Friedrichshafen, Germany — BASF SE's Ultramid Expand nylon resins are allowing customers to expand their ideas.
The resins can be used to make particle foam offering high dimensional stability. It can be used in electric vehicle batteries as well as in crash tests, research engineer Daniela Longo-Schedel said at the Fakuma 2023 trade show, Oct. 17-21 in Friedrichshafen.
"The material was specifically developed for these applications," Longo-Schedel said. In impact testing, the foam is placed between two layers of steel.
Longo-Schedel added the foam can be used in overmolding applications. BASF's history with foam materials dates back more than 70 years, to when the firm began making foam based on Styropor-brand expanded polystyrene.
BASF also had a range of sustainable materials on display at Fakuma. Officials with BASF in Ludwigshafen, Germany, said their new materials "are striving to reduce plastic waste, conserve raw materials and maximize the potential of materials during use."
E-mobility applications BASF featured at Fakuma included charging solutions, high-voltage connectors and bus bar holders. In focus as well were battery components that meet high-performance and safety standards during normal use but also in the case of damage or accidents.
Several grades of Ultramid-brand nylon help meet these goals, officials said. Ultramid Advanced is a metal replacement that provides color matching and constant mechanics at continuous use temperatures. The materials also that enhance the robustness, long-term performance and reliability in harsh conditions of colored, flame-retardant parts such as orange for EVs or white for appliances.
In October, BASF launched PACIFIC, which officials described as an innovative app to exchange product carbon footprint (PCF) data. PACIFIC provides PCF data of BASF products across the entire value chain.
BASF makes a wide range of specialty plastics and chemicals. Globally, BASF employs more than 110,000 and had 2021 sales of more than $91 billion.