BASF expands PA and PPA offering in Europe

BASF will begin marketing several polyamide (PA) and polyphthalamide (PPA) grades in Europe that it acquired as part of the takeover of Solvay’s PA66 business.

These engineering plastics, previously sold as Technyl, will continue at BASF under the established brand name Ultramid. Customers will benefit from an extensive plastics portfolio including both PA66 grades and Ultramid One J, a PPA based on PA66/6T. Thus, BASF will support its customers in developing innovative plastics solutions across all industries.

The European Commission granted BASF approval for the acquisition of Solvay’s polyamide business subject to certain conditions. As a result, BASF started to successfully sell the integrated engineering plastics in growth markets in Asia as well as North and South America. Now that the conditions have expired, BASF will bring these grades to Europe.

Abdullah Shaikh, Head of BASF’s global PPA team, said: “We are now able to offer the additional polyamides and PPAs to our customers globally. We are looking forward to working together on projects that will unlock the full potential of Ultramid One J for innovative E&E components. Because of its property profile this PPA is the ideal addition to our existing plastics portfolio, allowing us to offer the perfect PPA for a wide range of product requirements, including new ones.”

Ultramid One J will be integrated into the PPA portfolio that BASF has marketed under the brand name Ultramid Advanced since 2016. The high-performance plastic has outstanding mechanical and dielectric properties in presence of humidity and at elevated temperatures, while its low water absorption ensures good dimensional stability. Ultramid One J expands the range of component colours and designs, as it can be coloured in different white shades, in addition to orange and grey. Its very high flowability makes it suitable for manufacturing small and complex components with electrical protection. The available UL cards show outstanding RTI and GWIT values. The flame retardant used is non-halogenated.

BASF now covers the entire value chain for polyamide 66 and improves its supply reliability. The business has been integrated into BASF’s Performance Materials and Monomers divisions.