Plastics for Furniture

Aesthetics, Comfort, Durability, Surface Design for Office Furniture – Fulfilled

The requirements of the office furniture industry are high. Scratch resistance, good mechanical properties (stiffness, strength), high surface quality as well as flame retardancy. We support you with our expertise in polyurethanes and engineering plastics to find the solutions you need.

From the very start, BASF has contributed to shaping the trend towards using plastics in the furniture industry especially for office chairs.

Office Chairs

With the portfolio of Ultramid^® SI (SI = surface improved) we offer products that are geared to the needs of the furniture sector. These plastics combine the technical properties that are typical of polyamides with a high-quality surface appearance, thus meeting the requirements of designers and developers of furnishings.

Elastoflex^® W, our flexible polyurethane systems, enables furniture makers to develop ergonomically designed seats and back rests in different rigidities. Using Elastoflex^® W leads to outstanding properties in terms of continued use and sitting comfort. This leads to comfortable and ergonomically designed office chairs.

Elastofoam^® I, our flexible integral polyurethane system, is the product of choice to achieve high quality, scratch resistant surfaces mainly used in armrests applications and high quality seat surfaces e.g. for laboratory chairs.

For public seating areas, fire-resistant grades are available.

We Have More to Offer than just the Best Material for the Furniture Industry

Comprehensive Knowledge in All Aspects of Fireproofing

When it comes to designing chairs to be used in public buildings, BASF – thanks to its many years of experience with fire-retardant plastics – has a lot to offer chair manufacturers. At its own accredited testing facility for fireproof materials, BASF can conduct customer-specific testing, which comes in handy in view of the very strict requirements that apply to flame-retardant chairs.

Joint Furniture Design at the Creation Center

Since the furniture industry is often entering new territory with its endeavors, BASF provides in-depth assistance in product development and material substitution. As a strategic partner of the design-oriented sectors, BASF is offering not only fire-protection studies and mechanical testing, but also far more comprehensive service packages.

For instance, when developing new products, designers can consult with the Creation Center. Teams made up of engineers and designers help with issues involving plastic-oriented designs, and give advice on processing methods and tools, on surfaces as well as form and function.

Product Development with BASF’s Own Design Simulation Tool − Ultrasim®

A wide array of development projects together with customers have consistently demonstrated the need for design calculation expertise for chairs and their plastic components. This holds true for the processing of the material as well as for the design of the part. In order to devise optimal designs in a joint undertaking with customers, BASF turns to Ultrasim^®, its simulation tool for shrinkage and warpage analyses. The behavior of the part can also be simulated with Ultrasim^®.

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