On the way to rethink plastics

BASF, Mercedes-Benz, and Poeppelmann teamed up  to kick-off the next level in physical recycling: revamping the Polyamide 6 (PA6) fraction from the shredder residue of end-of-life vehicles (ASR). Using a special solvent-based recycling process, they turn this material into high-quality plastics that can be used in new car parts. Read more.

BASF, Mercedes-Benz, and ZF Group have teamed up to do something pretty cool: demonstrating how even heavily used and contaminated plastic parts made from Polyamid 6 (PA6) can be recycled into virgin like polymer compounds at pilot scale using a recycling method called depolymerization. Normally, these parts would just get burned. Now? They get a second chance. Find out more.

How gasification turns automotive waste into quality materials, enabling circularity and defossilization in car manufacturing.

BASF is presenting new materials, concepts and recycling methods for polyurethanes in footwear at SIMAC Tanning Tech. The leading international trade fair will take place from September 23-25 in Milan, Italy. We will showcase our unique and integrated toolbox of Elastopan^® (PU) and thermoplastic polyurethanes Elastollan^® and Infinergy^®. Together with our partners and customers we bring innovative products to the market offering utmost lightness paired with mechanical performance and automated processing. Our new sustainable material developments and recycling methods for the footwear industry will be presented at BASF, hall 10, G56/H55.

Following the transition of all its European sites to renewable electricity in January 2025, BASF Performance Materials is now celebrating the certification of its production sites according to REDcert², a certification scheme for the use of sustainable feedstock in the chemical industry. With the recent addition of its polyurethane production site in Malacky, Slovakia, the division can now offer its customers certified mass balance solutions from its ten plants.
 

The electrolyzer manufacturer Stargate Hydrogen, Estonia, is now using BASF’s Ultrason^® to manufacture the frames in its stacks used for alkaline water electrolyzers (AWE). The polysulfone (PSU) Ultrason^® S replaces metals such as nickel, resulting in significantly lighter stacks. This substitution is possible because BASF’s high-performance thermoplastic offers high temperature and chemical resistance also in harsh alkaline conditions. It can withstand high stack pressures due to excellent compression strength. As Ultrason^® can be injection-molded, it provides greater design flexibility for easier functional integration than metal. The collaboration between Stargate Hydrogen and BASF has yielded an exceptional result: the pressurized stacks of the Stellar series are designed for long operational lifespans, supporting reliable hydrogen production, and reducing downtime and maintenance costs. This durability enhances the economic feasibility of green hydrogen production, making it a cost-effective solution.

With the launch of Ultramid^® H33 L, BASF is introducing the world’s first thermoplastic polyamide with a high water permeability to the market. The unique combination of strength and water permeability makes Ultramid H an innovative material for artificial casings in which sausages can be smoked and then dried.
 

In January 2019, BASF co-founded the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) to solve the global plastic waste problem together with around 60 companies along the plastics value chain. The members invest in projects that aim to minimize plastic waste and remove it from the environment.

At K 2025, BASF will showcase the evolution of its VALERAS^® portfolio, highlighting how its additive solutions and services are enabling sustainability across the plastic lifecycle. First introduced at K 2022, VALERAS has developed into a robust platform that addresses plastic circularity, durability, and carbon transparency.

Innovators have dared to imagine plastics design differently, resulting in many applications and a few unconventional innovations. Plastics design has evolved throughout history. Unconventional ideas challenge the boundaries of creativity and must today include sustainability.