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The international plastics magazine from BASF
Sports:
Faster, higher, stronger
Honeywell:
Everything properly packaged
Construction:
The cactus on the roof
plastics 1/2004
www.plastics-magazine.com
BASF Plastics
key to your success

Plastics and sport
Faster, Higher, Stronger
Wheels that meant the world
Announcements
A new look for BASF
European old car law
Network for Europe
Omnexus/Redistribution of task
VDI Plastics Innovation
Prize Awarded
Concentrating on our strengths
Cooperation, Competence,
Consistency
Improving efficiency with Colorflexx ®
With patience and endurance
Bella Plastica d’Italia
Ecoflex ® for the bag from the
fertile fields
Smooth running on safe track
Inconspicuous and yet
indispensable
Little figures make it big
BASF and Honeywell –
combined strength
Marketplace Capron ®
Design in the
engine compartment
Custom fit for everybody
Lightweight, strong and versatile
in terms of design
They all have one thing in common
A kettle proves its mettle
BASF takes over Ticona’s polyamide
6.6 business
Getting greener…from the top
A smoother ride for cyclists
Something new on the Western front
Always worth giving in to temptation
A foam that flies all over the world
Polystyrene Speciality to Spartech
Joint Venture for PBT Production
Fax reply
Editor
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Faster,
Higher,
Stronger
The Olympic motto Citius, Altius, Fortius or, in English
“Faster, Higher, Stronger” is the talk of town once
again. And this does not apply only to Athens in
2004. The spring sun has hardly driven the winter away and
droves of joggers, walkers and inline skaters are out and
about, trying to lose the few extra pounds gained over the
winter. One trend follows the next. Inline skaters have
become a familiar sight, while Nordic walking is still a thing
of the future. Whether trendy or not, sports without BASF
plastics are hardly conceivable.
The colloquial expression is “couch potato”. It describes us when
we struggle to overcome our inertia to get off the couch, go out and
get our hearts pumping with a sport. Europeans dig deep into their
wallets in the fight against this innate laziness: 36.25 billion euros.
This is how much they paid out for sporting
goods last year. The European Association of
Sporting Goods Retailers sees a future that is
“rosier than anything we have seen in a long
time”. Movement is the one thing all buyers
have in common – be it running, walking, gliding
or sailing. Plastics make all of this easier.
Ranging from impact absorption in shoes, UV

3
Title
Gliding and bouncing: kickboards are
great fun to ride and are no longer
used only by the pioneers of the scene
on the half pipe ramp. They have
become a versatile means of transportation
for everyone. They run on
wheels made of BASF’s polyurethanes.

Dear Readers,
Soon we will once again see the ecstasy
of victory and the agony of defeat. The
TV will be on non-stop when the whistle
is blown to mark the beginning of the
European Soccer Championships in Portugal
or when the Olympic torch burns
brightly above Athens. In this issue of
“plastics”, we would like to whet your
appetite for these major events but in
particular, we want to kindle your interest
in being active. “plastics” had a look
around the world of sports and discovered
that plastics have not only replaced
traditional materials, but have also paved
the way for new and trendy types of
sports to break through. This is where
we find people like Titus Dittmann, who
has become synonymous with skateboarding.
Entrepreneur of the Year in
2001, he gives us a glimpse backstage
and makes one point very clear: plastics
get his world rolling. But we also have
other topics in store to leave you clamoring
for more. Such as the extrusion
products BASF took over from
Honeywell that are now part of a uniform
global product portfolio.
Enjoy your reading.
The Editors
plastics inside
Title 4
resistance in sportswear, abrasion resistance
for wheels all the way to impact and
scratch resistance for skis and snowboards.
When it comes to function, plastics have
long since replaced leather, rubber, textile
and wood in sports gear.
Shoes – a
high-tech product
Although doing sports does wonders for
the body, the feet sometimes pay the price.
This is where special plastics such as Elastollan
® – a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)
made by the BASF subsidiary Elastrogran –
come to the rescue. This material can be
found in soles and toe caps as well as in
the reinforcing and damping elements of
high-quality sports shoes. This TPU is more
flexible, sturdy and durable than most other
plastics. What
ther-
Holding firm, that is
the crux. Ski manufacturers
need
extremely scratchresistant
and UVstable
plastics for
the surface of their
skis and snowboards.
moplastic polyurethanes have to be able to
withstand can be seen in the testing labs of
major manufacturers such as adidas and
Nike. There, to test its flexibility at low temperatures,
a sole is bent to an angle of 90°
40,000 times at a temperature of 20°C
[minus 4°F], explains Martin Vallo, customer
representative for TPU shoe applications.
The objective here is to prevent the soles
from breaking during use or the material
from cracking too soon. In fact, the good
old sneakers have become high-tech products,
comprising up to 31 different construction
elements. “Using the right material
is decisive for a successful product,” says
Vallo. Even though the annual sales volume
of sports shoes has stagnated at about 800
million pairs, companies like Nike introduce
between 60 and 80 models into the
market every year. Elastogran’s
opportunity lies in responding
to these trends. Thus,
the annual TPU sales in this
segment have actually increased
by 15 per cent since manufacturers
like TPU’s property profile and are increasingly
turning to this product to replace other
plastics. “When it comes to the further
development of TPU for new applications
and functions, we are first choice throughout
the world,” maintains Vallo, not without
pride. However, it is not only a matter of
supplying the TPU, explains Vallo. A global
presence is also needed. The major
manufacturers produce their shoes
primarily at assembly plants in

also needed. The major manufacturers pro-
duce their shoes primarily at assembly
plants in Asia. These assemblers, numbering
about 40, not only put great stock in
consistent quality and in the color of the
granules, but they also demand an especially
high degree of reliability and flexibility
when it comes to delivery.
Functional
textiles
Manufacturing in Asia? This does not apply
only to sports shoes. Nowadays, most
sportswear based on the fiber pre-product
polyamide is manufactured in Asia. BASF
supplies this market from its polyamide facilities
in Europe and the United States. Polyamide
is required, among other things, in
clothing that has to be stretchable while
retaining its shape. It is very likely that the
swimmers vying for the gold in the Olympic
swimming pool in Athens will be wearing
swimsuits made of BASF materials. “We at
BASF hold a very significant share of the
spun polymers market,” says Rolf Alles from
Marketing Polymers. This market is not very
transparent. “The textile value-added chain
is very long,” elaborates Alles, “and our
customers can hardly trace back whether
the product contains BASF’s high-quality
material.” According to Peter Pai, Managing
Director of a Taiwanese yarn manufacturing
company, Polyamid for fibers that BASF
sells under the brand name Ultramid ®
provide an additional advantage, “I prefer
5
Ultramid ® because it runs smoothly during
yarn production and yields the best textile
properties”, he says. These outstanding
characteristics are also in demand for a
wide array of outwear and trekking gear
made by market leaders such as VauDe and
The Northface. The BASF experts have
found a new market, thanks to that something
extra offered by clothing made of
BASF polyamide. “Functional textile” is the
key word here. BASF researchers have
developed a polyamide, namely, Ultramid ®
BS 416N, that protects against hazardous
UV radiation. When this polyamide is woven
into a dense fabric, it provides UV protection
not only with thick fibers but even with thin
materials such as lightweight summer
fabrics. The secret here, among other
things, lies in the very fine and uniform
incorporation of titanium dioxide into the
polymer. The fibers made of this BASF
polyamide account for a sun screening
factor of up to 80 and they look and feel like
cotton. Rolf Alles exudes confidence, “We
are banking on the fact that the demand for
UV-resistant textiles that look and feel like
cotton will continue to grow, thus creating
an additional potential for sales.”
The secret
of the rebound
When the sun beckons us outdoors, it gets
us rolling. Scooters, kickboards or inline
skates are no longer just a fad but now get
T i t l e
the masses on the move. What gets us
going are the wheels made of Elasturan ®
6050, a plastic manufactured by Elastogran.
The important aspect when it comes to
wheels is the mix. Experts
speak of “soft mix” for beginners since they
need traction on the pavement, and of
“sport mix” for the
acrobats, whose wheels have to be hard
and elastic. Experts know what makes a
good wheel: it all boils down to the rebound.
In addition to the abrasion resistance and
durability, this term refers particularly to the
elasticity. Professionals test their wheels for
the right rebound by bouncing them. The
advantage of Elasturan ® in wheels lies in its
flexibility. The hardness, rebound, wheel
strength, sturdiness and abrasion behavior
can all be influenced with the right composition
of the components. This results in a
wide array of wheel types that can be matched
to every skill level.
The weather-resistant
ones
People who are not satisfied just with the
wind in their faces as they glide on inline
skates may head for the water. After all, the
water sports sector in Europe has booked
sales to the tune of 3.1 billion euros in 2003

and it is looking optimistically towards the
future. The sector anticipates an increase in
sales of between 3 and 5 per cent for
2004. Anyone who sails close to the wind is
going to need materials that are up to the
task. Particularly important features here are
materials that are UV-stable and impactresistant,
such as Luran ® S, BASF’s ASA.
“Surfboards are covered with a sheet of
Luran ® S since this material is quite weather-resistant
and retains its color, particularly
in the case of white,” explains Geoff Nelson,
Business Development for Luran ® S.
It is obvious to be thinking of summer and
the sea right now. But employees of the
major ski manufacturers do not know the
meaning of the word summer vacation. At
Isosport, the world’s leading producer of
plastic materials for skis and snowboards,
manufacturing runs at full throttle starting in
June. About 8.5 million skis were made
worldwide in the year 2002. Market observers
such as corporate consultant Andreas
Kreutzer speak of an Austrian-French rivalry.
The marked leaders are Rossignol and
Atomic, each holding a market share of 11
per cent. Europe is the most important
region for the ski industry; this is where
about two-thirds of the production is sold.
The United States accounts for 20 per cent
of the ski production and Japan for 12 per
cent. It is particularly in skis that the use of
plastics has triggered a veritable revolution.
After all, the modern Carver does not have
much in common with the good old wooden
skis. The use of plastics here has not
T i t l e 6
Everybody is on the
move: in the summer
time, inline
skaters flood city
streets. Experts
assess the quality
of wheels for inline
skates on the basis
of their abrasion
resistance, durability
and especially
their elasticity.
only contributed to reduction of weight, but
has also improved the tension and shaping
of the boards. Scratch
resistance, chemical resistance and shapeability
are at a prime, especially when it
comes to surface materials, says Manfred
Weisenbach, who is responsible for the ski
industry at BASF. For these ski surfaces,
companies like Isosport process thermoplastics
that have been manufactured by
means of extrusion such as Terlux ® , which
is BASF’s transparent ABS. Any plastic
employed in skis has to be a jack-of-all-trades
since it not only has to withstand the
cold winter temperatures, but also the summer
heat when stored in the attic back
home. “The crucial factor,” explains
Weisenbach, “is that suppliers of the ski
industry have to be able to respond extremely
quickly since shifts in shape and color
trends occur at a breakneck pace.” The
experts at Isosport confirm this, “Our customers,
the major ski manufacturers, are
constantly calling upon us to manufacture
our products with tailor-made features, both
in terms of strength and surface characteristics,
as well as possible color variants. This
is why we pay close attention to ensuring
that our raw materials can withstand a wide
temperature range and also that they meet
the requirements regarding adhesion properties,
UV stability and high abrasion resistance.”
Hence, we certainly cannot place the blame
on the
quality of the materials if the “couch potato”
in us gains the upper hand. The sportswear
of the future will be even better adapted to
new types of sports and trends. Modern
materials will make the products even more
ergonomic. Shock absorption, functionality,
rebound – that is all fine and well but there is
one thing that plastics will not be able to
accomplish even in the future: to get the
“couch potato” going …
More information about the plastics mentioned
here can be found at
www.elastogran.de
www.terlux.de
www.luran-s.de
www.basf.de/ultramid
Particularly strong
plastics are needed
on a surfboard.
Today, surfboards
are coated with
weather-resistant
and impact-resistant
materials such
as Luran ¤ S.

Title
Wheels that meant the world
Lifestyle as a means of expression and a basis for business success
Throughout the world, titus-AG is synonymous
with skateboarding made in Germany.
Titus Dittmann (55), after whom this company
is named, was honored as “Entrepreneur of
the Year” by Manager Magazine in 2001; he is at
the helm of about 40 individual enterprises with
450 employees all over Germany, which together
amassed annual sales totaling 56 million euros in its
four corporate pillars: retail (40%), wholesale (40%),
media & events and technology & innovation in 2003.
Mr. Dittmann, you cut the same dashing figure on
the sometimes slippery business floor as you
do on a skateboard. Can you explain how you
have managed to bridge the gap between
being highly credible among
the youth and at the same time being
successful as a businessman?
Titus: I live the lifestyle and have been doing so
for 25 years. Go ahead, write it down, I am
still a youngster at heart. As a high school Titus Dittmann is
as much at home
teacher of geography and physical educa-
on a skateboard as
tion, I had already had my fill of civil service on the business
after six years of teaching. I recognized at floor.
an early stage that skateboards were a
good tool for working with young people – they are a means of
expression, like music. I brought the first skateboards with me
directly from California and sold them to my pupils at cost. My
venture into the business world was an ideal solution for me: to be
on the move and to be successful. From the modest beginnings in
the basement all the way to a stock company.
It is by no means only the label of the Titus company that is
hot among youngsters. They shop in retail stores, at outlets
8
and through catalogs. What message connects
the young to the labels?
Titus: Parents, who themselves
wear designer clothes, should not be surprised that the
way they bring up their children also leads youngsters
to wear brand names. Youngsters want to be different
and so they dress the way they want to be
perceived. Wearing certain labels also reveals part
of their personality and character. By wearing skateboard
labels, they are part of a certain scene.
As a businessman, you have not neglected to
share your success. Do you also see it as your
mission to introduce youth to the realm of
sports outside of the usual sports clubs?
Titus: A large part of the money that we earn from the
market flows back to the youth in the form of magazines,
events, championships, our youth cultural centers or skating
halls. At an early point in time, we founded the Association
for the Promotion of Youth Culture. The goal of this organization
is to provide children and adolescents with the opportunity
to engage in experience-oriented leisure activities in a sensible
venue. But we also sponsor school classes in sports projects, we
charter buses at our expense for children from socially disadvantaged
backgrounds so that they can attend the Monster Mastership,
we organize skateboard camps and, as our most recent
vacation project during Easter, we are introducing the Titus Academy.
How can a layman visualize research and development at
Titus? Do you get on the skateboards yourself?
Titus: Of course I do. I am a big fan of Funsports and Xtreme
Sports: with my son Julius, we go downhill on our skateboards

at 100 kilometers per hour; my other
hobbies include hang gliding, parachuting
and car racing; I also competed in
the first snowboarding world championships.
Precision is a must in the
development of our wheels. The differing
hardness of the wheels, a factor that
influences the skating properties, is
varied by a handful of hard segments
and hundreds of soft segments. In
addition to hardness and speed, elasticity
– which is measured during impact – and
traction on the pavement are likewise
important. The pros not only promote a
company name, but they also play a
decisive role in development.
Experienced athletes, also those of our
own Titus team, have tested the wheels
which are developed, for the most part,
in the United States.
Hard shell, soft core
Plastics turn shoes into trendy sports gear
Admittedly, the sight of fitness fans all decked out with ski
poles, modern leisure clothing and outdoor shoes, slogging
over field and meadow, takes some getting used to. Nordic
walking is the name of this trendy sport from Finland that is
gaining more and more enthusiasts in central Europe, Japan
and the United States. No wonder, Nordic walking is not only
easy to learn but also extremely effective.
Researchers at the Cooper Institute in Dallas have found that
Nordic walking burns up to 46 per cent more calories than
normal walking at the same speed. Thanks to the poles used in
Nordic walking, the stress on the locomotor apparatus is reduced
by as much as 30 per cent, which makes it is particularly
well-suited for people with knee or back problems.
This fitness sport was originally developed as a summer training
method for cross-country skiers and biathlon competitors.
Aside from the appropriate carbon fiber poles, the footwear is
also of crucial importance if it is to provide a firm foothold even
9 Title
Titus Dittmann
turned his hobby
into a business.
How important is plastic as a material
for the production of skateboards and
wheels? Which safety requirements
does the plastic have to meet?
Titus: Without plastics, especially
polyurethane, there would be no skateboarding.
The first wheels were made of
iron, the second generation still had open
ball bearings – those were true handicaps.
The skateboard only got rolling
really well with the advent of
polyurethane. This material is an obvious
choice and it delivers the same outstanding
performance as the skateboarders do.
The wheels range from the soft, large,
colorful ones that are suitable for covering
large distances all the way to small,
white, especially hard wheels that are
needed to do all those tricks. Every
skater knows how annoying it is if the
wheels already have flat spots after the
first run. The color of the wheels is of
secondary importance; they have to run
perfectly – only then is our company logo
put on them.
Further information:
www.titus-ag.de
on difficult terrain. Thus, the shoes and boots have a soft core –
a shock-absorbing insole made of BASF polyurethane foam –
and are often made of fibers on the basis of polyamide pre-products
also manufactured by BASF. The foam made of the plastic
fibers is not only breathable, but also wind and water repellant.
But polyurethanes serve other functions in shoes as well. This
plastic can be adapted to varying requirements. In the case of
skateboarders, the shoes make contact with the board and with
the pavement. The skateboard looks as though it is glued to the
feet of the skaters, even when they are performing difficult jumps
on half piped ramps. The secret lies in the different properties of
BASF polyurethanes. This versatile plastic is used in the skidproof
soles, in the protected front and heel areas as well as in
the hard and supporting surface of the shoe. For instance, the
sturdy edge made of polyurethane gives the board the right
drive during the performance of the “ollie”, that is, turning the
board in the air.

Company
A new look for BASF
Since March of 2004, BASF has been sporting a new look.
Important components of the changed
corporate design are new colors and
design elements, as well as an expanded
corporate logo. The new logo builds
upon the familiar BASF lettering since it
embodies endurance and an ongoing,
valid and clear strategy. These four letters
are now preceded by two complementary
squares. “They stand for partnership
and cooperation, for joint success,”
explains Dr. Jürgen Hambrecht, Chairman
of the Executive Board at BASF Aktiengesellschaft. “One
square is the counterpart of the other and the two complement
each other.” Added to this is the phrase “The Chemical
Company”. Hambrecht elaborates, “With this claim, we are
making a very clear statement about what we are proud of,
namely, what we are and want to remain: the world’s leading
chemical company.”
New approach to
reutilization.
News 10
European Old Car Law
New ways of recycling
It was born in Brussels and now it will have to learn how to
walk in the countries of Europe: the European Law on the Disposal
of Old Cars. According to this law, starting in 2007, car
owners can return their old cars free of charge. The costs for
the disposal and reutilization of the materials will be borne primarily
by the car manufacturers. Furthermore, the requirement
exists that, from 2006 on, at least 85 percent of the vehicle has
to be reutilized. A look at the various countries, however,
reveals quite a state of confusion. In the Netherlands, for example,
buyers already pay the price for the recycling when they
purchase a new car. At the present time, the system is unregulated
in France, Italy and Spain. In Germany, the law has
formulated complex enforcement schemes aimed at
meeting the requisite recycling quotas. In cooperation
with the European plastic associations APME and
VKE, as well as with tecpol, the development agency
for environmentally efficient polymer reutilization,
BASF has now come up with a way to meet the
quotas. A large-scale experiment in the secondary
raw material reutilization center “Black Pump” in
Saxony proved that the reutilization of the raw material
from large plastic objects brings about both environmental
and economic benefits. Official recognition soon
followed. The ministry for the environment of the German state
of Saxony has officially approved this recycling route.

Plastics Association
New Network for Europe
A new network of the plastics industry is being created in
Europe. The members’ meeting of the Association of Plastics
Manufacturers in Europe (APME) recently approved the next
phase of a project that will culminate with the foundation of a
new pan-European plastics association that is to include all
current APME members. This would be the first time that
European and regional representations would be under the
umbrella of an organizational network having a joint strategy
and coordinated action plans. The centers of this new association
are going to be Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain, France
and the UK. Representations are also planned in all European
countries.
VDI Pize
VDI Plastics Innovation Prize Awarded
11
The plan calls for the new association to start its operations
on January 1, 2005. The new association of plastics manufacturers
will handle broad topics on general plastics issues, as
well as product-specific topics on individual plastics.
The APME is the representative of the plastics industry in
Europe. Currently, the APME has about 50 member companies
that account for more than 90 per cent of the plastics
production in Western Europe, with sales of over 29 billion
euros.
A special commendation for BASF researchers: VDI, the German
Association of Engineers, has awarded BASF and its partners
this year’s Plastics Innovation Prize for their Paintless-
Film-Molding (PFM ® ) process. With this process, coated or
dyed plastic films made by BASF ensure that exterior car body
parts made of plastic can no longer be distinguished from the
steel parts.
The films are manufactured by BASF to meet specific customer
requirements, as a result of which expensive adaptations
by the OEM – for instance, coating work – are no longer
necessary. The special advantage for automotive manufactur-
News
eCommerce/Omnexus
Redistribution of task
What first was just a rumor became reality at the end of 2003.
Omnexus was one of the last Internet trade forums from the
boom year of 2000 to close its doors. Omnexus was founded
by the plastics manufacturers BASF, Bayer, Dow, DuPont and
Ticona with investments to the tune of 50 million dollars.
Several companies have now taken over where Omnexus left
off. Thus, Omnexus has advised its customers who used the
automatic order placement system “Ultralite” to now transact
their business via Elemica Buyer Direct. The Application Database
and the Material
Data Center have been
taken over by M-Base
Engineering + Software.
Most of the
e-marketing services
are now run by one of
Omnexus’ competitors,
SpecialChem
(www.specialchem.com). The former Omnexus Material Data
Center and the Application Database have been setup at the
following address: http://www.materialdatacenter.com/. BASF
customers will find plenty of opportunities for ordering and
other offerings at www.plasticsportal.com
ers is that parts produced with the
PFM ® process weigh considerably
lesser than wet-coated sheet steel.
This also benefits drivers since fuel
consumption is lower. The new
technology is already being used in
the plastic full roof of the MCC
Smart. “This is a clear indication
that PFM ® is ready for serial
production,” explained the VDI representatives during the
award ceremony.

Balance Sheet 12
Concentrating on our strengths
Result below that of previous year –
plastics restructuring continues.
Strengthening the core sectors and, at the same time, tapping
into new fields: BASF’s plastic divisions have set
themselves ambitious goals. In 2003, BASF already came
closer to achieving these goals, but this has not yet translated into
an improvement in the largely disappointing operating results. We
look back upon a year marked by acquisitions in the realm of engineering
plastics, new capacities for polyurethanes and the closing of
plants for styrene plastics. Moreover, 2003 will be remembered as a
year plagued by very high raw material costs and very unfavorable
exchange rates. Major new acquisitions, expanded capacities and
plant closings on a small scale: these were all activities that left their
imprint on BASF in 2003. Before the backdrop of difficult market
conditions, BASF succeeded in boosting its sales by 3.7 per cent
last year, to a total of Euro 8.8 billion. Nevertheless, BASF did not
manage to compensate for the higher raw material costs and the
unfavorable exchange rates, which translated into a sharp drop in
earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) from Euro 582 million to
Euro 296 million (minus 49%).
Cooperation
with partners
On May 1, 2003, BASF turned over its fiber business to Honeywell
and, in return, acquired their engineering plastics business. At the
end of the year, the business of polyamide-6,6 materials was
purchased from Ticona. Dr. John Feldmann, member of the
executive board in charge of this field, makes a positive assessment
of the takeover as he states, “This has made us into a leading world
supplier for our customers in this field”. In the meantime, 500 former
Honeywell employees, as well as their customers and production
facilities, have been integrated into BASF. BASF continues to put
stock in efficient, world-scale plants strategically situated in the most
significant markets, at times in cooperation with partners. For
instance, in 2003, BASF started the construction of a site for the
Dr. John Feldmann
makes a positive
assessment of the
Honeywell acquisition.
production of isocyanates in Caojing, China, an undertaking that is
going to be operated jointly with Chinese partners and Huntsman,
an American company. This will create capacities that will also allow
us to supply other companies such as, for example, Bayer. At the
same time, the Polyurethane Plastics Division started up a new
installation for TDI in Yeosu, Korea, and also considerably expanded
the production of MDI in Antwerp, Belgium.
Together with the Japanese company Toray, the Engineering
Plastics Division is going to build an installation for polybutylene
terephthalate (PBT) in Kuantan, Malaysia. The closure of styrene
plastics plants was on the agenda. In this vein, the division discontinued
the production of ABS in Geleen, The Netherlands, closed
the Styrolux plant here in Ludwigshafen, and is also going to shut
down the facility for polystyrene compounds as of July 1, 2004.
Within the scope of these measures, BASF has also sold its business
with polystyrene compounds to Spartech Polycom SAS. With
this step, the styrene plastics division is steadfastly pursuing its
standard product strategy of concentrating on a portfolio with just a
few product lines, a few production sites and highly efficient
marketing processes. BASF also interprets the concept of highly
efficient marketing as being synonymous with the expansion
of e-commerce. BASF’s eCommerce activities such as the
PlasticsPortal (www.plasticsportal.com) chalked up sales of over
one billion euros in 2003 – in some business fields, this accounted
for more than 50 per cent of their sales.

13
Markets and Products
Cooperation, Competence, Consistency
Manufacturers of medical technical products need more than “just” granules
Division of labor – that is the key to
success in the healthcare sector.
Wherever all of the preparations
needed for medical care have to be available
at all times, inter-company research
and cooperation are a must. With this in
mind, pharmaceutical companies are concentrating
more and more on developing
and manufacturing the pure ingredients
themselves. According to experts, a look at
the packaging reveals two essential trends.
As far as customers are concerned, the
packaging is supposed to be simpler and
safer, whereas for plastics processors, the
packaging is becoming more varied and
complex in terms of its function and structure.
This is a development that is turning
plastics manufacturers such as BASF into
more than mere supplier of raw materials.
Consequently, during the development of
the plastics, BASF works together with its
customers in considering and complying
with all criteria related to processing
technology and approval procedures.
Furthermore, within the scope of work
groups and associations, BASF cooperates
with the health authorities to continuously
improve the testing and analysis methods
so as to guarantee a consistently high
product quality and purity.
Reliable
supply
“When it comes to the medical sector, the
goal is to be able to offer a product that is
tailor-made for each particular application
and whose quality is consistently high and
always ready for delivery,” explains Marcus
Anders, who is in charge of the medical
technology sector at BASF’s Unit for Innova-
tion Management of Specialty Polymers.
The outcome of joint product development
and product maintenance is BASF’s special
plastic Terlux ® (MABS), with which additional
needs in the realm of medical technology
can and should be met. Manufacturers of
pharmaceutical packaging already employ
BASF’s MABS for breathing filters and ventilation
equipment, as well as for infusion and
tubing systems. “The advantages of Terlux ®
really come to the fore in the case of breathing
filters. It can be processed quickly and
easily, it exhibits an ideal ratio of stiffness to
toughness, it is especially resistant to acids,
cleansers and other external influences, and
it can also be sterilized without any problems,”
says Anders. According to Sven
Riechers, product manager for Terlux ® ,
plastics employed in medical technology
have not nearly exhausted their potential. On
the contrary, owing to the ever-growing legal
stipulations in the medical realm, the requirements
made of the material are becoming
more stringent. “This is precisely the reason
why the segment of medicine offers
application opportunities for a specialty like
Terlux ® ,” elaborates Riechers. As far as
healthcare is concerned, know-how in the
development and production of the plastic is
not all that is needed, but rather, pharmaceutical
manufacturers also have to be able
to count on reliable and consistent deliveries
so that these time-sensitive products can
also be supplied to hospitals on short
notice. “Our customers confirm that, when it
comes to the aspect of supply reliability, we
are way ahead of the competition,” he says
proudly.
www.terlux.com
Contact person:
Marcus Anders, Phone: +49 621 60-91153
Sven Riechers, Phone: +49 621 60-59349
Be it breathing filters, multi-flow devices or
tubes – all technical products employed in
the medical sector have to comply with the
strictest requirements.

Colorflexx ® 14
Improving efficiency
with Colorflexx ®
By switching its ABS processing to BASF’s
Colorflexx ® concept, Josef Mawick
Kunststoff-Spritzgusswerk GmbH & Co. KG
has increased its flexibility.
For some years now, the self-coloring
of plastic granules by means of
color metering devices on the
machines has been a standard procedure
at Josef Mawick Kunststoff-Spritzgusswerk
GmbH & Co. KG, a plastics injectionmolding
company in Werl, Germany that
processes bulk plastics such as PS, PE
or PP. As far as Willi Röer, head of sales
at the Mawick company, is concerned,
the reason is obvious, “Self-coloring
increases our flexibility to respond to
customer requirements and also allows
us to optimize the aspects of plant logistics
and storage.”
Profitable
effects
Such advantages are now also being utilized
by Mawick in the realm of ABS processing,
which accounts for a 15 to 20
percent share of its production. Among
the first examples of applications that
have been realized by BASF and its masterbatch
partners employing the Colorflexx
® concept are a multi-compartment
garbage can dyed blue or gray for mobile
homes, as well as an orange discharge
chute for lawnmowers.
Even though experience is still being
acquired in homogenously blending the
colour concentrate, the so-called masterbatch,
with the ABS natural-colored
products, Röer can already see profitable
effects. There is a reduction in the
purchase price of the material since the
acquisition of large amounts of the natural-colored
product avoids the surcharges
for small quantities of dyed products. At
the same time, there is greater flexibility
when the color is changed.
More than 8000
metric tons
Giving shape to ideas by using plastics has
been one of the core competences of
Josef Mawick Kunststoff-Spritzgusswerk
GmbH & Co. KG for 45 years now. Located
in Werl, Germany, this company has 270
employees, 55 injection-molding machines
in the clamping force range from 50 to
1200 tons, two blow-molding installations
for article volumes of up to 120 liters as
well as a competent team of engineers and
technicians in development and construction
and its own tool production capability,
From the white natural-colored product to the colorful design
object – garbage cans dyed using Colorflexx ® .
all of which ensure speed, flexibility and
quality at all times. (More information can
be found at www.mawick-online.de)
In addition to its own line of office furniture,
Mawick has gained a solid foothold in the
automotive industry. The manufacturing
program of its automotive sector, in addition
to battery housings and battery
covers, also comprises fully assembled
housings for headlights, the production of
lamp covers in one-component and
two-component technology, cover frames
and all sorts of caps, some of them with
installed gaskets. Furthermore, Mawick also
manufactures technical injection-molded
parts weighing up to 6 500 grams for many
other branches of industry. These include
boxes and lids in the sanitary sector,
discharge chutes and motor supports for
lawnmowers as well as wheels, hoods and
spoilers for children’s cars. The company
processes more than 8 000 metric tons of
plastics per year. Except for PVC, just
about all types of thermoplastics are used.
www.colorflexx.com
Your contact person at BASF: Christian
Janeba, Phone: (+49) 172 7437 485

With patience and endurance
To develop markets in Asia – that is the challenge
facing the Specialty Polymer Team in Asia
Asia – extraordinary markets,
extraordinary business, extraordinary
people. A team, like the one
that BASF has established two years ago
for its specialties business with styrene
polymers in Europe, has been in place for
a year in the markets in Asia. A team that,
together with customers, is aiming to discover
and develop new areas of application
for specialty plastics. Where are the
markets in Asia? What is the potential there
for specialty plastics? How do the regions
differ from each other? BASF’s magazine
“plastics” spoke with Jürgen Keck. Based
in Singapore, he is responsible for market
development for specialties in Asia.
Mr Keck, after one year in Asia, where
do you see the markets for styrene
specialties?
We need to bear in mind that we are in a
region where some of the largest automobile
manufacturers in the world are headquartered.
Our products such as Luran ® S
for exterior applications on car bodies or
Terblend ® N for the interiors of vehicles and
our Terluran ® specialties have quite a lot to
offer to the Asian automotive market. We
also see great potential in the business
with motor scooters. Some 30 million
motor scooters are produced here every
year, all of which could be made using
specialty plastics. We plan to intensify our
efforts in the construction sector, which is
particularly important in China. Building
elements made of weather-resistant and
15
easy-to-process plastics such as Luran ® S
certainly have a market here. The mere fact
that global customers such as Schick-
Wilkinson have production facilities in Asia
already means that Terlux ® , our transparent
ABS, has a promising future in this region.
What is the difference between the
specialty business in Asia and in
regions like Europe or North America?
It is quite simple: things that have a market
in Europe or NAFTA cannot simply be
transferred to Asia in unchanged form.
Take, for instance, lawnmowers, a common
application for specialty plastics in
Europe but not easily transferable to Asia
since there are hardly any private lawns.
But all in all, the specialty business is
basically the same. We help with application
design and with flow mold studies and
we also have to offer services such as customer
specific colors.
Let us talk concretely about customers.
Do their requirements differ
from those in Europe?
We quickly learned that the common European
notion that it is possible to cut back
on quality in Asia is simply wrong.
Precisely, in China and India, our customers
produce for the world market.
Patience and endurance are required here.
When we present our products in China or
Malaysia, we talk to a larger audience. Up
to 40 people, ranging from mechanics to
researchers, are all involved in the
Markets and Products
Taking the pulse of new markets in
Asia: Jürgen Keck.
decision-making process. I am also
learning quite a lot from my colleagues in
Singapore, Korea, Japan, India and China.
Let us fast-forward to the future.
Where will the specialties business
stand in Asia five years from now?
All I have to do is turn to the market analyses
that we have drawn up for our target
sectors, namely automobiles and construction.
To put it in a nutshell, five years from
now, we will be the preferred partner of the
Asian automotive industry and we will have
made a name for ourselves in the construction
sector. And if everything runs
according to our plan, we could also visualize
building new capacities. Let me wrap
up by telling you about my dream: in five
years, all of China will be sleeping under
plastic roofs.
Your contact persons for specialty plastics in
Asia:
Juergen Keck, Singapore
keckj@basf-sea.com.sg +65 6432 3285
Dr. Piyada, Singapore
charoep@basf-sea.com.sg +65 6398 5037
Roland Huang, China
huangxjr@basf-china.com.cn +86 21 6385 1630
H.J. Kim, Korea
kimhj2@basf-korea.co.kr +82 2 3707 7720
J.H. Lee, Japan
JongHoo.Lee@basf-japan.co.jp +81 3 3238 2421
Satej Nabar, India
nabars@basf-india.co.in +91 22 5661 8227
Ross Kung, Taiwan
kungpyr@basf-taiwan.com.tw +886 2 2518 7667
Geoff Beilby, Australia
beilbyg@basf-australia.com.au +61 3 9212 1617
Gecha Ritvirulh, Thailand
gechar@basf-thai.co.th +66 2 204 9483
Muhamad Nasir, Malaysia
muhamnat@basf-malaysia.com.my +60 3 5628 3637
Benny Tjen, Indonesia
tjentb@basf-indonesia.co.id +62 21 526 2481

Markets and Products 16
Bella Plastica d’Italia
Not only a travel destination but also a business location for many
companies, Italy has evolved into the second largest market for
styrene plastics.
“If I had not made the decision
that I am now carrying out,
I would certainly have been
ruined: the desire to see Italy
with my own eyes had thus
reached such a heightened state
in my mind.”
An observer might accuse German poet
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe of having a
penchant for pathos. But his achievements
are undeniable when it comes to singing the praises
of the country that was his favorite travel destination
back in the 18th century. And what held true for
Goethe almost 300 years ago, continues to apply
on a small scale in the 21st century as well. Italian
wine, Italian food, Italian design – we love everything
that comes from this boot-shaped country
because we equate it with the lightness of
being.
Innovations
in product design
A lightness whose appearance is essentially
defined by plastics. In fact, one out of every
(Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)
four plastics-processing operations in
Europe is located in the Apennine Region.
In total, there are 11,000 companies. After the area
comprising of Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the
southern tip of Europe has now become the
second largest injection-molding market on the
continent. No wonder, since this is where
brand name producers such as De
Longhi, Hotform or Whirlpool can
manufacture their products
cost-effectively thanks
to the numerous
small and
mediumsized

thanks to the numerous small and medium-sized processors with
1 7
their relatively inexpensive cost structures. And wherever refrigerators,
television set housings, washing machines, vacuum cleaners and
CDs are produced, there is a great demand for standard plastics
such as polystyrene and ABS. Even though these products are
already quite advanced in terms of their life cycle, market analysts still
expect a growing market for polystyrene and ABS, namely, about two
per cent for polystyrene and about four per cent for ABS (slightly
above the projected gross domestic product). Maurizio Campagna,
head of sales for styrene polymers in Italy, has no doubts about the
source of this growth, “Continuous innovations in product design and
competitive processing costs are the best thing that Italian processors
and manufacturers have to offer. This is why we will continue to
find new applications for plastic products that can be made with polystyrene
and ABS.”
The Italian market is also benefiting from the introduction of the selfcoloring
of ABS into the Italian market. According to Campagna, the
availability of the self-coloring service Colorflexx ® will allow BASF to
strengthen the competitiveness of processors in the realms of refrigerators,
household articles and appliances, as well as toys and leisure
articles.
M a r k e t s a n d P r o d u c t s
The country that gave us the chocolate egg with a surprise in it, however,
is not only an important market for injection-molded products.
Companies such as Ferrero, CDS, Hotform or the Pibergroup are
among the world’s largest consumers of plastic packaging and are
thus customers of a polystyrene manufacturer such as BASF. All in all,
packaging – including cosmetics and CD cases – makes up almost
50 per cent of the Italian plastics Market for
market. In Italy, a total ofplastic 47 plastic packaging
manufacturers court the favor of
the 11,000 processors that currently serve a
market of about 5.5 million metric tons of standard plastics, or about
18 billion euros. This industry is concentrated primarily in the triangle
between Turin, Milan and Genoa and in the north east of the country.
The Emilia-Romagna region near Bologna, parts of Tuscany and of
the Latium also have a considerable number of operations.
Your contact person at BASF:
Maurizio Campagna,
Phone: 0039 0362 512 430

Markets and Products 18
Ecoflex ® for the bag from the fertile fields
The use of biodegradable materials has increased greatly throughout the world, but
in Germany, overregulation prevents their widespread introduction onto the market.
Europe is a union now. Not only
politically but also, to an increasing
extent, in terms of the consumption
behavior of the population. Bioproducts,
for instance, are becoming more
and more popular, particularly among consumers
in the Netherlands, Great Britain
and France, now that their bioproducts
come in biodegradable and compostable
packaging. The building blocks of such
packaging are resource-saving and CO2 neutral renewable raw materials stemming
from agriculture. This packaging acquires
its functionality from the combination of
renewable raw materials with biodegradable
substances on the basis of synthetic
raw materials such as BASF’s Ecoflex ® . “A
biodegradable composite made of starch
or polylactic acid obtained from corn or
potatoes together with Ecoflex ® greatly
improves films and packaging so that their
enhanced functionality will make them suitable
for more applications,” explains Dirk
Stärke, product manager for Ecoflex ® at
BASF.
Successful
pilot project
However, what is a reality in many European
countries is still a far-off dream for
German consumers. In Germany, excessive
legislation on packaging, biowaste
and fertilizers regulates the use and reutilization
of compostable packaging, with
the result that
nothing gets
done in this
labyrinth of regulations.
Even
the successful
implementation
of a model project
in the city of
Kassel did not do a bit of good. In this the packaging regulations with the objec-
experiment, the organizers, funded by tive of increasing the sales and, thus, the
government subsidies, studied the use of use of renewable raw materials.
biopackaging in actual practice, thereby In order to facilitate the market introduction
confirming that this packaging can be col- while at the same time improving the funclected
and utilized without any problem. tionality of biodegradable materials, the
Consumers responded particularly posi- German Farmer’s Association and the Gertively
to biodegradable packaging. And man Association of the Chemical Industry
now, it seems that the path might be clear are objecting to the statutory stipulations
for bioplastics in Germany as well.
pertaining to the raw material base of
“Bioplastics made of corn, potatoes or cel- biodegradable materials. For instance, with
lulose are on the threshold of a very prom- their requirement that biodegradable packising
future,” explains Matthias Berninger, aging materials have to “consist primarily
state secretary at the German Ministry for of renewable raw materials”, these regula-
Consumer Affairs, at the same time revealtions run counter to the objective of proing
that a major hurdle to their widespread moting the market introduction of renew-
introduction could soon be eliminated.
“The German government supports the
able raw materials.
approach of exempting bioplastics from Approval of Ecoflex
the Green Dot in the future,” elaborates
Berninger. Manufacturers of biodegradable
plastics have now found a prominent
advocate in the German Farmer’s Association.
In a statement issued jointly with the
German Association of the Chemical
Industry, farmers are calling for a change in
® Ecoflex
for food
products in the United States
The parties involved are confident that,
over the long run, the costs for biopackaging
will also drop as these materials enjoy
more widespread use. For instance, the
raw material costs for renewable raw
® is certified in the United States …,

As biodegradable as its
contents: the bag made
of Ecoflex ® .
in Japan ...
materials are lower than those for synthetic
biodegradable materials. “Starch, for
example, which is the basic building block
of many biodegradable plastics, is cheaper
than any synthetic material,” says Dr. Harald
Kaeb, Managing Director of German
Biodegradable Plastics Association.
Recent figures confirm that, in the meantime,
biodegradable materials have
achieved considerable growth. Thus, in
19
Europe alone,
consumption rose from 8,000
to 45,000 metric tons between 1998
and 2003.
Those in charge of Ecoflex ® anticipate a
decisive step forward once this product
receives worldwide certification as a completely
biodegradable material. Ecoflex ®
has long since been registered in Europe
and Japan as a biodegradable raw material.
Recent additions are its approval in
America under ASTM 6400 and also its
approval for food products for the American
market – the so-called Food Contact
Notification. According to Dietmar Heufel,
who is in charge of the worldwide Ecoflex ®
Markets and Products
business,
“We currently
sell nine time as much in
Japan as in Germany, but we hope that
this will soon change.”
www.basf.de/ecoflex
Your contact person at BASF: Dietmar Heufel,
Phone: +49 621 60-78969
... and in Europe.

The beginnings
of model trains
Applications 20
Company founder Theodor Friedrich
Wilhelm Märklin began to make parts for
dolls house kitchens in 1859. In 1891,
his sons – the Märklin brothers – laid the
tracks leading to the later success of the
company: at the Leipzig Easter Fair, they
exhibited the first standardized wind-up
train set shaped like a figure-eight, with a
variable track layout. Whereas the
“Storchenbein” (Stork’s Leg) model was
still driven by clockwork, models that
were driven by steam or electricity followed
just a few years later. Starting in
1926, the train sets became even more
convenient and carefree with the introduction
of the 20-volt system. Since
1935, the H0-model train has been
designed for set-up on a tabletop.
The “mini-club” at a scale of 1:220, was
the sensation of the Nuremberg toy fair
in 1972. It immediately earned a spot in
the Guinness Book of Records, in addition
to which it also holds the world
record for continuous operation, at 1219
hours over a distance of 720 kilometers
or approximately 450 miles.
In order to produce its realistic models,
Märklin values attention to detail as well
as sturdiness under actual operating
conditions. Aside from sheet metal, the
materials employed also include metal
alloys, thin sheet metal, aluminum, highgrade
plastics and even wood.
Smooth running
on safe track
BASF specialty plastic for Märklin railway track
Because children sometimes play
rough, materials used in model
railways should resist breakage
and if possible last forever. That’s why
Märklin, the world
biggest manufacturer
of model railways,
has recently
begun to use
BASF’s Luran ® S for
in its new C-series
track. Luran ® S is
an ASA copolymer,
a specialty among
BASF’s range of
styrenic plastics.
“The benefits of
this plastic lie in its
resistance to chemicals”,
explains Ulf
Meissner, production
manager at
Märklin. Such a
property allowed the company to eliminate
an entire production operation. Normally
the oil lubricant used in drawing the
metal rails has to be cleaned off before
the plastic sleepers (crossties) are fitted,
otherwise it may cause the plastic to
crack, weakening its structure. Luran ® S
on the other hand is resistant to this socalled
environmental stress cracking
thanks to the polymer’s acrylic rubber
component, which as BASF’s market
development manager Hans Barthelmess
explains, “makes the polymer more polar,
enabling it to resist chemicals more easily
compared with standard products.”
Märklin, which has been using plastics in
its model railways products for over 30
years, switched to plastic track at the
beginning of the 1980s. Track sections
made from plastic are much easier to
assemble than
those of metal—a Making “maintenance
work on the
welcome property
tracks” superflu-
in the 140,000
ous: rails made of
starter sets sold to BASF’s special
plastic Luran
children each year.
The company,
which has been
manufacturing
model railways for
nearly a century
and a half, employs
2145 people and in
2002 had sales of
Euro 170 million.
® S
www.maerklin.de
Your contact person
at BASF:
Hans Barthelmess,
Phone:
+49 172 742 4667

21
Applications
Inconspicuous and yet indispensable
Greater precision with the new mass air flow sensor from Siemens VDO
Air is not the same everywhere –
the air density varies depending
on whether you are on the top of
a mountain, in the lowlands or at sea level.
It is not only humans who notice this; air
changes also affect engine combustion.
After all, the number of air molecules needed
for optimal fuel combustion varies, for
instance, as a function of the geographic
location. But to ensure consistent quality in
regulating performance, a so-called mass
air flow sensor is needed. It is an inconspicuous
and yet indispensable element in
every modern car. This sensor measures
the volume of air drawn in by the engine,
so that the engine’s electronic system can
then precisely calculate the quantity of fuel
needed and transmit this information to the
fuel-injection system. This is the only way
to attain optimal fuel combustion, in other
words, with high performance, low emissions
and reduced engine load.
Ultradur ®
in the mass air flow sensor
Siemens VDO Automotive AG has professional
expertise in the realm of mass air
flow sensors. This company, which is a
supplier to the automotive industry in the
electric, electronic and mechatronic realms,
has already produced more than ten million
mass air flow sensors. Siemens VDO has
now launched an innovative mass air flow
Air flow sensors ensure optimal fuel combustion.
sensor (SIMAF) and is already serially producing
it for two major car makers.
Ultradur ® , a PBT manufactured by BASF, is
part of this equation. The most important
plastic components that go into the SIMAF
mass air flow sensor are made of this engineering
plastic since properties such as
dimensional stability, resistance to various
media and heat deformation resistance are
of paramount importance under the engine
hood.
High level of
measuring accuracy
The new sensor entails several advantages:
it separates the measuring function
from an integrated plugging function so
that it can be adapted to a wide array of
engines and intake geometries. If so
desired, it can also be integrated directly
into the air filter housing. The measuring
device consists of three compact parts that
are joined together, namely, the central carrier
for the electronic sensor, a snap-on
cover to protect the electronic components
and the flow channel. The latter is made of
uncolored Ultradur ® and is laser-welded to
the sensor carrier so as to be precisely
positioned without mechanical stress. This
type of air flow configuration yields an even
more accurate measurement, not least
because the flow channel is made of a particularly
dimensionally stable plastic.
Another plus point is the fact that the
sensor is considerably smaller and more
compact than its predecessors and is well
protected against dirt.
www.basf.de/ultradur
Your contact person at BASF:
Reinhard Stransky
Phone: +49 621 60-99621

Applications 22
Little figures make it big
Playmobil turns children’s dreams into reality
Who hasn’t seen them? They
are about 3 inches (7.5 cm)
tall, they have a perpetual
smile on their faces and kids simply adore
them. We are talking about the beloved
Playmobil figures. They saw the light of
day 30 years ago. That is when the company
geobra Brandstätter first presented
this friendly, palm-size figure that had been
developed by designer Hans Beck. It was
without a nose and looked quite neutral
but the friendly facial expression was
already the same as it is today. Whereas
buyers for toy stores responded cautiously
to the novelty introduced at the
trade fair in 1974, children and
parents were very enthusiastic.
Initially simple figures
with just a few
accessories
were later
joined by
entire
Be it Indians, building
workers or
pirates – Playmobil
makes children´s
hearts beat faster.
play worlds of their own.
The stuff of which knights,
dragons and pirates are made
However, the road from the original idea to
the realization was a long one. For
instance, a decision had to be made about
which plastic was suitable for the
figures. It had to be impactresist-
ant,
light-resistant and compliant with the food
product laws and also had to display
excellent resilience. Moreover, in 1974, toy
manufacturer and entrepreneur Horst
Brandstätter had his very own idea about
what a Playmobil figure
should be able to withstand,
namely, the full
weight of an adult.
This requirement
was and still is met
by BASF’s plastic
Ultraform ® . Every hand
and every inner part of
the Playmobil toy figures
are made of
Ultraform ® , and so are the
articulated arms of the dragons
and the gauntlets of the
knights. Aside from
Ultraform ® , other
plastics made by
BASF are
also hidden
in
these little
playmates.
For example,
the transparent blinking
lights of the fire truck
are made of Terlux ® , while
polystyrene can be found
in the gray rocky land-

scape and there is Terluran ® in the body
and clothing of the little people. “For Playmobil,
we were able to offer products for
many different applications from BASF’s
wide assortment, continuously increasing
the quantities of plastic consumed,”
explains Reiner Scheer, BASF’s Key
Account Manager for this toy maker.
Playmobil has a
cult following
Over all these years, children’s wishes
have time and again been incorporated
into the ideas of designers, engineers and
mold builders. The men and women were
23
joined by babies and children. Moreover,
the diminutive inhabitants of the Playmobil
world have kept pace with the spirit of the
times, which is why the women now wear
trousers and Playmobil classics such as
pirates and knights now have numerous
sisters populating the towns and the airports.
In the meantime, Playmobil has
acquired a cult following. For example, a
Wild West house from the first series will
now set you back 500 euros or more.
Back then, the original cost a mere 30
German marks (about 15 euros). “No
boots, stiff hands and flat feet,” describes
an aficionado. “Such a cowboy belongs to
the first generation.” More recent succes-
Applications
Life-like worlds made of plastic. Attention to detail is what has
made Playmobil so successful.
sors have moveable hands and highheeled
boots. These little playmates have
survived decades in many households
and they are as cherished by today’s children
as they were by their first owners. It
is quite rare for children to play with the
same toys as their parents, but the little
guys with the friendly smile are such an
exception. And like every year, thousands
of children will once again glue their noses
to the display windows of toy stores. After
all, in addition to the long-anticipated
dinosaur, Playmobil will also be launching
many other attractive novelties onto the
market as it commemorates its 30th
anniversary.

Integration Honeywell 24
BASF and Honeywell – combined strength
Product line optimization delivers greater value to customers
Responsible for the worldwide business
with polyamide extrusion grades: Rolf Alles,
Bruno Defendini, Rainer Hanelt (from left to
right).
Fibers for T-shirts and carpets, flexible
packaging for sausage casings,
and packed for cheese and cold
meats – not many people know that
all of these products are produced from
Ultramid ® high-performance polymer. This
material is well known from injection-molding
applications in the automotive and
electrical sectors, but is also used in the
packaging sector. The reason: Ultramid ® is
classified as non-hazardous under food
legislation and has excellent barrier properties
with respect to oxygen, organic solvents,
and flavors. The acquisition of
Honeywell’s engineering plastics business
has brought additional expertise to the
extrusion team. The primary goal is to
combine the best from the two
companies.
Powerful
team
“We are a global team, small but effective” is
how Dr. Thomas Liese-Sauer of Global Marketing
Extrusion describes his Group. “Our
know-how and expertise has been increased
to new levels with the support provided by
our new colleagues.” Regular meetings with
Marketing colleagues worldwide, and close
collaboration with Business Management
colleagues from Europe and Asia – Mark
Dobson, Business Management in North
America rates both of these as vitally impor-

tant. Market developments occurring in
Europe or North America can rapidly achieve
relevance in Asia or South America, and vice
versa. “We are managing a business which
is growing globally,” explains Bruno Defendini,
previously with Honeywell and now working
in Global Marketing. “This means the
customers and markets in every region are
expecting the same high levels of service
and product quality.”
Global
Portfolio
Production of
packaging films
made of Ultramid ® .
A global business requires a global portfolio
of products. The foundation for the new
portfolio is the BASF Ultramid ® and
Honeywell Capron ® product lines. The
extensive market and technical knowledge
incorporated in this portfolio will enable
BASF to achieve their strategic target of
above average market growth. This new
portfolio will benefit global and regional customers
with less complexity, faster response,
greater consistency of quality and increased
reliability of supply. The nomenclature for the
portfolio has been restructured so that all
contact points within the customer’s organization
can easily associate product properties
with names. BASF will likewise benefit
from this streamlined system within the global
and regional frameworks we operate in.
“In the past we have carried out significant
enhancements of the Ultramid ® product line
25
with successful results,” says Rainer Hanelt,
Global Marketing Extrusion. “We expect our
new combined portfolio to receive a high
level of acceptance in the market. We’re
also providing global technical support to
our customers.”
Strengthened
market position
Results of the Honeywell acquisition included
not only the integration of new products
into BASF’s business, but also a strengthening
of its market position – particularly in the
USA, where the company has now a leading
market position in extrusion. Alongside the
USA and Europe, another focus for the marketing
team is the high-growth Asian market.
Take China as an example: the growth rate
for packaging is much higher than in North
America and Europe. “We meet the demand
generated by this growth by supplying our
Asian customers from both the USA and
Europe,“ explains Dr. Volker Rauschenberger,
responsible for the Business Management
in Asia.
Your contact:
Dr. Thomas Liese-Sauer,
Phone: +49 621 60-93464
Integration Honeywell
Dr. Thomas Liese-Sauer is the new director
of marketing Extrusion Polymers.

Applications
Design in the engine compartment
Air filter made of Capron ® in the Golf IV – multifunctional and shapely
Styling is in vogue these days, even
in the engine compartment. Designers
are increasingly looking towards
both esthetic and branding-typical solutions.
The multifunctional designer air filter
of MANN+HUMMEL, a development partner
and supplier of serial parts for the international
automotive and mechanical engineering
industries, fits right into this concept.
This air filter, developed for the 1.4liter
and 1.6-liter FSI engines in the new
Golf, also serves as a shapely cover for the
engine. But design is not everything. For
such a part to be able to withstand temperatures
of up to 120°C [248°F] in the engine
compartment, it has to meet other requirements
as well: it must be heat-resistant,
low-warping and exhibit a good stiffnessto-strength
ratio. The material that
MANN+HUMMEL relies on here is Capron ® ,
You don’t have to be the CEO to
have a custom-fit work chair at your
desk thanks to the Mirra design
from Herman Miller, the U.S. office furniture
manufacturer. Mirra has the flexibility to adapt
to the size, posture and movements of the
user. Flexible zones in the backrest of the
chair support the entire spinal column and
distribute the pressure evenly across the
back. An office chair that responds to human
activity was the concept devised by the
designers at Studio 7.5. And it gained Mirra
first prize in last year’s “Best of NeoCon”
competition held by the American furniture
industry. And that isn’t all: The Society of
26
a polyamide-6 made by BASF. Since 2002,
MANN+HUMMEL has been using three
different filled Capron ® grades for this friction-welded
air filter.
The metallic glossy
Capron ® in the center
of the cover is not
reinforced and it contains
special pigments
that have been
incorporated into the
plastic. All of the
Capron ® brands have
just recently been
added to BASF’s
assortment of engineering
plastics.
Your contact person at
BASF: Stefan Schäfer
Phone: +49 6151 896357
Custom fit for everybody
Capron ® nylon used in award-winning Mirra work chair
Good for the spine: the Mirra office chair.
Air filters are not only functional but also
nice to look at.
Plastics Engineers recently recognized the
Mirra work chair with the Environmental
Design Award 2004 at Global Plastics Environmental
Conference in Detroit. Ninety-six
per cent of Mirra’s materials can be economically
recycled at the end of the chair’s useful
life. Herman Miller used Capron ® nylon from
BASF for all the main components of the
award-winning chair. One of the key features
of this material is its durability, a significant
requirement demanded by this manufacturer
for all of its products. The strong and dimensionally
stable polyamide is used in the spinal
column support, seat frame, the adjustable
seat rim and the arm rests.

Lightweight, strong
and versatile in terms of design
Borscheid & Wenig chooses plastic for the center console of the Audi A4
Be it in the engine compartment, be it for
the interior paneling or exterior
trim or in the dashboard,
the percentage of plastics
used in cars continues to
grow. Whereas 10 years ago
the proportion of plastics in an
European mid-size car was 9 per
cent of the total weight, nowadays
we are in range from 13 to 16 per cent
and the projections for 2015 are
already around 20 per cent. The
reason is that plastic is cheaper,
lighter and more versatile in terms of
27
What do the Golf V, the Audi A3, Scoda Octavia, Seat
Altea, or Polo, Audi A2, Scoda Fabia and Seat Ibiza
have in common? In all of these models, the frame
on which are mounted the radiator blades and that houses the
motors, the so-called fan case, is made of Capron ® , a BASF
plastic. After all, VW puts great stock in uniformity in the engine
compartment. Already since the beginning of 2000, the VW company
has used polyamide 6 filled with 30 per cent fiberglass for its
Golf and Polo platforms. And this is not without good reason since
the quality consistency of this plastic speaks for itself. And that is
not all. Nowadays, 250-HP engines are no longer a rarity.
However, enhanced engine performance also requires enhanced
radiator performance. Consequently, a plastic employed in the
Applications
design than metals. In addition, it is very strong
and thus can replace metal parts. The
Borscheid & Wenig company is also aware of
this. This plastics processor is going with plastic
in the frame used for the radio, temperature
control and navigation systems, the so-called
center console for the Audi A4. To be more
precise, it is going with a very special plastic,
namely, Capron ® , a polyamide made by BASF. It
has been optimized in terms of its flow and warping
properties, and it displays a high creep strength
and rigidity. 320,000 Audis have already been
driving around Germany with this plastic center console since 2002.
The console for the Audi A4
is made of Capron ® .
They all have one thing in common
The fan cases of VW’s Polo and Golf platforms are made of Capron ®
radiator area has to be low-warpage and especially heat-resistant.
Considering the longevity of an engine, there is also a need for
resistance to ageing. The fact that Capron ® meets all of these
requirements is confirmed time and again by this plastic, for
example, right now in the new Golf generation.
Fan case
made of
Capron ® .

A p p l i c a t i o n s 2 8
A kettle proves its mettle
Ultramid ® shows what it is made of in the rough and tumble
of daily routine in the kitchen
Undercover assignment: retaining the traditional coffee flavor.
Adaily routine: you fill the automatic water kettle with the
desired amount of water, you switch it on and wait until
for the water to boil. What used to be indicated by a
whistle back in grandma’s days – the unmistakable reminder that
the kettle should quickly be removed from the stove to prevent the
water from boiling over – is solved more elegantly nowadays: as
soon as the water starts to bubble, the kettle switches off automatically.
The idea behind this technique originated 25 years ago
at the English company Strix, a manufacturer of control elements
for water boiling applications. John Taylor, the company’s executive
director back then, developed the first kettle control, which was
guaranteed to switch off automatically once steam had built up. A
lot has changed in the meantime. Today, Strix, headquartered on
the Isle of Man, holds a 70 per cent-market share and is the leading
producer of control elements and cordless interfaces for water
kettles, with the result that well-known companies such as Tefal,
Moulinex, Philips, Kenwood, Bosch, Siemens and Braun are
among its customers.
Tapping into
new markets
This company has recently entered the coffee market as well.
Thanks to the new Strix heat-control system, the traditional Mocha
Express coffee maker made by the coffee machine manufacturer
Bialetti is now also available in an electric version. As soon as the
espresso, café au lait, cappuccino or latte macchiato is ready, the
coffee maker switches off automatically. Here, Bialetti’s brewing
experts and Strix’s development engineers have achieved the feat of
retaining the traditional flavor and aroma of the coffee in combination
with the advantage of automatic brewing. Strix has recently started
developing electric systems for water filtration as well. Strix’s executive
chairman, Eddie Davies, sees great potential for growth in this
market as more and more people are clamoring for clean drinking
water, particularly in the developing countries.
Material
of choice
Control elements and cordless interfaces made by Strix are used
more than a billion times every day in households throughout the
world. All of them are made of the plastic Ultramid ® , a polyamide
manufactured by BASF. Why? Because this plastic has all of the
properties that are needed for the rough and tumble of daily routine
in the kitchen. It is robust, mechanically very strong, and
exhibits outstanding temperature resistance and dimensional stability,
features that renders Ultramid ® particularly well-suited for hotwater
applications. Another plus point is that Ultramid ® can be
processed without problems – thus design engineers can give free
rein to their imagination when it comes to combining intricate
design and precision. “Today, BASF is our number-one supplier,”
explains Paul Snowden, Supply Chain Director at Strix. “With its
know-how in mould-flow techniques, BASF has helped us improve
our product design and quality while lowering our costs.”
www.strix.com

BASF takes over Ticona’s
polyamide 6.6 business
Market position in engineering plastics strengthened
As of December 31, 2003, BASF
has taken over the polyamide 6.6
business from Ticona, which is the
engineering plastics company of Celanese
AG. Its sales were approximately 45 million
euros in the year 2002. Within the scope of
the transaction, all of the production sites
and installations remain under the control
of Ticona. To start with, Ticona will be
manufacturing the polyamide 6.6 products
on behalf of BASF at its American facilities
in Bishop, Texas, and Florence, Kentucky.
With this transaction,
BASF is
strengthening
its market
position
in the
sector
of
Expanded
portfolio
29
polyamide 6.6, especially in the all-important
North American market. Raimar Jahn,
President of BASF’s Division Performance
Polymers, underscores, “We are dedicated
to being the supplier of choice for
engineering plastic customers around the
world. BASF’s acquisition of Ticona’s nylon
6.6 business will complement and enhance
the range of product solutions we can
offer.” With this sale, Ticona is concentrating
on its core businesses. “The sale of the
polyamide 6.6 business is a further step in
Celanese’s
overall
Markets and Products
strategy of focusing on those products
which hold a leading global market position”,
says Lyndon Cole, member of the
Celanese AG Management Board and President
of Ticona. Already at the beginning of
2003, BASF took over Honeywell’s business
with engineering plastics. As a result, BASF
was not only able to tap into new markets,
but also to nicely complement its product
portfolio. Polyamide 6.6 is an extremely versatile
engineering plastic that is used not
only in automotive construction, but also
in household products, toys and
electrical equipment.
Typical application for
polyamides: a car manifold.

Applications 30
Getting greener…
from the top
It’s an increasing trend for buildings to add a little color to
their roofs using polyurethane insulation. ELASTOGRAN has
come up with a great new system…

31
Applications
Have you ever looked
out of your window
and been faced with
the sight of grim, depressing
rooftops? The overwhelming
picture is usually dreary town roofs in various shades of murky
reds, dirty greys and boring browns. But now it’s really easy to
things up. Moss, herbs, bushes, shrubs and even flowers and
cacti are actually the simplest thing in the world to grow on tiles.
It’s all a matter of effective insulation. And once again,
ELASTOGRAN is way out in front with its hard foam Elastopor ® and heavy rain. On flat roofs,
you can even grow herbaceous
perennials, bushes
and trees.
Unlike other greening methods, this technique needs fewer construction
layers and is long lasting and simple to install. Laying
. and roof construction are the same as for normal tiled roofs. For
optimum heat insulation, roof elements can be sandwiched with
Adding some color
a polyurethane core and attached to the roof beams. The hard
to your roof
foam system Elastopor
atka Kunststoffverarbeitung Plc. of Lohne, Germany, has developed
a new green-roof technique in collaboration with
ELASTOGRAN. This system is for flat and steep roofs, with a
synthetic material underlay for plants to grown on. Traditionally,
plants grow directly on the roof cladding, but atka has developed
a different approach. Various types of plants can be sown on a
mineral substrate, which forms a culture medium that stays
green all year. This is especially suitable for low-growing plants
like moss, sedum and herbs, that cope well with frost, dryness
® Oh, how green is my roof! And in the front parlor, the insulation material
Elastopor
H guarantees high insulation combined
with low weight.
Insulation elements with flexible, diffusion-promoting coatings
can be used on steep and flat roofs as well as areas subject to
heavy load. Green roofs with a polyurethane underlay are perfect
as the combination of materials really enhances heat and cold
insulation and helps with energy savings. Dust and harmful
chemicals are bound, sound is dampened and electro-smog
avoided, leading to a lasting improvement in room air condition.
For industrial buildings, warehouses or milking plants, green
roofs ensure balanced air conditions all year round.
® ensures a comfortable climate.
The future’s
green

Applications 32
A smoother ride for cyclists
Cellasto ® springs cope with even the toughest tracks
Anew, high-tech suspension
designed just for
bikes has been developed by
Elastogran. Cellasto ® (made from microcellular
polyurethane) has been used to
produce suspension springs that are
suitable for free riders, cross-country
professionals and downhill bikers.
The suspension element SSD-210 has
been developed in collaboration with DT
Swiss Biel/Switzerland, one of the
biggest international manufacturers of
high-end bicycle spokes and hubs. The
spring system is a precision product and
also one of the lightest on the market
and as a result came out top in a comparative
test by biking magazine Mountainbike.
The perfect
choice
There are many other benefits too. The DT
Swiss shock absorber is a pneumatic
cylinder, combined with a Cellasto ® negative
spring. This is an ideal combination, as
other
types of air
springs have a high failure risk.
The characteristic curve important for professionals
is very similar to a steel spring,
but much lighter. When the shock
absorber is compressed during riding, the
partition shifts against a second Cellasto ®
spring and increases air volume. As a
result, pressure’s reduced and the characteristic
curve progression flattens out. This
means even suspension for the cyclist,
and no unpleasant or painful jolts whenever
they have to push harder on the pedals.
The polyurethane elastomers in the
shock absorber are highly elastic
and can be precisely tuned to the
cyclist and type of bicycle. They’re also
abrasion resistant, fail-safe, service-free
and extremely durable. So, Cellasto’s ideal
for cycling enthusiasts who don’t want the
hassle of steel springs but still want sensitive
suspension to get them there safely.
Cellasto ®
Cellasto ® shock absorber
element – the facts
Material: Cellasto ® – microcellular
polyurethane elastomers
Use: Suspension element for
mountain bikes
Properties: Volume compressible,
absorbs noise and
vibration, high dynamic
resilience, abrasion
resistant
Damping elements made of BASF’s
Cellasto ® can be found in DT Swiss shock
absorbers.

Something new
on the Western front
BASF acquires the American polyurethane foam manufacturer Foam Enterprises
33
Since March 2004, the BASF family has had a new member,
the American company Foam Enterprises, Inc., a
manufacturer of rigid polyurethane foams used, among
other things, for roof and wall insulation, walk-in freezers, sanitary
applications and boat building. The company had sales of approximately
U.S. $80 million in 2003. BASF is also a manufacturer of
rigid polyurethane foam systems. “This acquisition reflects BASF’s
global strategy to strengthen its network of Polyurethane System
houses to offer tailor-made solutions for our customers worldwide,”
explains Bill Bernstein, head of BASF’s polyurethane business in
North America.
Dennis Holbert, founder and president of FEI, will continue to head
the company. FEI employs a total of 80 people at the company
headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota and at its research and
production operations in Houston, Texas. Holbert is confident that
the two companies are a very good match. “When we founded
Foam Enterprises back in 1977, our goal was to be the best in our
field. Over the past 27 years, we have acquired a great deal of
knowledge in rigid foam development and applications technology.
Now we are taking another giant step towards that goal. As part of
BASF, we are bringing our unique capabilities to the business. We
see the coming challenges as opportunities and are looking forward
to our future together with BASF.”
“Customers will benefit from this acquisition because BASF and
FEI will learn a great deal from each other and share the practices
in areas such as technology development, product quality, supply
consistency, research, global support, and customers and technical
service”, sad Bernstein. “By teaming up, we will be able to
bring optimal material solutions that meet the specific needs of our
customers.”
Both BASF and FEI will continue to supply their own customers
with individualized polyurethane systems. BASF, in turn, will supply
many of the polyurethane raw materials that FEI uses to develop
tailor-made solutions for its customers.
For additional information, please contact:
David A. Elliott
Corporate Communications
BASF Corporation
Phone: +1 734 324-6148
E-mail: elliotd1@basf.com
Markets and Products

Applications 34
Always worth giving in to temptation
Ice-cold fresh pleasure from Coppenrath & Wiese
”
Anyone who decides to give in to
the temptation of cake or pastry
is going to do it right – with
whipped cream,” reveals Udo Voss, market
researcher at the Coppenrath & Wiese
company. The triumphant march of frozen
cake over the last quarter of a century is
unstoppable. Alois Coppenrath traveled to
major cities in Germany and each time, he
went to the best address in town and
ordered a Black Forest cherry cake,
cheesecake or some kind of chocolate
cake. He found, however, that there were
no standards for “the mother of all baked
goods”. In a bold move, he and his cousin
Josef Wiese from Mettingen in Westphalia
got to work and created the cake that
today is the talk of the town as Black forest
cherry cake – for the freezer. Every day,
80,000 liters of whipped cream and 80
tons of apples are processed in the pastry
”
Please fasten your seat belts and
raise your seatbacks to the
upright position. We will be landing
at the airport within a few minutes. We
hope that you have had a pleasant flight
and wish you an enjoyable stay in New
York.” While this is the final destination for
this group of passengers, the plane will
soon take off again with new passengers to
far-flung regions of the globe. In order to
ensure that the airplane seats can withstand
all this stress and remain comfortable
for years on end, they have to be durable
and resilient. JSO group, with its companies
CELSO, a foam convecter, and PMV Indus-
Germany’s favorite bakers: Josef Wiese and
Aloys Coppenrath.
shop. And as the “icing on the cake”, there
are oranges from Spain, nuts from
California, cherries from Italy, marzipan
from Lübeck and, of course, distilled
“Kirsch” spirits from the Black Forest.
From the seed of an idea
to the recipe for success
High quality standards are a given: when the
pastries leave the oven, they are shock-
A foam that flies all over the world
trie, a seat manufacturer, is well aware of
this and has chosen a composite system
consisting of Basotect ® – a melamine resin
foam made by BASF – and a standard
foam for its seat cushions. The reason
behind its decision is that the properties of
this combination surpass those of the standard
foams that have been used so far in
airplane interiors – also when it comes to its
fire behavior. The real beauty here is that
the use of Basotect ® makes the seat cushions
50 per cent lighter in weight. This
translates into lower fuel consumption and,
thus, cost savings for the airlines. Of course,
what makes airplanes weigh less can also
frozen right away in an ice
storm at a temperature of
minus 48°C [minus 54.4°F].
The advantage of this process is that neither
flavor nor valuable ingredients are lost. A
total of 27,000 cakes are stored at minus
21°C [minus 5.8°F] in one of the world’s
most modern freezers. Such a volume
leaves the warehouse every two weeks. The
cakes are protected by sturdy Styropor ®
packaging. This impact-resistant and coldretaining
Styropor ® packaging ensures that
the cakes will survive the trip all the way
home unharmed, and it also prevents undesired
thawing for up to four hours. In addition
to its outstanding heat-insulation capacity
and impact-resistance, BASF’s Styropor ®
combines other properties such as pressureresistance,
low weight and low sensitivity to
moisture – all aspects of crucial relevance
when it comes to keeping frozen foods fresh.
Be it en route to Singapore, New York, Sidney or Paris – Basotect ® is always on board
Flying is lighter with Basotect ® seats.
be transferred to other sectors. For
instance, the trucks, cars, buses and trains
we see crisscrossing the country could likewise
soon be fitted with the new seats.
Your contact:
Werner Lenz, Phone: +49 621 60-42379

Newsflash
Polystyrene Specialty
to Spartech
BASF sells its specialty polystyrene
business - which includes compounds
of flame retardant and antistatic
polystyrene specialty products - to
Spartech Polycom SAS, a subsidiary of
Spartech Corporation and a leading
producer of polymer compounds with
production facilities in the U.S., Mexico
and France. The deal took effect on
April 15, 2004. Annual sales of the
business amount to approximately
9 million euros in Europe for 2003.
The production of polystyrene compounds
will be transferred to Spartech’s
production plant in Donchery, France.
BASF will close its polystyrene compounds
production in Ludwigshafen, as
announced in October 2003.
These polystyrene compounds add to
Spartech’s product range of compounded
polystyrene and polyolefins.
Yes, I want to win.
Please send me more
Informations on
Ultramid ® BS 416 N
Ultramid ®
35
Newsflash
Joint Venture for
PBT Production
BASF Aktiengesellschaft and Toray
Industries Inc. of Tokyo, Japan have
announced the founding of a 50:50
joint venture for the production of
polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). The
joint venture will supply the growth
market of Asia with this engineering
plastic.
The newly founded company, Toray
BASF PBT Resin Sdn. Bhd., is going
to set up a world-scale plant for PBT
basic polymer with an annual capacity
of 60,000 metric tons at BASF’s
integrated network site in Kuantan,
Malaysia. Construction of the plant will
start in the middle of the year and the
start-up is planned for the beginning
of 2006.
Both companies will market the PBT
produced in the new plant separately
under their own brand names (BASF:
Ultradur ® ; Toray: Toraycon ® ).
Fax reply to the editorial staff
Terlux ® in Medical Technology
Luran ® S
Ecoflex ®
Colorflexx ®
Ultradur ®
Ultraform ®
® = reg. Trademark of BASF Aktiengesellschaft
Elastollan ®
Elastopor ®
Cellasto ®
® = reg. Trademark of Elastogran GmbH
Name
Company
Road
Town/post code
Telephone
Fax
Editor
plastics
Editorial Team:
Waldemar Oldenburger, BASF Aktien-
gesellschaft (responsible)
Sarah Kittner, KS/KC
David A. Elliott/BASF Corporation/USA
Wim Peters/BASF Nederland
Natsuko Yamada/BASF Japan
Chris Wilson/BASF UK
Gerald Teo/BASF South East Asia
Dr. Sylvia Kaufmann/Elastogran
Editorial Adress:
BASF Aktiengesellschaft
KS/KC – E 100
67056 Ludwigshafen
Phone: +49 621 60-46910
Fax: +49 621 60-49497
Distribution:
BASF Aktiengesellschaft
Layout:
Spektrum, Ludwigshafen
BASF Aktiengesellschaft
„plastics“ editorial office
KS/KC – E 100
Fax: +49 621 60-49497
Fax
plastics

Design works.
Terlux ® . That’s for sure.
Terlux ® – BASF’s transparent ABS – is the essential material for
sophisticated design and high quality. Terlux ® has transparent, pastel
and sparkle colors which easily meet every requirement for flowability,
surface quality and chemicals resistance – the vital factor in casings
for electrical or electronic equipment. At consistently high quality –
of course. Take a look at:
www.terlux.com
Terlux ®
BASF Plastics
key to your success
You can find more information at our Infopoint: Phone: +49-6 21-60-4 14 46 Fax: +49-6 21-60-4 94 97
® = registered trademark of BASF Aktiengesellschaft