BASF Polyurethanes

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
BASF Polyurethanes GmbH
legal form GmbH
founding 1962
Seat Lemförde , Germany
management Christiane Sajdak, managing director
Number of employees 1442 (December 31, 2014)
sales EUR 2.3 billion (2014)
Branch Chemical company
Website www.pu.basf.de

Headquarters of BASF Polyurethanes GmbH in Lemförde
Locations of the PU system houses.
Polyurethane essentially consists of two types of raw material, isocyanate and polyol, which are obtained from crude oil. When the two system components, which contain various auxiliaries such as catalysts, propellants or stabilizers, are mixed, a reactive mixture is created. The range of properties of the resulting polyurethane can be precisely regulated depending on the formulation and mixing ratio.
Urethane-based thermoplastic elastomers

The BASF Polyurethanes GmbH (until 31 March 2010 Elastogran GmbH ) is a German manufacturer of plastics and one of the world's leading companies in the field of manufacture of special plastic polyurethane (PU).

The head office is in the Lower Saxony district of Diepholz in Lemförde . At the end of 2014, the company had 1,442 employees. The turnover was 2.3 billion euros. BASF Polyurethanes GmbH has its headquarters in Lemförde and 16 polyurethane system houses in the European Economic Area (EMEA). The company has been wholly owned by BASF since 1971 and has been working with PU products for over 50 years. The product range includes PU basic products, PU systems and PU special elastomers.

As a BASF subsidiary, the company has access to international resources in research, raw material supply, sales, infrastructure and finance in the global network of the parent company and can operate at the same time with the structures of a medium-sized company.

Product portfolio

The company develops, produces and sells:

  • PU basic products , including products for the entire PU application spectrum, including polyols , isocyanates , catalysts and auxiliaries.
  • To the PU systems include according to their property profile, the range of polyurethane systems, which are divided into various groups of systems such as hard, soft, integral or compact. Some of the most famous products are Elastopor, Elastoflex and Elastolit.
  • The specialty PU elastomers include the thermoplastic and cellular special elastomers with the brand names Elastollan ® and Cellasto ® . Elastollan ® has a special combination of elasticity and resilience, guaranteed over a wide temperature range. According to the company, Cellasto ® components are used by nine out of ten automobile manufacturers for damping systems in the chassis of their automobiles. As an additional spring, stop buffer or damper bearing, they absorb vibrations and reduce noise.

The most important customers for the products are from the automotive industry, furniture production, building material production, shoe manufacturing, the electrical and chemical industry as well as the sport and leisure sector.

Cooperations

One example of cooperation is the cooperation with the Institute for Hydraulic Engineering at the Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg in the field of coastal protection. Together, a polyurethane plastic was developed under the name Elastocoast ® for gluing dyke revetments made of gravel, which also protects them in the event of flooding. The first revetments, such as those on Sylt's Elbow , have already been glued on as a trial basis. According to analyzes by scientists, they have withstood the stormy seas so far.

Research & Development

BASF's global polyurethane research for PU systems and PU special elastomers was brought together in 1999 in a newly established research center in Lemförde with almost 200 employees in research, development and application technology. The technology center cooperates with other parts of the BASF Group in America and Asia that are active in the field of polyurethanes.

environmental Protection

The company supports the global initiative of the chemical industry " Responsible Care " and is committed to continuous improvement in the areas of safety, health and environmental protection as well as the avoidance of environmental pollution. The goals are considered to be equivalent to securing the company's economic success. This includes in particular the avoidance of emissions and waste.

According to its own account, BASF Polyurethanes informs its customers, partners and neighbors in an appropriate manner about the environmental aspects of products and processes. The environmental management system is based on the principles of Responsible Care and meets the requirements of the international ISO 14001 standard .

history

Automotive applications, like the one shown here from the 1970s, are part of the company's product range.

Today's BASF Polyurethanes GmbH was originally founded on April 27, 1962 under the name "Elastoplast GmbH" in Hanover, renamed "Elastogran GmbH for the production of elastic and plastic polymers" on September 25, 1962 and relocated to Lemförde. The company subsequently became a subsidiary of Elastomer AG from Chur in Switzerland and the parent company for a large number of domestic affiliates.

In 1969 and 1971, BASF took over what was then the Elastogran Group in two stages, which consisted of 48 companies in 11 countries. From 1971 to 1973 a new organizational structure with four areas of work was introduced. Based on this, the company logo was created with four interlocking angles, which is still used today in the BASF brand name "PU Solutions Elastogran". In 1985 the GmbH was restructured under company law as a holding company with two wholly-owned subsidiaries. In 1992 the two legally independent subsidiaries were merged with Elastogran GmbH. In 2002 the company developed into a European group of companies. In 2010 the company was renamed BASF Polyurethanes GmbH.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Westfalen-Blatt of March 3, 2015 , accessed on May 8, 2015.
  2. ↑ kunststoffe.de - Elastogran: Improved competitiveness , March 3, 2008.
  3. ↑ baulinks.de - Flexible surface layer protects endangered dykes , April 9, 2006.
  4. ↑ dradio.de - Superglue steel gravel , August 16, 2007.

literature

  • Horst Meyer: The beginning of the plastics age ... also in Lemförde . In: Ludger von Husen and Horst Meyer (eds.): Flecken Lemförde. A 750 year old community between Dümmer and Stemweder Berg . Schröderscher Buchverlag, Diepholz 1998, ISBN 3-89728-021-3 , pp. 241–246.
  • Silvia Kunter and Rainer Schwarz: Elastogran - competence in polyurethane. BASF's polyurethane heart beats hard in Lemförde . In: Ludger von Husen and Horst Meyer (eds.): Flecken Lemförde. A 750 year old community between Dümmer and Stemweder Berg . Schröderscher Buchverlag, Diepholz 1998, ISBN 3-89728-021-3 , pp. 247-257.

swell

  • Press releases BASF Polyurethanes Europe .
  • Trade press articles from "Kunststoffe", "PU Magazin" and "FAPU".
  • Elastogran is polyurethane - The Company - Company brochure of the Elastogran Group (2006).
  • Facts and figures 2006 - information brochure from Elastogran (2007).
  • Press articles from "Diepholzer Kreisblatt", "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung" and "Neue Westfälische".
  • BASF Polyurethanes website .

Web links

Commons : BASF Polyurethanes  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 52 ° 27 '34.2 "  N , 8 ° 23' 11.7"  E