BASF Exhibits Comprehensive Portfolio of Plastics and Additives at the National Plastics Expo, Chicago, Illinois


Booth attractions include customer applications and micro-seminars

FLORHAM PARK, NJ, June 12, 2009 -- BASF will feature new products, processes and productivity improvements that help make products more sustainable, durable, colorful and safe during the June 22-26 National Plastics Expo in Chicago, Illinois. With the recent acquisition of Ciba, BASF has added to its exclusive line of pigments, effect pigments and additives that meet a broad range of functional needs. BASF will demonstrate how to reduce heat generated by dark surfaces, add color to food packaging with FDA compliant colorants, and add attractiveness to high-end products and packaging.

At BASF's booth, number 27020, located in the new West Hall at McCormick Place, BASF will offer specialized micro-seminars demonstrating how to utilize its unique solutions for biodegradable plastics, Ultrasim(TM) - a proprietary design tool, laser marking pigments, high speed thermoplastics resins, engineering plastics, pigments and additives, styrenics and thermoplastic polyurethanes, all with distinctive application stories.

On the Go

BASF's extensive plastics portfolio gives customers the advantage of one-stop shopping with the ability to meet the stringent demands of CAFÉ and other sustainability focused standards. Terblend® N, BASF's ABS/PA blend, has long been known to be ideal for demanding automobile interiors.

Two new members have now joined the product family; both having the suffix EF, which stands for "Excellent Flow". Terblend® N NM21 EF is even easier to process, enabling large and intricate visible parts, such as center consoles in car interiors and motorcycle parts, to be manufactured with better surface quality. Terblend N NG-02 EF combines the easy flowability with high mechanical strength, which lends itself very well for thin-walled parts that are subjected to high loads.

Ultramid® Seal-Fit is a complete injection-molding solution for mechatronic parts made of metal and BASF's engineering plastic Ultramid® PA6. This enables molders to have access to an uncomplicated, cost-effective method to tightly overmold metal inlays in two steps. This solves two problems that are often responsible for malfunctions in overmolded electronic metal inlays: leakage due to the different thermal expansion of metal and plastic and poor adhesion of plastic to metal.

Ultradur® HR PBT qualifies as a proven material with the superior strength and stability required for laser energy transmission (LET) to support high precision laser welding. BASF has developed Ultramid® B3ZG7 OSI, an "O ptimized for Stone Impact" grade of PA6 that exceeds the impact performance of cast aluminum in oil pans. Side-by-side experimental tests reveal its initial cracking speed to be between 60 and 65 mph, whereas aluminum pans crack at an impact of around 50 mph under the BASF proprietary "stone impact" simulation testing.

Highlighted applications include the new Elastollan® LoCoF TPU that combines increased abrasion-resistance with a low coefficient of friction and improved Elastollan® LoTac TPU that has a greater low tackiness, without additives.

In Your Home

Luran® S ASA technology offers home owners a solution for siding, decking and railing. Excellent stain and color-fade resistance, a low-gloss/glare surface finish, and a rich wood grain embossment are combined to create a plank with an authentic wood appearance.

BASF engineered Ecoflex® and Ecovio® biodegradable plastics disappear from the environment after proper disposal. Ecoflex and Ecovio are at work in many ways: films for plastic bags, coatings for wrapping paper, drink cartons, fast food packaging or drink cups that can end up as compost, layers in packaging for premium organic food products, agricultural films that can be plowed into the soil after use and then biodegrade, and in horticultural containers that can be planted or composted.

Ultrason® high temperature polysulfones offer an alternative to polycarbonate when you have requirements to meet FDA and European food contact compliance, transparency, sterilizable and long-term dishwasher safe, impact resistance, no discoloration by food contact, high mechanical strength and toughness, dimensional stability, and easy coloring.

At Work

BASF supports the work environment with an expanding product portfolio and computer-aided engineering expertise to help develop stronger and lighter furniture, fixtures and equipment for a more sustainable and eco-friendly life. BASF's organic and inorganic pigments, as well as the very popular line of effect pigments, add trend-setting colors for the contemporary workspace, in both the office and shop. BASF is well-versed in the industrial applications with drive belts and conveyer rollers made for high tensile strength and low-temp flexibility.

Elastollan Lo-Tac® TPU is for applications requiring a low coefficient of friction (COF) and high abrasion resistance. Applications include hoses, tubes, cure-in-place pipe (CIPP) and wire and cable.

For Your Life

BASF does not only supply the material that makes packaging, but adds the visual appeal to all forms of packaging from personal care items to beverage containers to food packaging.

When quiet matters, Basotect® thermoset foam is used to acoustically and thermally insulate buildings, cars and trains. It is now available in several grades for various applications. For example, it protects the sensitive satellites that the Ariane 5 launcher delivers into space. Last year it was used in Beijing's Olympic swimming stadium as acoustic damping in a new type of suspended structure, and it will soon be found in the planes by the American aircraft manufacturer Boeing. Its characteristic feature is its three-dimensional network structure consisting of slender and thus easily shaped webs.

For more information contact:

Kathy Dennis

BASF Corporation

Tel: (973) 245-6288

E-mail: Kathy.dennis@basf.com

BASF - The Chemical Company. We don't make a lot of the products you buy.
We make a lot of the products you buy better.®

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 15,000 employees in North America, and had sales of approximately $17.5 billion in 2008. For more information about BASF's North American operations, or to sign up to receive news releases by e-mail, visit www.basf.com/usa.

BASF is the world's leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics and performance products to agricultural products, fine chemicals, as well as oil and gas. As a reliable partner, BASF helps its customers in virtually all industries to be more successful. With its high-value products and intelligent solutions, BASF plays an important role in finding answers to global challenges, such as climate protection, energy efficiency, nutrition and mobility. BASF has approximately 97,000 employees and posted sales of more than 62 billion in 2008. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

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