construction of
office buildings for a large hangar project at Lubumbashi
International Airport in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Vel’ekhaya – a house to “come home” to.
Many developing countries are faced with the problem of
providing their growing populations with proper housing.
Vela’s solution for this socioeconomic problem is Vel’ekhaya
meaning “come home” – an inexpensive, transportable
modular house unit with solid walls that is purchased “off the
peg”, transported flat-stacked and can be easily assembled
by four people in just three hours. The system of insulated
panels has a core of polyurethane sandwiched between
two weather-resistant boards. The PU delivers effective
Housing for many, erected in a matter of hours. This is Vela’s recipe for success for the African continent.
28

insulation and can be precision-prefabricated in single- or
multi-room sizes, inclusive of the steel floor beams and
burglar-proof windows. The modular system is supplied
straight from Vela and a number of selected building materials
dealers in South Africa.
Further information: www.velasbs.co.za
7,500 m² of production
space, roughly 300
employees – and that’s
only the beginning.
Founded in 2007 with the idea of meeting the growing
need for inexpensive housing with new systems and
sustainable materials, Vela has grown steadily in the
years since. Based in Alrode near Johannesburg, the
company is now located on a 7,500 m² plant site and
has a roughly 300-strong workforce.
Call our number: Samantha
Govender, Business Team Leader
Rigids, +27 11 437-7600 or
send an e-mail to:
samantha.govender@basf.com
“The huge construction and other infrastructure projects,
such as the plans to mine extensive coal reserves
and extract coastal natural gas in Mozambique represent
outstanding opportunities and great challenges for
Vela. Another example is the introduction of thousands
of new schools and classrooms in South Africa’s primary
school system in the near future,” says Brent Harris,
founder and CEO of Vela Steel Building Systems.
Rufen Sie und an: John Maloney,
Business Director BASF Polyure
thane Raw Materials, BASF
Corporation, + 1734 324 5312
oder schreiben Sie uns eine
E-Mail: john.maloney@basf.com
The modular Vela construction elements can be swiftly stacked and shipped.
29

Construction
PU Spray Coating
A capital coating.
Astana is the new capital city that Kazakhstan is building for itself – and
in the construction of a new mosque and stadium, BASF Polyurethanes
is demonstrating what’s possible with high-tech polyurea.
30

Kazakhstan is currently a mecca for architects and construction
specialists. In 1998, the capital city was moved from
Almaty in the north of the country to Astana, a 250,000-population
industrial city devoid of any infrastructure of note. The
government is now planning to convert Astana into a millionstrong
city with the urban structures worthy of a true metropolis
by 2030. Two prominent and exciting examples of this
urban development policy are the Hazret Sultan Mosque and
the Astana Arena Stadium in the center of the city.
Elastocoat C Polyurea gives Astana’s two new landmarks
outstanding protection from the weather.
The Hazret Sultan Mosque:
With a footprint of 18,000 m 2 , this mosque is the largest in
Central Asia. There are different halls for prayer, Qur’an study
and ceremonies, and the main hall alone accommodates up
to 5,000 worshippers. The central dome has an impressive
height of 52 m, and the four minarets are each 77 m tall. The
overall complex is scheduled for completion in 2012. For the
coating of the domes and roofs, Elastocoat ® C Polyurea is
being used, as this PU system is capable of seamlessly
waterproofing these surfaces. The material bridges cracks
and displays outstanding adhesion to the substrate. The
Elastocoat C Polyurea top coat is more than a match for
even the extreme winter temperatures of minus 50°C.
The Astana Arena Stadium:
Covering a total surface area of roughly 230,000 m 2 and providing
space for 30,000 spectators, this is the first stadium in
Central Asia with a sliding roof. World wide, there are only six
stadiums of this size with this technology. It is destined for
use not only as a sport stadium, but also for other largescale
events such as concerts. Here again, the client has
opted for Elastocoat C Polyurea – and for good reason, as
the spray coating adapts effortlessly to the movement and
tensions on the surface and thus prevents cracking. It is also
watertight, highly durable, abrasion-resistant, insensitive to
temperature fluctuations and humidity, and absolutely resis -
tant to chemical aggression. So if you happen to be in Astana
in 2030, you’re welcome to see how Elastocoat C Polyurea
has withstood the tests of time and the severe climate.
Further information:
www.sembolinsaat.com/astana-arena-stadium
www.smlconst.com/hazret-sultan-mosque
Call our number: Rinat Isseyev,
Sales PU systems , BASF Central
Asia, +7 727 386 7720 or send an
e-mail to: rinat.isseyev@basf.com
31

Construction
Laminate Flooring
Strength and beauty
BASF and Clarion Industries work together to give
consumers superior options in flooring.
Clarion Industries is a manufacturer of high
quality fiberboard products and premium
laminate flooring.
In living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens and bathrooms
around the world, laminate flooring is standing up to stringent
tests. Many homeowners who prefer to have a hard
durable surface throughout their house choose laminate
flooring as a lower cost alternative to exotic wood or highend
stone floors. Given the popularity and growth of laminate
flooring, both manufacturers and consumers are
demanding higher performance characteristics and many
different designs for their laminate flooring options. To meet
these growing demands, BASF and Clarion Industries are
working together to make better fiberboards into better
laminate flooring, and improve on the offerings for laminate
flooring consumers.
It is located in the heart of the “hardwood fiber
basket” in Pennsylvania, USA. Proud to manufacture 100 percent
“made in the USA” products made from locally sourced
materials, Clarion is known for its revolutionary laminate
flooring products that answer today’s consumer needs: an
environmentally friendly floor that’s safe for families yet
durable enough to hold up to today’s demanding lifestyles.
Clarion Industries considered alternatives to formaldehyde
resins to differentiate themselves and offer a better laminate
flooring product to the consumer. MDI (methylene diphenyl
diisocyanate) supplied from the North America Polyurethane
Basic Chemicals group in Wyandotte, MI, offered the best
solution for laminate floor producers like Clarion Industries.
32

Even in today’s competitive marketplace, laminate floor sellers
are asking board manufacturers to use MDI binders because of
the superior properties that MDI brings to their product.
Call our number: Toprak F.
Serhatkulu, Business Manager
Basic Products, BASF Corporation,
+1 734 324 6837 or send an e-mail
to: toprak.serhatkulu@basf.com
from the inside out.
It provides a much broader processing window, which allows
variation in wood moisture content and shorter drying times
and thus better productivity vs. using formaldehyde resins.
Laminate flooring products made with MDI also have re -
duced emissions and higher water resistance, allowing
Clarion to pursue the possibility of using laminate floors in
areas like basements and laundry rooms.
Furthermore, improved physical properties along with higher
dimensional stability create a laminate flooring product with
superior locking for ease of installation. These new possibilities
will not only increase the amount of laminate flooring
used in homes, but also helps create new markets.
“Converting our plant to MDI resin has provided three very
specific benefits: improved product performance /capabilities,
a positive environmental story, and cost/price stability.
BASF has been and continues to be a great partner. By
switching to MDI resin, we have created products with a
higher price-value relationship for our customers,” says Tony
Sturrus, CEO /President, Clarion Industries.
“The work our woodbinder team has done with Clarion to
convert to MDI and innovate around the higher performance
of the board will change the face of the flooring market,”
said Toprak F. Serhatkulu, PhD, Business Manager for
BASF Polyurethane Basic Products. “Con version to MDI
is not only the smart business choice, but also eliminates
manufacturers’ liabilities associated with formaldehyde
emissions legislation. We are very excited to see the success
of our customers and their products in new and existing
applications.”
To learn more about Clarion’s laminate flooring products
made with MDI from BASF, visit them here:
www.clarionindustries.com
33

Consumer Products
Flexible Foam
Rest assured.
CosyPUR Visco cVE, a new, open-cell foam for
pillows, neck supports and mattresses, sets totally
new standards.
CosyPUR ® Visco cVE, developed jointly by BASF Polyurethanes
and Visco-Foam S.L. in Spain, represents a truly
relaxing approach to the production of open-cell foams.
The range of foam products for the mattress and furniture
industry has grown markedly in the last few years.
Mattresses call for thick slabstock that has to exhibit a
specific degree of hardness, air-permeability and durability.
Office furniture, on the other hand, has become lighter, thinner
and more elegant. Each application thus requires its own
special, high-quality foam. For some time now, demand has
been lively for viscoelastic foams in the mattress and pillow
industry. Foams for this application have to return slowly to
their original shape. But whatever foam the manu facturer
chooses, the CosyPUR product series from BASF Polyurethanes
covers all requirements.
Solutions you needn’t lose sleep over.
CosyPUR Supersoft is preferred above all for pillows and
topper pads because it is extra-soft, highly elastic and
extremely air-permeable as well as displaying good
mechanical properties. Viscoelastic foams are
distinguished by their slow recovery after pressure
application and can be anything from hard
to soft. In mattresses, the foam adapts precisely
to the body’s contours and weight distribution
and thus evenly distributes the
pressure on the body. Together with the
young Spanish company Visco-Foam S.L.
near Valencia, BASF Polyurethanes has now
developed a special product that is already
being successfully marketed in Spain.
CosyPUR Visco cVE from BASF Polyurethanes
sets totally new standards
in viscoelastic foam production.
Chemically viscoelastic foams like new
CosyPUR Visco cVE for pillows, neck sup -
ports and mattresses are highly air-permeable and hence
much more durable. And they come with an unparalleled
array of product properties: open-cell, high air-permeability,
temperature-sensitive, better air circulation during sleep,
washable (in domestic washing machines), suitable for
tumble-drying (at 20 – 60 °C without loss of product properties),
improved product properties, reduced demoulding time
(3 min) and a density range of 35 – 120 g/L. With all these
properties, you can rest assured of market success.
Further information: www.visco-foam.es or
visco-foam@visco-foam.es
Spain: Sergi Gonzalez, Head of Sales, CASE & Specialties,
+34 93 6806 125, sergi.gonzalez@basf.com
Francisco Sánchez Mínguez,
Managing Director of Visco-Foam
34

Call our number: Jens H. Müller,
Head of European Segment
Specialties, +49 5443 12 2835
or send an e-mail to:
jens.h.mueller@basf.com
35

Footwear
Elastopan Soles
KEEN, Inc. and BASF Polyurethanes specialty systems work
together to find a place in the soles of your next shoe.
Today, KEEN has products available in more than 5,000 retail locations around the world including Europe,
North America, Central America, Australia and New Zealand.

In 2003 KEEN was born from a simple design challenge, “can a sandal protect
the toes?” The answer was the Newport. From that single footwear style,
KEEN has grown into a global brand with more than 300 styles of footwear,
bags and socks. From waterproof performance footwear, to casual summer
styles, outdoor enthusiasts of all ages can enjoy KEEN wherever their adventures
take them.
Built on a dedication to thinking differently, belief the outdoors is anyplace without
a ceiling and a commitment to giving back to the community – KEEN
continuously looks for new hybrid solutions. From the original hybrid Newport
sandal with its signature toe bumper, to 100 percent post-consumer recycled
shoe boxes, to building products in the USA, to its hybrid. Care giving program,
KEEN constantly rethinks what it means to be a footwear manufacturer.
A very KEEN Shoe.
With Elastopan, KEEN customers go the extra mile.
And now, BASF Polyurethanes is part of several lines of KEEN shoes. Using
Elastopan ® 41490 for both the midsole and unit sole applications, polyurethanes
are part of the KEEN “NoPo” (North Portland), “Fremont” and “Pres cott”,
“Portland PR” work boots and “Glisan” sandals.
“With BASF helping KEEN make shoes better through continuous improvement
efforts and innovative products, I am confident that KEEN’s venture to bring
manu facturing to the US will be a success,” said Joe Shirmer, Business Director
of CASE & Specialty Systems for Polyurethanes in Wyandotte, MI.
BASF is proud to partner with KEEN, a company that lives and breathes its
mantra: “Living a HybridLife”. The mantra states that “we all live many lives –
splitting our time between work, play and giving back.” At KEEN, this is a
commitment to creating solutions in their products and business practices to
design footwear, bags and socks that enable its fans to play anyplace without
a ceiling; and their promise to care for each other and the world around us.
“We are dedicated to manufacturing in the USA and are thrilled to partner with
a supplier like BASF who helps make our mission to create comfortable durable
products while supporting local production possible,” said Hari Perumal,
Director of Manufacturing and Development Operations at KEEN. As a supply
partner to some of the world’s most highly sought after shoes for the urban
outdoors person, we invite you to “toss on a pair of KEEN shoes, socks or a
bag and dive head first into living a HybridLife”.
Further information: www.keenfootwear.com or www.trailrunnermag.com
Call our number: Joseph Shirmer,
Business Director CASE & Specialty
Systems, BASF Corporation, USA,
+1 734 324 5323 or send an
e-mail to: joseph.shirmer@basf.com
37

Automotive
Lightweight
Light materials that pull
Even automotive heavyweights benefit from
superlight polyurethane applications in the interior.
If you want to save weight in car interiors, you’ve now got two new, super-light
materials to resort to: Elastoskin ® , a new polyurethane spray system for highgrade,
soft-touch surfaces for instrument panels, door modules, armrests, and
center consoles – in cars and commercial vehicles. And Elastoflex ® E, the ideal
material for the immaculate back-foaming of films, skins and leather.
Minimal weight with boundless possibilities.
For decades, lightweight construction has been one of the central goals of
automotive development. And over the same period, the specialists in the
BASF Polyurethanes research labs have been continually coming up with new
and remarkable solutions. The Elastoskin spray skin for interior applications in
cars, trucks, buses and even tractors again sets new standards. Skins made
with the new Elastoskin spray technology are up to 35 percent lighter than PVC
and 20 percent lighter than a conventional polyurethane skin. This technology
38

Light years ahead.
Elastoskin ® I
surfaces
Elastoflex ® E
back-foaming
The weight is over.
Weighty arguments for an extra-light system:
Outstanding soft-touch surface quality
Uniform skin thickness
Replicates even complex contours
Greater design freedom in terms of color and
surface texture
Extra parts can be integrated
Multicolored skins by means of masking
No interaction between PU skin and PU foam
Even very light colors are possible
Short process times and low cost
Always on the safe side with Elastoflex E:
Very low foam density (approx. 120 g/L)
Optimal flow characteristics making it suitable
for thin foam cross sections
Ideal for open and closed moulds
High process security
For all current, new sealing and mould concepts
Little interaction with PVC surfaces
Very good adhesion to carrier and skin materials
Universal applications with all skin materials
Easy to process, low rework rates
High aging resistance
Rapid demoulding
Very agreeable soft touch
High mechanical strength
Low emissions
their weight.
See our video
thus has much more going for it than established processes
like PVC slush skin, TPO and aliphatic spray skin. The electroplated
moulds used for this are heated to a constant temperature
of 80°C and in most cases last for the vehicle’s
entire life cycle – the otherwise customary warm-up and
cooling phases are not necessary.
A soft touch for greater safety.
With Elastoflex E you benefit from a new generation of semirigid
foams for the back-foaming of films, skins and leather
in automotive interiors. Elastoflex E permits high travel comfort
as well as outstanding vibration and noise damping
thanks to its intelligent load distribution. Elastoflex E is used
particularly on instrument panels – glove compartments, for
example – door side panels and center consoles. In all cases,
Elastoflex E is clearly superior to conventional materials as
far as comfort, economy and safety are concerned.
Further information: www.pu.basf.eu/surfaces
Call our number: Manfred Michl,
European Segment Leader
Interior, European Business Unit
Automotive, + 49 5443 12 4285
or send an e-mail to:
manfred.michl@basf.com
39

Onshore
Pipeline Insulation
425 kilometers from
Yantai to Zibo – safety
all the way with PU.
Cangzhou
Hengshui
Weihai
Dezhou
Binzhou
Dongying
Yantai
Zibo
Jinan
Weifang
Liaocheng
Tai´an
The new pipeline project:
425 km from Yantai to Zibo.
Qingdao
East
China Sea In April 2010, the province
of Shandong
Rizhao
announced an oil pipeline
project for the
transportation of crude
oil for a large petroleum enterprise from Yantai to Zibo. The estimated pipeline
length is 425 km. The project with an investment volume of CNY 2.92
billion is owned by the Yantai Harbor Bureau and is due for completion in
Lianyungang
2012. The insulated line for the project runs from Yantai via Weifang,
Dongying and Binzhou to Zibo. The many advantages of PU insulation technology
in international pipeline construction – offshore and onshore – persuaded
A new pipeline project in China proves yet again that pipeline constructors
are always on the safe side with PU insulation products.
Linyi
40

www.polyurethanes.asiapacific.basf.com/apex/KUAPortal/KUA/en/content/web/Industries/Industrial/Pipe
PU for perfect pipeline protection. For many years now, BASF Polyurethanes
with its top-flight materials and intelligent solutions has been delivering
extra safety and efficiency to the onshore and offshore industries.
Top-quality insulation is a must in modern pipeline construction.
the project owner to exclusively use the Elastopor ® PU
system for pipeline insulation for the whole project.
Further information:
Polyurethane is the solution for safety-critical oil transportation
projects.
PU systems have been proving their mettle in the toughest
industrial applications for decades. They come with an array
of characteristics that cost-intensive and high-risk projects
like onshore oil transportation cannot afford to miss out on.
The same also applies to offshore drilling. Polyurethane
systems are today’s benchmark in terms of flexibility,
strength, durability, thermal insulation and impact resistance
and rank among the finest products in the sector. These
impressive credentials have undoubtedly prompted the
owner of the Yantai-Zibo pipeline project to go for 100 percent
polyurethane. And hence for an order volume of 4,000
tonnes for the complete insulation work.
Call our number: Dr Liu Weiwei,
Sales Construction,
BASF Polyurethane Specialties,
China, +86 21 38655785 or send
an e-mail to: weiwei.liu@basf.com
41

History
50 years of BASF Polyurethanes
A powerhouse
of innovation.
Few companies have had such a major hand in the rise of
polyurethane as BASF Polyurethanes GmbH in Lemförde.
Polyurethane has been a source
of progress and quality of life for
mankind for the last 75 years.
And in all areas of life – the automotive
sector, leisure industry,
footwear production, medical technology, consumer goods industry, mechanical
engineering, on- and offshore technology, coastal protection and construction
and house building. The key to this extraordinary success story was not
Cellasto components ensure
smooth-running vehicles since 1961.
Design Centre Lemförde made of PU construction elements opened in 1970.
First PU system for seatings.
1937 1961
1968
1969
1970 1973
19
42
The founding fathers: Dr Reuter (left) and Dr Ulderup (right).
The Garden Egg by Peter Ghyczy
dating back to 1969 is a polyurethane
classic.
PU spray-foam for interior walls
of a ship.

only the invention of the diisocyanate polyaddition process
by Otto Bayer in 1937, but also, 50 years ago in 1962, the
foundation of Elastogran GmbH in Lemförde by Dr Gottfried
Reuter and Dr Jürgen Ulderup.
With intelligence, enthusiasm and spectacular product
developments, Elastogran’s employees have made
their company a world leader.
BASF AG acquired 50 percent of Elastogran’s shares in
1969. At the time, 27 companies belonged to the Elastogran
Group. In 1971, BASF purchased the remaining 50 percent.
In 1973, the Elastogran Group was restructured into four
divisions – in keeping with the Elastogran logo, created in
the same year, with the four blue overlapping angles, which
was later revamped. From 1985 to 1987, the company was
restructured into Elastogran GmbH as the holding company
and Elastogran Polyurethane GmbH (EPG) and Elastogran
Kunststoff-Technik GmbH (EKT). The merger of EPG and
EKT with Elastogran GmbH to form a single company took
place in 1992. In 1994, BASF AG took over trading with polyurethane
basic products and initiated the production of
components for vibration damping and noise mitigation
under its Cellasto ® banner. In 1999, having moved into its
newly built research and development center for PU systems
and PU special elastomers in Lemförde, Elastogran
finally became the international technology center of the
BASF Group for polyurethane specialties.
Polyurethane plays a key role today in virtually every
branch of industry.
From 2002, the organizational structure of the Elastogran
Group was developed further into a European corporate
group – among other things, by establishing and acquiring
further polyurethane system houses in the European Economic
Area from 2004 to 2008. Today, (almost) anything is
possible with PU. And quickly, more efficiently, less expensively
and, last but not least, more ecologically. To this end, the
many experts of BASF Polyurethanes all over the world research,
develop and market new, increasingly intelligent PU
systems and applications for the 21st century. So that our
customers can achieve greater success with their products
and consumers can enjoy even greater quality of life.
Further information: www.pu.basf.eu
Installation of the new company logo.
Shoe soles made of polyurethane.
Pipeline insulation with
PU rigid foam.
76 1977 1978
1982
1986 1998 2012
Rigid foam applications for the
construction industry.
Renaming of the main slip road
into Elastogranstraße
PU for medical emergencies.
TPU for sports and leisure
applications.
43

hot cables love cool protection
External and internal cables and cable protection systems in rail vehicles have to
meet tough requirements in terms of flame retardancy, smoke density and smoke
toxicity. This is where sheathing made of our new Elastollan ® 1185 A 10 HFFR is
the best assurance, as it satisfies the requirements of prEN 45545 - 2. But that’s
not all. For it also displays outstanding mechanical properties, hot and cold flexibility,
resistance to such media as oils and chemicals, and does entirely without halogenated
flame retardants. A single material that provides so much safety. Because at BASF,
we create chemistry.
Cable protection tube produced by Anamet Europe BV
E-KUE/WM 389-10-12
Flame-retardant cables and tubes made
of Elastollan ® . Setting new standards.
www.pu.basf.eu