New isocyanate processing technology from BASF helps enhance air quality inside cars

• Enhanced raw material quality helps automobile manufacturers meet stringent government regulations and industry standards
• In seating cushions, acetaldehyde and acrolein emissions could be reduced by 20-25%; formaldehyde by 30-40%

Shanghai, China – March 6, 2018 – The interior air quality of cars can now be enhanced with an improved isocyanate, a core raw material of polyurethane foam, made possible with a new processing technology from BASF. The new technology for significantly reduces emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC), particularly acetaldehyde, acrolein, and formaldehyde, offering a sustainable alternative for the production of polyurethane foams used in automotive interiors.

“Automotive manufacturers in Asia are looking for solutions to improve air quality inside the vehicles. With the use of this new processing technology, VOC emissions from polyurethane foams have been greatly lowered, helping our customers meet increasingly demanding VOC standards in Asia Pacific,” said Andy Postlethwaite, Senior Vice President, Performance Materials Asia Pacific, BASF.

Seating cushions produced with the improved isocyanate have been tested by Centre Testing International (Shanghai)Co., Ltd. The results show that the volatile aldehyde emissions, including formaldehyde, are reduced by 30-40%, and acetaldehyde and acrolein are reduced by 20-25%.

Isocyanates are used in the production of automotive interior applications such as flexible and integral foam systems in seats, steering wheels, and carpets. State-of-the-art polyurethane formulation know-how enables this new processing technology in the manufacturing process.

 

About BASF in Greater China
BASF has been a committed partner to Greater China since 1885. With investments in Shanghai, Nanjing and Chongqing, BASF is a major foreign investor in China’s chemical industry, and maintains the Innovation Campus Shanghai as a global and regional research and development hub.  BASF posted sales of €7.3 billion in 2017 to customers in Greater China, and employed 8,982 people as of the end of that year. For further information, please visit www.basf.com/cn.

About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 115,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into five segments: Chemicals, Performance Products, Functional Materials & Solutions, Agricultural Solutions and Oil & Gas. BASF generated sales of €64.5 billion in 2017. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (BAS). Further information at: www.basf.com.