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Pleasant touch with Haptex
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Automotive

Touch it, feel it - Haptex®

Haptex, BASFs innovative polyurethane solution for synthetic leather now certified ECO PASSPORT by OEKO-TEX

The driving experience and comfort plays a significant role and goes parallel with the trend for longer time we stay in a car. It is the overall target of every automotive interior designer to create an impression of pleasure, fun and fascination, while comfort and safety must be at the highest levels. BASF has a strong portfolio of all kinds of materials meeting these requirements of the future.

One of the latest inventions deals with providing a polyurethane system for synthetic leather that beats all other available solutions in terms of durability, comfort and safety by the development of Haptex®. BASF material solution Haptex® enables synthetic leather producers to create a high comfortable leather without the use of any solvents and without need of large water consumption. Consequently, emissions and exceptionally odor of these new synthetic leathers made with Haptex® are significantly lower compared with established solutions in the market, giving not only benefits to comfort but also to health of passengers. 

BASF also took special attention to improve mechanical properties for synthetic leather made by Haptex® which can be seen especially in a very high peel strength, abrasion resistance and high flexing resistance even at cold temperature down to -30°C. Since Haptex® has no need for any plasticizer or solvents, the material properties remain unchanged. Even at low temperatures the material remains flexible. While other synthetic leather products need a multitude of stabilizers and dispersing additives, Haptex® based PU leather does not need these additives. This makes it an excellent choice for Instrumental-, door, armrest or mid console covers, but also for seating, steering wheel or gear covers with strong requirements to mechanical stress. Haptex® simplifies the production processes and optimizes costs when manufacturing instrument panels made of synthetic leather as it eliminates the conventional wet process step and the use of adhesives in the dry process step.

NIO seating
NIO is convinced of the advantage of Haptex® and has started using it for seat cover. NIO especially appreciate the very low odor which is causing not only a nice atmosphere even when car is completely new, but also a solvent free, healthy air within the driver cabin. The improved sustainability in production of Haptex® due to low water waste and no need for adhesives, solvents or plasticizers strengthen their NIO’s main strategy for electrical vehicle and sustainability.
Innovative solutions by GAC and Yanfeng

BASF and GAC R&D Center co-developed concept cars for future mobility, featuring futuristic designs that address the diverse needs of ambitious drivers. Haptex® has been used for the production of synthetic leather in car seats – provides excellent haptics at both low and high temperatures, as well as increased durability owing to its excellent hydrolysis and abrasion resistance.

The Interior specialist Yanfeng is also convinced by the versatile material. Without any need for plasticizer the PU based synthetic leather shows extraordinary properties down to -30°C to fulfill also the harshest airbag deployment tests.

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