PURCustomer Magazine · Edi t ion 1.2012 · No. 22G

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Cozier. The first polyurethane passive house.

Classier. Elastolit add-on parts for high-speed icons.

Lighter. A barefoot feeling in Sockwa shoes.

Cooler. coolpure 1.0 – the new concept fridge.

Further information: Oliver Mühren, Special Elastomers (Elastollan ®), Phone: +49 5443 12 - 2573, e-mail: oliver.muehren@basf.com, www.pu.basf.eu

Without sound protection for cables, plugs and connections, costly failures are inevitable. Elastollan ®, the multifunctional TPU from BASF Polyurethanes, delivers all-round protection in applications where absolute reliability is essential: in cars, industry, medical technology, power plants and households. Providing safety and security in sensitive areas as well. Because at BASF, we create chemistry.

cables love all-round protection

TPU cable sheathing –something you can count on.

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Raimar Jahn, President of BASF Polyurethanes.

Dear Readers,

Innovation is the name of our game, thus contributing to the success of our cus-tomers. And we do this by intelligently applying the tools of our trade: polyurethanes, passion and the proficiency of our researchers and developers.

A highly fruitful example of this approach typical of BASF Polyurethanes’ employees and certain to be one of the highlights at the upcoming UTECH in Maastricht is the cover story of this new issue of the Global PUR Magazine. coolpure 1.0, our new concept refrigerator, demonstrates both futuristically and realistically how to combine new formal languages with polyurethane, cut energy input, produce sustainably, reconcile economy with ecology, obtain the optimum of insulation and cooling and – the bottom line – how to combine modern design with high efficiency.

Today, so much is already possible with these incredibly versatile polyurethane ma-terials. This issue explains, among other things, how to further improve a Ferrari’s road-holding properties, how a passive house in Brussels achieves sensational insu-lation and energy-efficiency values, how an airport runway projects out into the sea, and how to run barefoot in novel shoes. It’s simply astonishing how much potential and quality of life can be found in polyurethane.

We hope that you enjoy your read of the new Global PUR Magazine. And of course that you make a few exciting discoveries along the way.

Enjoy the new Global PUR!

Raimar Jahn and the Global PUR Editorial Team

“We’re only satisfiedwhen our customers are satisfied.”

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Stylish. PU add-on parts on super sports car.

Superlight. Polyurethane solutions for the auto.

Intelligent. The PU instrument panel for Korean commercial vehicles.

Superfast. Just 130 s for an add-on part for the John Deere tractor.

Spectacular. The new coolpure 1.0 concept fridge.

Light-footed. Sockwa running shoes from China.

Sustainable. Protecting the shoreline with Elastocoast ® in Malaysia.

Relaxing. US gel foam for mattresses.

News in brief from all over the world, people and positions, data, facts and figures.

6 – 9

10 – 13

16 – 17

18 – 19

20 – 21

22– 27

28 – 29

30 – 31

32 – 33

Contents

Global News

Automotive

New Products & Markets

Footwear

Coastal Protection

Consumer Products

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34 – 37

40 – 41

42 – 43

44 – 45

46 – 47

14 – 15

38 – 39

Energy-efficient. The polyurethane passive house in Brussels.

Seaworthy. The new runway of Tokyo Haneda Airport. Ideal. Historic house renovation with COMFORT FOAM ®.

Successful. Elastopave ® market launch in Brazil.

Surprising. How trash becomes art.

Historic. Lightweight classic in automotive engineering.

Snowbound. How to survive in an igloo.

Construction

Features

Publisher: BASF Coordination Center Comm. V. Drève Richelle 161 E/F 1410 Waterloo, Belgium www.pu.basf.eu

Editor and project manager: Dr Sylvia Kaufmann, Phone: +49 5443 12 2238, e-mail: sylvia.kaufmann@basf.com

Contributors: Asia: Yan Ng, e-mail: yan.ng@basf.com Brazil: Thiago 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 Coatings, BASF SE, BASF Polyurethanes GmbH, Dreamstime, Fotolia, Fotosearch, Getty Images, iStockphoto LP, Latady Design, Photos.com, Shutterstock, STR Automotive, SuperLimão Studio, 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

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Global News

Raimar Jahn new head of Polyurethanes Division at BASF.

Raimar Jahn (53), formerly head of BASF’s Coatings Divi -sion in Münster, Germany, has become the new president of the Polyurethanes division headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, with the beginning of March 2012. He has succeed-ed Wayne T. Smith who has been appointed to the Board of Executive Directors of BASF at the end of the annual meeting on April 27, 2012.

Raimar Jahn was born in Mainz and has joined BASF in 1985, working at various sites all over the world.

www.basf.com/group/pressrelease/P-11-543

Getzner and BASF Polyurethanes celebrate 50,000 tonnes of PU.

The exceptionally close business ties between Getzner and BASF Polyurethanes go back 32 years. Represen-tatives of the two companies have now met to drink a toast in celebration of the 50,000th tonne of PU from Lemförde. The versatile PU system components are used in projects in the fields of vibration isolation and damping. With unbroken success, as the tonnage shows.

Good vibrations.

Dr Raimar Jahn.

Greater comfort and safety for our customers in Asia.

October 11, 2011 – Cellasto production gets underway in Shanghai.

At the new Shanghai site, BASF produces Cellasto ® spring aids and top mounts made of microcellular polyurethane for the Asia-Pacific automotive market. Fully supported by local production, BASF’s development and key account teams attach great importance to enhanced comfort and safety for their customers. The new site is now the second-largest production facility for Cellasto in Asia-Pacific. With this new platform in Shanghai, BASF can react quickly and flexibly to increasing market demand and even dou ble capacity in the region within a few months. This increases the number of sites belonging to BASF’s service and pro-duction network to six worldwide.

Personnel changes at BASF Polyurethanes.

Dr Melanie Maas-Brunner (3rd from the left), Wayne T. Smith (4th from the left), Dr Uwe Hartwig (3rd from the right) and the Cellasto Team Shanghai.

The Getzner Team and BASF Polyurethanes people.

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The “We create chemistry” world tour got underway in Mannheim in January.

In 20 pavilions, BASF experts presented its latest develop-ments from such diverse sectors as wind and solar energy, clean water, electric drives and biodegradable plastics. The overriding purpose of the exhibition for BASF employees worldwide is to demonstrate the prominence of sustain-ability and innovation in the further-developed BASF stra t-egy while also highlighting new strategies for countering global challenges. The presentations focus on the themes of “resources, environment, climate”, “food and nutri tion” and “quality of life”. Three pavilions are devoted to the latest polyurethane applications. Among them is Elasto-pave®, a novel hard surface for paths and open spaces (on this there’s a current commercial and also the news item “For the Future of Our Cities”), the pure 1.2 balance con-cept shoe based on sustainable PU solutions, and an inter-disciplinary presentation of the research depart ment for “Advanced Materials and Systems” about trendsetting in -sulation materials.

After the successful kick-off event in Mannheim, the mar-ketplace of innovations embarked on its journey around the world. The next stops will be in Detroit, New Jersey, São Paulo, Shanghai, Brussels, Mumbai, Tokyo und Seoul. Incidentally, you can also explore the virtual mar-ketplace on the Internet: www.basf.com/group/corporate/chemistryworldtour/en

A fascinating market- place of innovations.

The new Elastopave commercial on the Internet impres-sively shows the diversity possible today in the design of paths, roads and plazas.

In just three minutes you’re in the picture. What the new Elastopave commercial achieves in this short space of time is truly impressive. You abandon the drab monotony of today’s towns in favor of diversity and color for a new sense of urban living. This is the message that the commercial gets across from many interesting viewpoints. It reminds us yet again of boundless possibilities of polyurethane as a universal material – even when it comes to upgrading our urban environment. Just click www.pu.basf.eu and take a step into our urban future.

A step into our urban future.

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Global News

Take your seat, Mr Bond.

From design icons to movie stars – world-famous Interstuhl chairs with Elastoflex ® W flexible foam systems from BASF Polyurethanes are now bringing their elegance to the silver screen.

James Bond films have become a byword for style and panache. So it’s hardly surprising that several Silver chairs from Interstuhl have made their way into “Quantum of Solace”, a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures /Columbia Pic- tures pro d uction. From the flamboyant sets of “Dr No” and “Goldfinger” 45 years ago through to “Casino Royale”, the Bond movies have always presented the very latest in contemporary quality interior design. And “Quantum of Solace” is continuing the tradition. The iconic chairs of the Silver series with their flexible PU moulded foams are real

eye-catchers in the movie. This exclusive, out-of-the-ordinary chair and furni-ture series has already claimed a huge haul of design awards for the master of stylish seating. As the brainchild of Hadi Teherani, they exhibit on the screen the elegance for which Interstuhl is renowned worldwide.

Further information: www.silver-chair.netwww.interstuhl.com

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Tokyo’s new landmark beats (almost) all records.

The Tokyo Sky Tree is a broadcasting tower of the superla-tives – naturally accommodating a restaurant and an obser-vatory at dizzy heights. Scheduled for completion this year, it has been steadily advancing toward its final astonishing 634 meters, making this Japanese giant the world’s tallest broadcasting tower. During construction and finishing on its skyward path, Foamlite ®, the PU foam for insulation appli-cations, is being employed. Foamlite has all the credentials for successful use on building structures: It ensures easy, straightforward application, adheres firmly to different sub-strates, has high insulation values and, last but not least, prevents condensation and the associated development of mould.

Foamlite is in fact being used for the insulation of the inner walls of the viewing platforms – at commanding heights of 350 and 450 meters.

Foamlite thus contributes not only to an outstanding interi-or climate at lofty heights, but also to an unobstructed and incredibly spectacular view of Tokyo.

Further information: www.tokyo-skytree.jp/english/design

Foamlite achieves new heights.

3 iPads for 3 lucky participants.

There was a big response to the Global PUR Magazine 2/2011 prize draw. As you will recall, we wanted to know what you like about the BASF Polyurethanes magazine and which subjects particularly interest you. In return for your answers, we were giving away special prizes in the form of 3 current iPads for 3 participants drawn out of a hat. And the winners are: Dan McConnell, Tempur-Pedic Int., USA; Dr Georgieva Denitsa, Technopanel, Bulgaria, Udo Lemke, Dagro Eissmann Automotive, Germany. In the end, more than 800 people took part – a big thank-you from the Editorial Board! We’ll be staying on the ball and hopefully surprising you soon with a new competition. By the way, you can read the next Global PUR Magazine on your iPad – as an app.

And the winners are ...

3 iPads for 3 lucky participants.

There was a big response to the Global PUR Magazine 2/2011 prize draw. As you will recall, we wanted to know what you like about the BASF Polyurethanes magazine and which subjects particularly interest you. In return for your answers, we were giving away special prizes in the form of 3 current iPads for 3 participants drawn out of a hat. And the winners are: Dan McConnell, Tempur-Pedic Int., USA; Dr Georgieva Denitsa, Technopanel, Bulgaria, Udo Lemke, Dagro Eissmann Automotive, Germany. In the end, more than 800 people took part – a big thank-you from the Editorial Board! We’ll be staying on the ball and hopefully surprising you soon with a new competition. By the way, you can read the next Global PUR Magazine on your iPad – as an app.

And the winners are ...

STR Automotive is a young, highly specialised company that pro-duces exterior trim for the auto-motive industry. With its latest polyurethane venture, the special-ists in Villa Fastiggi in Italy have

now landed some new prestigious cus tomers. The Alfa Romeo 8C, Maserati MC Stradale or the Ferrari FF, a pinnacle of high-speed motoring, that has not one but several exterior parts made of the PU material Elastolit® R8, a HS RRIM system. The abbreviation stands for High-Speed Reinforced Reaction Injection Moulding. STR specialises in high-grade exterior PU parts for car models built in medium to small numbers. It produces bumpers, side stripes, rocker panels, aerodynamic features

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High-speed system for a high-speed dream.The new Elastolit R8 PU system adds to the exclusivity of even a much coveted sports car.

Dr Massimo Cecchini, Managing Director STR Automotive.

AutomotiveLightweight Construction

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High-speed system for a high-speed dream.and other parts as well as multi-component, prefabricated parts such as bumpers with integrated metal grids, parking sensors and complex logos.

Bumpers, side stripes, rocker panels and much more besides – PU has well and truly arrived in the luxury car bracket.

Dr Massimo Cecchini, Managing Director, stresses the innovative, almost experimental character of certain appli-cations: “It’s our aim to show what we can do with PU.”

With all of the PU systems employed, the focus is clearly on quality and appearance, as the exterior parts STR pro-duces contribute greatly to the car’s aesthetics. And this is where Elastolit made by BASF really reveals its strengths. The microcellular, almost solid material creates exterior parts with a flawless, easy to varnish surface, that is also extremely hard-wearing and highly impact-resistant. STR trusts implicitly in the advantages of PU. Or, as Massimo Cecchini puts it, outlining the company philosophy: “We want not only to cooperate closely with our customers, but also understand beforehand what each of them needs.”

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Sure, the sound of the engine certainly is breathtaking. But you can’t help admiring the rocker panels and the front and rear skirts as well.

Sure, the sound of the engine certainly is breathtaking. But you can’t help admiring the rocker panels and the front and rear skirts as well.

The company started off with several Fiat models such as the Panda, Panda Sport and the Cinquecento. These were quickly joined by the likes of Alfa Romeo and Maserati. And now the new Elastolit system is being used on other high-speed sportsters such as Alfa, Maserati and the new Ferrari FF for the front and rear skirts and rocker panels. Even on outstanding brands, where the engine’s prodigious power traditionally takes center stage, the tailor-made material has proven equal to the various exterior applications. Coupled with the possibility of cutting weight, its exception-al mechanical properties alone speak volumes. Unlike injection moulding methods with thermoplastic materials, the PU RIM materials demonstrate excellent flow in the mould and thus offer a high degree of design freedom. For sports car designers, it’s a real bonus to be able to realize

even complex design ideas and obtain a high surface qual-ity for Class A paintwork.

To meet sports car’s high standards, component sup-pliers really have to put their foot down.

The advantages of the PU system reveal themselves par-ticularly on large-area parts, thin-walled structures and on small to medium-size production runs, because these are possible with simpler mould designs. Thanks to high econ-omy from short residence times in the aluminium moulds and short overall development times, PU truly is a high-speed system. For the new sports car job, STR developed and produced the moulds in only 12 weeks. After all, speed, reliability and quality are demanded long before a high-speed vehicle reaches the road.

Further information: www.str-automotive.com

AutomotiveLightweight Construction

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Exterior parts made of Elastolit add to the pleasure of driving.

Call our number: Giuseppe

Monaco, Sales and Technical

Service European Business

Unit Automotive, C.A.S.E. and

Specialties, Italy, + 39 0141 949 105

or send an e-mail to:

giuseppe.monaco@basf.com

STR – Facts:

Company founded: in 2002

Headquarters: Pesaro, Italy

Employees: 50

Sales: 13 million euros in 2011

RRIM – high speed for high quality:

BASF Polyurethanes’ Elastolit® RRIM materials have been successfully employed on exterior trim parts for several years now – preferably for small and special series. Elastolit is a microcellular, almost solid, fibre-reinforced material distin-guished by high-impact resistance, even in ex-treme cold. In the automotive sector, the finished parts are employed as front and rear skirts and rocker panels. The wall thicknesses of the fin-ished parts range from 2.5 to 3.5 mm.

For the RIM process, the polyol and isocyanate components are very briefly but thoroughly mixed under high pressure in the counterflow injection process and immediately start reacting. The low-viscosity reaction mix is injected in a closed pro-cess taking only a second – even for large-area parts. The finished component can be demoulded after only 30 seconds.

In view of this speed, it’s therefore no surprise that, with the successful Ferrari project under its belt, STR already has ideas for developing PU applications for co-moulding and back-foaming processes for both interior and exterior compo-nents. Thus, the PU parts can be produced in one shot together with soft coverings for interiors or combined with metal for exterior applications. The new process significantly reduces both pro-duction times and investments in tooling equip-ments, hence accelerating car production once again.

FeatureLeightweight Classics

In terms of cars and their weight, this statement isn’t wide of the mark. First of all, the Mini, Beetle, Golf GTI, A112 Abarth and the early Porsche 911, to name but a few of the well-known models of the latter half of the 20th century, were anything but sluggish.

People traveled lighter in the old days.

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But, more importantly, even if their technology was anti -quated from today’s point of view, they were much lighter than their 21st century descendants packed with electronics and useful gadgetry. And this raises a few weighty questions, if lightweight construction, cutting fuel consumption and conserving resources are major talking points today. What was different about car-making in the old days? And why did Beetles and cohorts travel lighter than today’s cars?

Let’s start simply with the VW Golf I GTI of 1976. It was powered by an impressive 110 hp engine and even had in-ternally ventilated disk brakes at the front. In addition, it had fender flares, a larger front spoiler, 175 / 70 HR 13 tires and a red-framed plastic grille. Accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.2 seconds, it achieved a top speed of 182 km / h. But truly telling from today’s point of view was its weight – only about 810 kilos compared to the whopping 1,400 kilos or so of today’s Golf, be it a GTI or standard model.

Less outside and inside spells less weight.

The second model in our weight-related retrospective is the Porsche 911. A legend of its time, and still a legend today. The epitome of sporty motoring, effortlessly clocking up 210 to 230 km / h in the seventies with a weight of only about 1,120 kilos. Today, a 911 Carrera dumps a good 1,500 kilos on the scales – depending on its equipment. At the same time, these models are now well on the way to the 300 km/h mark. No. 3 in our review is the Mini, back then an almost revolutionary and fancy compact car designed by Sir Alec Issigonis. This diminutive vehicle was launched in 1952 by the Brit-ish Motor Corporation. A revolution on wheels, it was really nippy in

its day with its 70 hp – the racing version providing even a good deal more. And, of course, it was equipped with nothing but essentials to yield a dead weight of only 650 kilos. Comparing it today with the weight of its successor, the latter lugs a good 400 kilos more around with it – or even more.

Today’s extras mean extra pounds.

Tasks that the driver used to perform himself or didn’t even exist years back are handled today by an incredible abun-dance of gadgets and assistants. These include ESP, ABS, ASR, enhanced crash safety, power steering, electric win-dows, parking sensors, air conditioning, heated seats, state-of-the-art music systems, electronic seat adjusters and other conveniences, to name but a few, that not even today’s most Spartan small car can do without. Very nice for the motorist, but also a huge extra dollop of mechanics, electrics and electronics and hence extra weight. The most effective remedy involves, logically, shedding pounds else-where. With materials that the car manufacturers of yore could only dream of. Super-light engines, transmissions and wheels. And of course interior equipment, trim and ex-

ternal components made of ma-terials capable of compensating for some of the extra weight intro-duced through improvements to comfort and safety. Especially if they have been developed with polyurethane composites from BASF. A realization, incidentally, that today finds expression in mil-lions of cars worldwide and thus contributes not only to greater comfort and safety, but also to weight reductions and savings in materials and cost.

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its experts are hard at work. With visible or invisible, but always highly effective im -provements. Let’s take the interior. With the Elastoskin ® spray skin for instrument

panels and interior door paneling and additional back foaming with the Elastoflex ® E PU flexible foam system, they create not only an upscale appearance, a pleasant touch and greater design freedom, but also significant weight reductions over conventional materials. The new IMC spray skin process with Elastoskin is about 20 percent lighter than established polyurethane skins and clearly has the edge over established technologies. Then there’s the new, height-reduced Elastoflex ® W comfort foams for relaxed sitting in cars, trucks and buses. Produced entirely to customer needs, they display high comfort and outstand-ing long-term service characteristics. And they save up to 15 percent weight.

The weight is over.

“Composites” is the magic word for enhanced speed, re-duced cost, greater simplicity and, above all, reduced weight. Over the last few years, the chemists and product developers at BASF Polyurethanes have developed materials

Dwindling resources, CO2 emissions, population growth and the associated growth in traffic worldwide are the 10 coming years. The European Union is thus calling on Euro- pean vehicle manufacturers to cut their average fleet emis-sions to 95 g CO2 / km by 2020, i.e. considerably less than the 143 g CO2 / km achieved by 2011. Spurred by this clear message, the experts will be applying all their know-how to ensure that less weight isn’t automatically translated into less power and less pleasure behind the wheel. If one looks around in the industry today, much that seemed a pipe dream only a decade ago has already become reality. In the vanguard are the product developers of BASF Polyurethanes, who have set their sights on cutting automotive weight with a whole battery of “dietary” regimes.

Pound for pound superior products.

Sometimes it’s the little things that achieve remarkable re -sults. In the case of BASF Polyurethanes, this means that wherever weight reductions are possible with PU technology,

Weight-reduced shelves, instrument panels, interior door panel-ing and exterior add-on parts made of PU materials are just a few examples of how BASF helps vehicles to shed pounds.

AutomotiveComposite Materials

Light years ahead.

“Composites” is the magic word for enhanced speed, reduced cost, greater simplicity and, above all, reduced weight.

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with truly huge potential. Lightweight sandwich structures, for instance, in which a honeycomb or a foam core is com-bined with cover layer reinforced with long fibers or contin-uous rovings, sprayed with polyurethane and then pressed. These superlight components are used for bedliners, rear parcel shelves, sunroofs and spare wheel covers. Long-fiber-reinforced composites made of polyurethane foams com-bined with thermoplastic films are currently produced with LFI (Long Fiber Injection) technology and are employed on engine hoods, front grilles for commercial vehicles and roof modules. Used primarily in lightweight composite structures, these PU solutions display excellent mechanical properties and high rigidity and temperature stability.

The next leap forward in weight reduction in the automotive industry will be made possible above all by new plastics applications on the body and chassis. The standards ex -pec ted of material performance will thus be raised to a hitherto unprecedented level. A new processing technology crucial for these lightweight construction materials is Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM), a pressing and moulding process for large, complex composite components with outstand-ing fiber composite properties. In future vehicle genera-tions, such processes are to increasingly replace metals in high-strength structural parts. And for this, PU will again be contributing a highly promising weight reduction “diet”.

Call our number: Andreas Wolf,

European Segment Leader Exterior/

Composites - European Business

Unit Automotive, + 49 5443 12 2488

or send an e-mail to:

andreas.wolf@basf.com

Light years ahead.

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If it works in cars, why not in buses and other commercial vehicles as well?

The problem faced by Hyundai and KIA was that the instrument panels in their buses were made of fiber-rein-

forced plastics, or FRPs. Such materials are associated with a host of major drawbacks such as low productivity, high weight and unsystematic processes due to manual produc-tion. A significant improvement in quality was therefore

A huge boost to qualitywith 60 percent less weight.

AutomotiveCommercial Vehicles

In 2010, BASF Company Ltd. started supplying an aromatic PU spray skin system for the production of instrument panels in Hyundai and Kia luxury buses. This is the first time worldwide that this technology has been used indus-trially for an application in commercial vehicles. A pioneering decision, as it turned out, in favor of appreciable weight reductions and quality enhancement for the interior trim of buses and trucks in Korea.

Elastoskin is anything but standard.

This spray skin known as Elastoskin ® is widely known for its classy appearance. In terms of its feel – its touch and pressure response – it satisfies the most exacting require-ments. In addition to high aging resistance, Elastoskin displays vast design freedom that ensures high-precision contour replication. Also possible are dual colors, a matt surface and the integration of extra components in the spray process.

Another positive feature is its soft touch created by addition-al back-foaming with the Elastoflex® E PU flexible foam system. The outcome is a trouble-free all-round package for advanced automotive interior design.

With its aromatic PU spray skin system for driver’s cabs in commercial vehicles, BASF Company Ltd. in Korea has taken a huge step forward toward an exquisite touch, a luxurious look, reduced weight and superior quality.

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called for – as had already been achieved since 2002 in the car divisions of the two companies. So BASF proposed an instrument panel with a triple-layer structure comprising the aromatic spray skin, PU back-foaming system and an LFI-PU substrate. This represented a totally new strategy for an all-PU product. But one with a future, as BASF Company Ltd. soon discovered. Because along with the already mentioned advantages such as exquisite feel, reduced weight, luxurious look and significant overall qual-ity enhancement, the company also noted a reduction in

carbon emissions in the course of production. All in all, this array of benefits points to a successful future for the PU spray skin – and also provides an alternativeto PVC, TPO andTPU.

Further information: www.kia.com

Call our number: MinSeok - James

Chang, ASK / KUMA & KUMD -

Automotive & Application Tech -

no logy Center, South Korea,

+ 82 42 865 2842 or send an e-mail

to: minseok.chang@basf.com

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As of autumn 2011, ako Kunststoffe, Alfred Kolb GmbH, Sinsheim-Hoffenheim, is launch-ing the production of A- and C-pillar covers for one of John Deere’s mighty machinery, the 6R. Their tractors are used above all for tough everyday assignments in farming and agricultural engineering. “The performance

requirements of the customers and ever rising demands on quality can only be met when working together with reliable partners such as ako, KraussMaffei and BASF,” states Elmar Schlecher, Supervisor Enterprise Supply Management Region II, John Deere. To realize the ambitious goals for this series, ako has purchased a brand-new SkinForm ® line, which has been in operation since December 2010.

AutomotiveTractors, Commercial Vehicles

With Elastoskin and immaculate overmoulding technology, ako Kunststoffe produces high- qua lity pillar covers for John Deere tractors.

Cast in the same mould.

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Plant Manager and Technical Manager Thomas Menke: “In agricultural machinery, there’s also a trend toward higher-grade surfaces in the interior. With the PU surface, we achieve a first-rate, leather-like appearance. It was our goal to produce a high-quality, soft-touch surface in tractor inte-riors, which is also hard-wearing and equal to the exacting requirements of farming and agricultural engineering.” And Harald Müller, Key Account Manager for John Deere at ako, adds: “To realize the component’s complex geometry, it was necessary to introduce a new process that gives us the required design freedom. To rule out the risk of teething problems, we’re glad to have single-sourced everything from BASF.”

130 seconds for a complete component – it looks like magic.

The trick in this case is PU overmoulding for tractor compo-nents – though it conforms entirely to the principles of engi-neering. Firstly, there’s the substrate Terluran (ABS) and an aromatic PU from BASF Polyurethanes known as Elastoskin ®. And then there’s the combined process on a line that brings the injection moulding and PU overmoulding together. The result is impressive, in its look and feel. Because with this SkinForm process (based on an idea from KraussMaffei), you achieve impeccable, high-grade PU surfaces on injection-moulded substrates in a single cycle. With visual and tactile properties absolutely comparable to those of leather in a process taking a miraculous 130 seconds.

For efficient, quick and reliable substrate production, there’s no alternative today to the SkinForm process with Elastoskin.

“This is the first project for ako with PU,” Thomas Menke explains. But the many advantages of this process are already obvious. These include its exceptional visual quality, soft touch, excellent grain replication resembling that of leather,

high design freedom, aging resistance, extreme scratch re sis tance, low cost (aromatic PU is comparatively inex-pensive), the trouble-free masking of flaws in the injection moulding with PU, the extreme short process times (60 sec onds each for injection moulding and PU overmould-ing, in clu ding the application of release agent, removal and stamp ing) with demoulding taking only 40 seconds, and, thanks to PU’s extremely good flow properties, the possi-bility of producing components with large surfaces.

So it’s highly likely that John Deere tractors will soon be impressing users not only with their power, but also with the “magic” of their interior surfaces.

Call our number: Wiebke Speckels,

Sales seating / Exterior Germany,

+ 49 5443 12 4258 or send an

e-mail to: wiebke.speckels@basf.com

Left: High-precision support parts for the pillar trim in the John Deere tractor. Bottom left: Plant Manager and Technical Manager Thomas Menke with a support part.

With visual and tactile properties absolutely comparable to those of leather in a process taking a miraculous 130 seconds.

ako – Facts:

Company: founded in 1956, family-run, 100 employees,

continuous modernization process, new machine shop,

new moulding department, new high-bay warehouse

Customers: commercial vehicle industry

Products: injection-moulded water-carrying parts, garden

furniture, domestic appliances

Further information: www.ako-kolb.de

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New Products & MarketsConcept Fridge

10 steps ...

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... to the fridge of the future.

... to the fridge of the future.

The new coolpure 1.0 concept refrigerator from BASF Polyurethanes demonstrates:

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What the fridge of the future has in store for us.

Beautiful finishes with Permaskin compounds. Compounds for the production of white, through-

colored films based on TPU for the finishing of three-dimensional components. They protect surfaces and are suitable for a variety of substrates such as wood, metal and plastic – and also PU rigid foam. They can be applied in outstanding quality to different surface textures and

geometries as well. Even complicated contours like those of undercuts, drawer handles and pulls are possible. It is also possible to effortlessly back-print these transparent films with wood-grain or technical finishes. In addition, they display outstanding durability. The solvent-free pro-duction process generates only minimal set-up costs and comprises just a few steps. On the new coolpure 1.0, both the exterior and interior surfaces, including the bottle rack, are coated with Permaskin ®. This offers designers the chance to develop new, high-value formal languages.

Low-energy, soft light with a flexible optical waveguide made of Elastollan.

The interior lighting and the external light strip (ambient light) have been realized with a flexible optical waveguide made of Elastollan ®. The use of special aliphatic isocya-nates yields crystal-clear products that dim the light only minimally. Thanks to its flexibility, Elastollan offers far grea -t er design freedom in terms of form and color than other materials and adapts with ease to any contour. By printing reflector areas (inkjet) or by texturing the surface, it is pos-sible to achieve controlled light effects.

Optimized insulation with VIP fixation Balindur.With refrigerators and freezers having to meet

rising standards of energy efficiency, they need ever-better insulation. This is where vacuum-insulated panels (VIPs) represent an exciting solution. However, their application with adhesive tape – the conventional method – is any thing but ideal; until now it has only been possible to apply VIPs manually to level surfaces. Balindur™ is a novel, highly innovative solution to this problem, as the PU foam for fixing the panels is not only adhesive, but also compensates for

The fascinating thing about the new refrigerator concept from BASF Polyurethanes is that it does much more than just refrigerate. coolpure 1.0 from BASF is a de mon s tration of creativity and technical ingenuity in exploiting the in -credible versatility of polyurethane – thus opening up new possibilities in terms of materials and design. For the fridge of the future.

coolpure 1.0 is the concept for the fridge of the future.

coolpure 1.0 opens up totally new fields of application for poly urethane in the refrigerator sector, where the em phasis until now has been mainly on insulation. These fields are joined by spectacular ideas for totally new design and a visionary slant on production. coolpure 1.0 is a unique blend of innovative materials and functionality with modern de sign, a futuristic formal language and the use of sustain-able materials. Our objective is just as clear-cut as our strategy: Rather than produce refrigerators itself, BASF aims to de monstrate with cutting-edge designs all that is possible with PU as a material. Transcending the bounds of pure ins u lation, it is capable of inspiring refrigerator manu facturers to develop new approaches.

how to combine new design languages with high functionality how to exploit the diversity of PU for the household appliances of the future how to achieve sustainable production how to obtain the optimum of insulation and refrigeration

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New Products & MarketsConcept Fridge

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unevenness in the substrate. VIP panels can thus be at ­tached with ease to the side walls and particularly to the inliner of the fridge door. VIP fixation stops the VIP panels becoming visible on the outer wall and prevents delami­nation. What’s more, by positioning the VIPs on the in­liner, it is possible to improve the refrigerator’s or freezer’s energy efficiency by up to 4 percent. Balindur thus also facilitates greater design freedom and more flexible pro­duction processes.

Lower energy consumption thanks to VIPs with a PU core.

Thanks to its very low density and high compression resis­ tance, Elastopor ® H, an open­cell PU foam, is particularly suitable as the core material for VIPs. It can be produced in precisely contoured panel form and is easier to process than other basic material. The PU rigid foam is also simple to recycle – a genuine advantage and also a valuable con­tribution to the environmental and cost profile of VIPs.

Elastocool Advanced for higher productivity.A new generation of familiar PU rigid foam sys ­

tems – Elastocool ® Advanced achieves astonish ing re sults with its enhanced properties. Its thermal conductivity has been reduced yet again, which means an other cut in energy consumption. However, Elastocool Advanced shows its strengths mainly in production with a significant reduction in demoulding time. This boosts the capacity of the foaming line and adds to the flexibility of the produc­tion process. The system’s compression resis tance has been additionally enhanced, thus making it possible to reduce density and hence the input of material. This is further proof that costs can be cut with today’s PU systems.

Immaculate profiled seals made of Elastollan. BASF Polyurethanes produces thermoplastic po ­

ly urethanes with outstanding hydrolysis resistance and cold flexibility and resistance to microorganisms for the extrusion of profiles and seals. The profiles, which dispense with plasticizers, can be used in continuous seals and represent a genuine alternative to conventional materials.

Soft-touch TPU door handles with Elastollan. A very special material is extra­soft, aliphatic Elas­

tollan ®, a lightfast TPU with good flow that permits true­to­original surface replication. Highly light­ and colorfast, it displays an agreeable soft touch and renders additional coatings superfluous. It also shows impressive re sis tance to abrasion and scratches as well as to external aggression in an abundance of forms. The outcome is im pressive: a very high­grade surface, with an ideal combination of high functionality and exceptional design scope. From now on it will be possible to create an own unique and unmistakable surface touch for each appliance.

High-transparency shelves made of Elastollan.Shelves made of thermoplastic polyether polyure­

thane are distinguished by their excellent hydrolysis resis­tance and cold flexibility combined with high stiffness and resistance to microorganisms. In addition, they come with high transparency even in high wall thicknesses and an abrasion­ and scratch­resistant surface. And then there’s an extra optical effect, as the shelf lights up with light from rear­mounted LEDs, which is emitted at the cut surfaces.

Boundless scope for design with Elastofoam I for seat elements.

With both its flexible and elastic properties, Elastofoam ® I delivers remarkable sitting comfort. These properties can also be varied to suit the requirements of the applica­tion. The PU system has a pleasant feel and displays good skin formation while also being highly abrasion­resistant and long­lasting. Incidentally, thanks to its excellent flow, the system is also capable of replicating complex textures – high design freedom is thus always assured. Seating elements in virtually any shape and color transform a purely functional refrigerator into an impressive piece of furniture.

Crystal-clear advantages with Window Spray Technology.

Another remarkable feature can even be found in the lid of the freezer drawer: Window Spray Technology, also known by the name of COLO­FAST ® WST ®. A glass encapsula­tion material that has already become established with many manufacturers of glass panes and modules. The perfect system for pressure­less application on glass in the open mould – with an impressive flush finish of seal and glass. It makes COLO­FAST a seal and surround in one.This is the future of the fridge – a future not only conceiv­able for fridges, but also a source of inspiration for other household appliances, fitted kitchens, washing machines … and furniture.

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Call our number: Dr Nils Moh meyer,

Market Scout Construction and

Appliance, + 49 5443 12 2994

or send an e­mail to:

nils.mohmeyer@basf.com

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Sockwa footwear – for barefoot pursuits indoors

and outdoors.

Sockwa has a wholehearted commitment to minimalist footwear – combining an ultra-thin sole of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) with stretchable uppers of a Lycra-neoprene-nylon sandwich. A technology that is probably unique on the world market. What’s more, this sock-like shoe is also extremely stylish and environmentally respon-sible in its manufacture.

Wearing a Sockwa is like wearing a sock, but with the added protection you expect from a shoe.

Like so many successful ideas for sport and leisure, Sockwa has its origins in the USA. The firm was founded in Southern California in 2008. The minimalist footwear soon gained popularity in the barefoot running community. The first-generation Sockwa was made for beach soccer – devoid of an external sole, it was like running barefoot. Indoor versions followed for such pursuits as yoga and Pilates. Driven by a creative team of designers, engineers and business people, Sockwa has since evolved into an abundant source of new trends.

Man was born to run. And Elastollan Soft is what man was born to run on.

Tread Earth Lightly is the mantra of the Sockwa company. Promoting the health benefits of barefoot locomotion with

reduced heel impact and cons tant ly innovating new methods of en vi ron mentally friendly manu facture, Sockwa achieves the ultimate effi-ciency in footwear design.

Elastollan ® Soft 60A, a flexible, plasticizer-free and durable TPU from BASF Polyurethanes, is the ideal material for ongoing innovations from Sockwa and has boundless po -tential. The injection-moulding and cooling of the Elas tollan sole, for example, take less than a minute. The alternative, rubber, can take up to twelve times as long to process. Ultimately, this means more product, increased scalability at lower cost – and, thankfully, more time for the things that make life enjoyable. Such as a spirited game of beach soccer with the team – best of all in ultra-light Sockwa shoes that feel like socks.

Further information: www.sockwa.com

Call our number: Dr Jens Dierssen,

Director Regional Business

Management Elastollan Thermo-

plastic Polyurethanes Asia Pacific,

+ 852 2731 3795 or send an e-mail

to: jens.dierssen@basf.com

Running and sports enthusiasts all over the globe are en joying a totally new barefoot feeling – on the ultra-thin thermoplastic polyurethane soles of superlight Sockwa shoes.

FootwearLeisure Shoes

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Global sea levels are rising – an undeniable fact repeatedly highlighted at climate conferences worldwide. Countries with coastal regions already have a problem – or will soon be getting one. This explains the need for intelligent, un -con ventional and above all feasible solutions that are not only effective but also affordable. A new and exceptionally useful method for making our coasts safer involves the mechanical bonding of revetments with the two-compo-nent Elastocoast® system. This new technology could also be a successful export to other regions, e.g. to South East Asia, where coastal protection urgently needs a solution – and an inexpensive one at that.

A single good idea often makes the difference between disaster and safety.

Elastocoast, the polyurethane system for the bonding of revetments on coasts, defies even the heaviest seas. Be -cause it is so open-pored that it drains breaking waves of their destructive energy. And so environment-friendly that it is recolonized by flora and fauna only a short while after application. Thanks to Elastocoast’s extremely open-pored structure and high mechanical strength, revetment courses can be designed up to 50 percent thinner. This quickly yields considerable savings in the cost of construction

Coastal Protection Elastocoast Revetments

In successful use in Germany and the Netherlands, Elastocoast is now demonstrating the merits of advanced coastal protection in Malaysia.

At the mercy of the elements –

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materials, transport and processing. Using Elastocoast thus not only improves safety, but also makes installation schedules more flexible and significantly eases the strain on the coastal protection and flood prevention budget.

Weathering the storm – protection with Elastocoast is more reliable, sustainable and economic.

In the Malaysian state of Sarawak, the biggest Elastocoast project has now been completed. The surface area is 18,000 m² and extends 1.6 km along the coast. The con-ditions on site were anything but encouraging. With a rainy season lasting four months – from September to December – and many days of rain on the monthly average, the coastal protection project had to be executed extremely quickly, precisely and smoothly. On top of this, the site was poorly accessible and mainly consisted of cleared mangro-ve swamps. The biggest problem, however, was the lack of rock. Rock the right size for mixing with Elastocoast had to be transported laboriously from elsewhere and brought across mainly muddy terrain to the construction site.

Many ideas for reliable coastal protection have failed. Many have simply sunk without a trace. Now, at last, there’s a technology that does what it’s supposed to.

Despite all these meteorological and geographic hurdles, the project went ahead successfully. Even the first tests have shown that the polyurethane bonded firmly to the ground even when the rains mentioned resumed only two hours after application. No problem for Elastocoast – the project was simply energetically continued. And an end to the project was soon in sight. By March 2010, 1.6 kilome-ters of Sarawak’s coasts were safe at last. This project also demonstrates that, even in extremely trying geographic and climatic conditions, Elastocoast today is perhaps the best, safest, most economical and undoubtedly the most sustainable method for protecting man and nature from the often destructive force of the sea.

Further information: www.polyurethanes.basf.de/pu/Coastal-Defense

or protected by Elastocoast.

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Consumer Products Bedding and Mattresses

The NA Polyurethane raw materials business unit in Wyandotte, MI, used creativity, collaboration and an entre-preneurial spirit to improve on a com-modity product, and they did so with a twist. The team recently launched a

new cool touch gel product for the furniture and bedding market called Elastopan 5291T Gel. The new gel can be used in the manufacture of bedding products such as the foam inside of bedding mattresses and pillow toppers.

And the twist? By creating a gel with a non-phthalate plasticizer, the product has a novel visual and contact quality in the foam. Simply put, polyurethane chemistry can create a “color swirl” that makes the end use foam product visually identifiable from the competition, as well as notably cooler to the touch.

The NA Polyurethane raw materials slab foam team put the fundamentals of chemistry to the test – and the result was a cool twist on an age old product.

A cool twist: polyurethane gel, comfort with a cool touch.

Gels also contribute an innovative foaming option in High Resiliency and Viscoelastic Memory foams that offer two significant benefits for the bedding consumer: They can improve pressure relief and comfort, while providing a cool touch. The new gel provides increased relief for bedding consumers, helping to make bedding products more com-fortable by decreasing the number of pressure points in the range of 5 to 25 percent.

New business opportunities for the gel are expected to create growth of up to 10 percent, according to the NA team.

“The mattress industry is creating innovations in bedding every day,” said Ted Smiecinski, BASF Senior Technical Service Specialist. Automotive seating, home furnishings and medical bedding are just some of the areas targeted for growth with the new gel. “Our main priority is to com-fort engineer improvements so that our foam customers can promote a good night’s sleep, and exceed consumer expectations.”

The team is focused on a bio-based gel as the next genera-tion product, as well as collaboration with BASF colleagues in Asia Pacific to bring our customers and consumers around the world a more sustainable option for foam appli-cations. On the heels of BASF’s new strategy “We create chemistry” the cool touch gel project is another example of how at BASF, we are innovating to make our customers

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Cool touch gel Elastopan 5291 T

The cool touch gel passes California 117* to meet resi-dential flammability requirements, and any color can be used by a bedding manufacturer to create the distinctive “gel color swirl” in their foam to create a visual distinction in the very competitive bedding market.

more successful. “Our team of technical experts and sales worked together to identify an unmet need in the market place, create a novel solution and deliver it to our customers and ultimately the consumer,” said John Maloney, Business Director for BASF Polyurethane Raw Materials. “It’s an excit-ing solution for all of us.”

Further information: www.basf.us

Call our number: John Maloney,

Business Director BASF Polyure-

thane Raw Materials, BASF

Corporation, +1 734 324 5312

or send an e-mail to:

john.maloney@basf.com

* This numerical flame spread rating, as in other tests of flammability, is not intended to reflect hazards presented by this or any other material under actual fire conditions.

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Strict standards, terrific materials.For savings all round in house building.

ConstructionPassive Houses

If you want to stay right up-to-date, you can follow progress in the construction of the ISOPA passive house on the Internet.

www.polyurethanes.org/passivehouse/media-room/photos

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The polyurethane passive house will have 85 percent lower energy needs than conventional homes, providing its tenants with the comfort and healthiness of passive design but for significantly reduced energy bills. Lighter than con-ventional insulation materials, it takes less polyurethane to achieve very high insulation performances. Not only does it save space, but it also means less transport, less pack-aging and less storage space, thus limiting CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.

It takes just a click to track progress in construction of the polyurethane passive house.

The project is being documented on a dedicated website, www.polyurethanes.org/passivehouse, to track progress step by step and help the public, architects and building contractors understand the process required for the truly energy-efficient passive home. Reducing the environmental

impact of buildings is an urgent yet achievable goal. More energy-efficient homes would not only benefit consumers, who have to foot ever-mounting bills, but also the environ-ment, reducing Europe’s CO2 emissions, 40 percent of which originate from buildings.

The Polyurethanes Passive House project was initiated by ISOPA, the European trade association for producers of diisocyanates and polyols, the main building blocks of polyurethanes. It will be executed by Bostoen, a Belgian construction company that specializes in promoting and developing affordable passive house projects across Belgium.

Further information: www.isopa.org

On September 1, 2011, the construction of one of the very first polyure-thanes passive houses in Brussels, Belgium, got underway. Fully equip-ped and furnished with innovative polyurethane materials, the new house will be located in Europe’s capital, near the institutions of the European Union. This project will implement one of the most stringent standards of construction design, the “passive house standard”.

Strict standards, terrific materials.For savings all round in house building.

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PUR: Mr Frank, the PU passive house is an ambitious project. What promp t -ed your association to commission this project?

WF: Polyurethane is a versatile and particularly progressive material, although it is not very well-known among construction experts and end-users. To illustrate the breadth of possibilities in the construction sector, we decided to present all its fields of application in a single demonstration project. Our goal is to show crafts-men concerned with everything from the floor to the roof and interior finish what is possible with this material – in a practical, hands-on approach. The construction process is therefore extremely interesting, because you can clearly see how the PU is being used.

PUR: Who is the target group? Who do you think ought to see the house?

WF: This is a unique information-gathering opportunity particularly for policy-makers here in Brussels and for con-struction experts who so far know little about our material. Until now, people have tended to associate PU mainly with construction panels, but we’re showing that you can build a sustainable, energy-efficient house entirely out of polyurethane.

PUR: What’s going to happen to the house on completion?

WF: The passive house will be let in the normal way, be cause we want to carry out tests that supply information on the interior climate and ask its occupants about their experience. Tours of the house will continue to be possible.

Passive design, active savings. The future has a home.

The EU energy efficiency label.

PUR spoke to Dr Wolfram Frank, Secretary General of ISOPA, about the unusual project.

ConstructionPassive Houses

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Polyurethane passive houses may not be the first passive houses that have ever been built. None the less, they are a living example of how a seemingly normal brick house can actually conceal a wealth of engineering marvels and “savoir-faire” – so much so that the power of an iron would be sufficient to heat it. Today’s conven tional consumption patterns simply aren’t sustainable. Not only because of dwindling reserves of fossil fuels, but also because of the danger to our planet from carbon emissions. What is urgent-ly needed are viable, feasible and above all affordable alter-natives. The passive house demonstrably reduces energy consumption dramatically by up to 85 percent compared to conventional homes. And not at the expense of comfort and design – much the opposite! The passive house neither limits the choice of materials for house construction, nor does it impose a frugal life on its owner. It merely limits the quantity of energy required for a comfortable home, where a pleasant temperature is main tained the year over by a constant flow of fresh air.

Passive houses with polyurethane elements are simply smarter than conventional designs.

To understand how intelligently passive houses exploit the scope for saving energy, one only has to consider the fol-lowing key points: Passive houses save a lot of energy by employing technologies like polyurethane insulation and double or triple glazing with polyurethane frames. Through enhanced airtightness, the passive house creates a shield of insulation: The heat stays in during winter and out during summer for improved comfort and well-being. Passive houses make the most of daylight by using window glazing that keeps the heat generated by the sun. The natural power of the sun is used to heat the house, ideally oriented south, and can be an additional power source if solar panels are used. In a passive house, renewable energy is sufficient to power all appliances. Passive houses provide a constant flow of fresh air. Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery is used in passive houses to constantly renew fresh air, while recovering up to 90 percent of the heat in the evacuated air.

The future belongs to new concepts with polyurethane materials.

Insulation is the most important applica-t ion of polyurethanes in buildings. From

Passive houses making use of polyurethane elements are playing an active part in improving the quality of home living.

Passive houses with polyurethane elements are simply smarter than conventional designs.

a sustainability perspective, polyurethanes contribute to preserving natural resources by reducing the need for energy. This is the reason why they are the insulation material of choice – and why it is unbeat able when you consider all of its advantages:

Buildings last longer and require less maintenance because of the durability of polyurethanes.

• Rigid insulation boards made from polyurethanes are light but strong, moisture-resistant and easy to install.

• Insulation boards and other types of spray foam insulation can retain their energy-efficient properties for as long as the building exists.

• Compared to other forms of insulation, polyurethane foams are much more space-efficient, allowing architects and designers to maximize the use of internal spaces.

• Rigid polyurethane spray foam is particularly versatile and efficient for upgrading older buildings.

• Polyurethanes are thinner and lighter and save living space in the house.

• Polyurethanes offer simple solutions for the achievement of airtight envelopes. This way, they prevent moisture and mould problems in the building.

And in areas where passive houses are not involved, poly-urethanes can be found today in (almost) everything that makes life easier, more comfortable and ultimately more worth living.

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Igloos are fascinating structures. While the sub-zero temperatures outside plummet, inside you’re warm enough in your sleeping bag to survive blizzards in the Arctic without getting frostbite. And the speed with which they’re built is enough to amaze even prefab house builders. But what’s the secret of these “warming” walls of snow? And how is it that no Inuk has ever frozen solid in his do-it-yourself snow dome? We attempt to shed light on this miracle of insulation.

Snow place like home.

FeatureStone-cold Architecture

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The Inuit stopped living in igloos some time back and most of them alive today would probably be unable to build one. Housing estates have now replaced the snowhouses of former times. Nowadays, igloos are only built and used as shelters during extended hunting expeditions. But in some settlements, a night in an igloo is offered as a tourist attraction – something that’s also extremely popular in other icy regions. However, if you ever find yourself in a situ ation where you have to build an igloo yourself, you should be sure to heed a number of rules, otherwise you’ll notice nothing of the insulation and “warmth” of these icy dwellings.

The ingredients: a slope, a snow knife, a snow saw – and snow.

The slope is necessary to make it easier to move the cut blocks of snow to the building site. The entrance is posi-tioned below the sleeping quarters to create the necessary cold trap so that temperatures of minus 4°C to minus 6°C are maintained inside. Anyone who can, builds his igloo in a stacked or spiral pattern. Using the first method, the cut blocks of snow are stacked on each other, overlapping in-wards until the hole in the middle is closed. It’s even pos-sible to integrate ice windows between them to admit a little light. The spiral construction method is used if a shelter is needed at short notice in the event of an imminent change in the weather. What you have to do is lay the snow blocks in an ascending spiral. To achieve the necessary structural strength, the blocks curve inwards to form a hemisphere. To build larger igloos, you can start two spirals in opposite positions so as to speed up the process.

As snug as a bug.

Let’s expect the worst. Minus 50°C and icy storms outside. Inside you’re asking yourself: “What am I doing here?!” The answer is: Surviving in an igloo at minus 4°C to minus 6°C, positively tropical temperatures for an Inuk. In a well-built snowhouse, the snow serves as an excellent insulator of heat emitted by the human body and any other sources such as cookers. But what really counts is the interior ar-chitecture, as the sleeping platforms must be at least a me-ter higher than the entrance area so that the rising warmer air cannot escape. And so that the platform doesn’t melt, you need an insulating layer between your body and the snow – a camping mat, polar bear skin, lots of blankets, a first, sec ond, third sleeping bag, skiing underwear, normal underwear and, finally, in the center of the cocoon, there’s you. The Inuit would probably smile politely and go and take a bath in the snow. But as a novice to the icy wastes, you’ll be excused – it is winter after all.

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Taking to the air from the sea.

Part of the new, fourth runway (known as the D-Runway) of Tokyo-Haneda International Airport stands on 100 m deep pile foundations in the middle of Tokyo Bay. Officially open-ing in Oc to ber 2010, the project was modelled on two existing structures, Funchal in Madeira and La Guardia in New York. This extension has increased capacity by 40 per- cent so that the airport can cope with projected passenger traffic.

A 2,500 m runway on a pier.

The new runway, 2,500 m long, 60 m wide and some 13 to 17 m above the sea, has been constructed southeast of the existing airport. Its outstanding feature is that it has been built in the sea. What makes it unique worldwide is its hybrid structure that combines a landfill with a pier – the

latter being necessary so as not to disrupt water flow in the estuary of the River Tama.

Out in the sea, yet designed to defy storms and earthquakes – nothing can shake the new D-Runway.

The landfill itself consists of embankments and fill, while the pier structure rests on pile foundations up to 100 m deep. These piles give the structure ample resistance to wave impact and earthquakes. On the drilling rig principle, steel elements are mounted on the piles and filled with cement. The underwater part is protected from corrosion by sacrificial aluminium anodes and the part above water by a thin layer of titanium. The sacrificial anodes are de-signed for a service life of 35 years. The first inspection is only scheduled after 30 years. A panel containing rigid polyurethane foam is more than a match for the over 300 tonne take-off weight of a 747.

Sandwich panels, consisting of rigid polyurethane foam cores sandwiched between titanium cover plates, are employed to cover the bottom and side surfaces of the taxi way area. Dehumidification systems are installed in the hollow created between the bridge structure and the sandwich panels to prevent steel corrosion. The polyure-thane comes from BASF INOAC Polyurethanes Ltd. (BIP), a 50 / 50 joint venture between BASF Japan Ltd. and the INOAC Corporation. Overall, the D-Runway consists of four areas: the landfill, pier, joining structure connecting the landfill and pier, and the taxi way bridge linking the new runway island to the exist ing airport. If Haneda is one day your destination, you can look forward to landing on a run-way that’s probably unique worldwide: out in the sea and partly on a pier.

ConstructionSandwich Panels

There’s one place in the world where your plane takes off from the sea – at newly extended Haneda Airport in Tokyo.

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Step by step to a futuristic runway – no problem with intelligent PU technology.

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East, west, COMFORT FOAM’s best.

Kevin and Nancy Latady’s farmhouse in Bedford, Massachusetts, is listed on the National Registry of Historic Homes. It was built in 1730 by Chris-topher Page, one of Bedford’s first settlers. The historic home needed an energy-efficiency retro -

fit of the north side. But when the clapboard was taken down, they found rot, rodent-infested fiberglass batt, wiring problems and structural deficits.

How two enterprising Americans renovated their historic home with COMFORT FOAM PU insulation.

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ConstructionComfort Foam

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Luckily, Kevin and Nancy know a thing or two about resi-dential restoration. As owners of Latady Design, a small architectural firm specializing in historic and older homes, they looked for an insulation solution that would not only help them retain the original architecture, but also improve the insulation value and provide a vapor barrier to the envelope itself.

With ingenuity and the right material, you’re comfort-able and dry.

COMFORT FOAM ® closed-cell, spray-applied polyurethane foam insulation and air barrier material was ultimately cho-sen because it could be installed from the outside, allowing Kevin and Nancy to retain the historic interior finishes while addressing the structural issues typically incurred with older homes. This technique also provided easier access for rewiring and visual inspection of outdated electrical installations. The polyurethane foam also provided added structural strength, superior insulation and an air barrier in a single step. Another reason why COMFORT FOAM was so appealing for the Latady home was that the old wall

Fo

tos:

© K

evin

Lat

ady

ranged in thickness between three and six inches, requiring an insulation with a high R-value per inch to make up for the less thick areas.

Here are a few foam truths you can’t ignore:

• BASF COMFORT FOAM delivers additional structural strength, insulation and an air barrier in a single step.

• BASF COMFORT FOAM can be applied from the outside so that the designer retains the interior finishes and can also address the structural issues typical of older homes.

• BASF COMFORT FOAM fills cavities that are extremely difficult to seal with traditional insulation. And it has one of the highest R-values in the industry.

The rotting north side of the farmhouse has now been restored to an energy-efficient, as-new state. And the owners are looking forward to increased energy savings in the coming winter.

Further information: www.construction.basf.us/index.php?page=residential

Call our number: Michael Sievers,

Business Manager Spray Poly ure -

thane Systems, BASF Corporation,

+ 1 713 383 4551 or send an e-mail

to: michael.sievers@basf.com

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1. Opened-up north wall showing the original 18th century timber framing – notice how the 20th century window was cut into the primary post.

2. View of the north side after the fitting of extra timber framing and replacement of the window ledges.

3. Restored north wall – before painting.

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completion of the project was a part-nership between the BASF Poly ure-thanes team and the SuperLimão Studio architecture and design firm. Presenting new Elasto pave surfaces

in the best-possible light at this prestigious store called not only for high-quality design, but also for function and the professional organization of the renovation process from start to finish.

On October 2 one of the best-known luxury furniture and design stores in São Paulo introduced its customers to a new approach to the design of floor surfaces, open spaces and walkways with Elastopave®. Key to the successful

BASF gives an exclusive furniture and design store in São Paulo an extra hint of luxury with Elastopave.

Elastopave offers boundless scope for design.

Paving the way in Brazil.

Storehouse of new ideas designed by the SuperLimão Studio architects.

ConstructionRoad Path Surfaces

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Call our number: Marcos Fernandes

Carreiro, Sales & Technical Service

- Polyurethane Systems,

Mauá / Brazil,

+ 55 11 4542 7218 or send an

e-mail to: marcos.carreiro@basf.com

Elastopave, a system developed by BASF Polyurethanes, is not only an incredibly versatile material, but also a totally novel approach to the design of roads, paths, open spaces and patios. In essence, it is a unique combination of poly-urethane and selected rock. This intelligent mix forms an open-pored and high-strength surface with huge scope for design.

Architects, designers and installers now have a system that is visually appealing, inexpensive, sustainable and easy to install. Unlike existing surfaces that simply seal the under-lying ground, Elastopave also makes sustainable rainwater management possible. Water can seep away naturally and contribute to groundwater reserves, and the surface remains free of puddles and hence clean and safe.

Elastopave is not just another material but a totally new approach to the design of the cities of the future.

Also important is the huge variety in the choice of crushed rock and gravel – it’s even possible to use high-grade marble granulate, quartz, granite or crushed glass. Elastopave thus achieves two important goals of our time: ecological and economic sustainability. This polyurethane system helps to save energy and resources in production. And in its appli-cation, it is already the intelligent system for surface design, contributing an eco-friendly and natural infrastructure to cities and urban centers of the future.

Anyone who prefers to go new ways rather than tread the beaten track is just a mouse click away from exciting details of the Elastopave project in São Paulo.

Further information:www.archdaily.com/183771/firma-casa-store-superlimao-studio-campana-brothers

www.yatzer.com/firma-casa-superLimao-campana

SUBGRADE

3,94 in | Gravel approx. 1,26/2,44 inIMPROVED SUBGRADE

5,90 – 9,84 in | Gravel approx. 0/1,26 inBASE COURSE

2,36 in | Gravel approx. 0/0,63 inDYNAMIC LAYER

1,57 - 1,96 in | Gravel approx. 0,04/0,19 inELASTOPAVE

Top: Natural rainwater seepage benefits groundwater reserves. Below: A firm foundation for Elastopave surfaces.

With Elastopave and the SuperLimão Studio, BASF is now going new ways in Brazil as well.

www.construction.basf.us/index.php?page=sclc_pavement

sustain able energy systems. At the same time, as a result of its landscaping and architectural redesign with a “recycling axis”, research shops, transfer center and

information stations for school pupils, it has become an at -tractive leisure destination. Visitors walking across the site can find out, among other things, about substance cycles, regenerative energy, the transformability of landscapes, and waste and environmental technologies. After such edifica-tion, visitors can then investigate the facility’s leisure poten-tial and explore the walking and biking routes or indulge in urban golf or paragliding.

PU for new forms of art.

A real eye-catcher and the symbol of the site is the Trash Wall realized in 2011 with the Elastopave ® PU system. The wall consists of a concrete substructure onto which a metal load-bearing frame was bolted. Strips of material with trash stuck to them were then screwed to the frame. It sounds

Not so long ago, waste was, more than anything else, an annoying disposal problem. Garbage was centrally col-lected and dumped or incinerated. Today, fortunately, the emphasis is on recycling the daily detritus of our consumer society or using it as fuel. A good example of how this can be done sustainably and usefully as well is Leppe landfill in Lindlar, Germany, with its “Regionale 2010” project entitled “metabolon” (“metabolism” means literally “change”). The whole thing is part of a supraregional structural program of the North Rhine -Westphalian administration.

Amazing what can be made out of a garbage dump these days.

The landfill site not only reutilizes waste, but is also present ing itself as a research and information facility for

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Just mix it with Elastopave, and a heap of trash becomes a work of art.

Waste not, want not: the art of recycling.

The art of recycling.

ConstructionElastopave

peculiar, but the outcome is spectacular and memorably communicates the principle of making sensible use of resources.

Elastopave can be used for attractively designing not only roads, paths and plazas, but also entire landfills.

The pre-sorted and cleaned trash was mixed with the Elastopave PU system and applied to a strip of backing material. As the polyurethane applied in its liquid state cured, the various items were bonded to the substrate – in much the same way as with the Elastopave technology that has been in successful use for some time now for road and path surfaces. The trash-clad material was then affixed to the metal frame and now forms a striking trash art object at the start of the so-called “recycling axis” for substance conversion and environmental technology. Of course, such creativity has led to greater things. As a result of a coopera-tion between Bergischer Abfall wirtschafts verband (regional waste management association) and Cologne College for

Higher Professional Training, a teaching and research center is now also being set up with an interdisciplinary re search network for waste treatment technologies.

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Call our number: Thomas Stühren-

berg, Manager New Business

Development, + 49 5443 12 4235

or send an e-mail to:

thomas.stuehrenberg@basf.com

Polyurethane has been giving progress and quality of life to people for 75 years. With this extraordinary material, BASF offers an incredible diversity of intelligent product solutions for customers in all key sectors of industry – for everything from car making to house building. A material celebrates its astounding success, and BASF has the formula. Because at BASF, we create chemistry.

Polyurethane. Unsurpassed for 75 years.

business loves success stories

Further information: www.pu.basf.eu

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