BASF’s innovative polyurethane solution Haptex® makes NIO’s car seat cover safer and more comfortable
- Synthetic leather by Greentech coated with BASF’s Haptex® solution made without organic solvents meets stringent VOC standards
- High-performance BASF material provides excellent haptics to give car seating a luxurious look and feel
Shanghai, China – June 8, 2020 – NIO, a leading new energy vehicle company, has upgraded with enhanced seat covers made of BASF’s Haptex® material, the first polyurethane (PU) solution made without the use of organic solvents. It helps reduce emission and thus odors, thereby improving the interior air quality of cars. With its excellent haptics, Haptex also helps enhance the look and feel of seatings for NIO.
“Unlike conventional coated fabrics, Haptex significantly simplifies and speeds up the production process of synthetic leather as organic solvents are no longer needed. This helps carmakers meet the increasingly stringent emission standards, especially for car interior applications, such as seat covers,” said Hongbo Li, General Manager, Greentech.
Haptex features outstanding mechanical properties, such as excellent peeling strength, durability, abrasion resistance, and hydrolysis resistance, even at temperatures as low as -30°C.
“The use of Haptex in NIO is the result of a close collaboration between our customers and partners. With our expertise and competence beyond materials innovation, we will continue to meet customers’ specific needs and stringent emission regulations,” said Desmond Long, Vice President, Business Management Transportation, Performance Materials Asia Pacific, BASF.
About BASF’s Performance Materials division
BASF’s Performance Materials division encompasses the entire materials’ know-how of BASF regarding innovative, customized plastics under one roof. Globally active in four major industry sectors – transportation, construction, industrial applications and consumer goods – the division has a strong portfolio of products and services combined with deep understanding of application-oriented system solutions. Key drivers of profitability and growth are our close collaboration with customers and a clear focus on solutions. Strong capabilities in R&D provide the basis to develop innovative products and applications. In 2019, the Performance Materials division achieved global sales of €6.06 bn. More information online: www.plastics.basf.com.
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 117,000 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 six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €59 billion in 2019. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com.
