Global coatings giant BASF has used one of the highest profile auto events in the world to launch its latest innovations in recycling and sustainable products.
BASF has announced its first ChemCycling® products that utilise recycled waste tyres at the world’s leading international trade fair for the automotive aftermarket, Automechanika 2024.
The product lines, manufactured using recycled materials will be marketed under BASF’s premium brands Glasurit and R-M and aim to boost body shop efficiency and productivity, contribute to the circular economy and reduce CO2 emissions.
BASF Senior Vice President, Global Automotive Refinish Coatings Chris Titmarsh said utilising the waste stream effectively diverted it from landfill or incineration.
“At BASF Coatings, we’re always pushing what’s possible, empowering body shops to lead the change with sustainable technologies that are unique to the market,” he says.
“With our exclusive ChemCycling, our vision is to support a circular economy by reducing the use of fossil raw materials, minimizing waste and cutting CO2 emissions in the value chain. We’re here today making a difference with our new products, replacing a share of the fossil resources with recycled feedstocks, and that is a huge step towards less environmental impact, less emissions and less waste.”
BASF Coatings’ Glasurit AraClass A-C-24 Eco Balance and R-M Race Finish-R eSense clearcoats are the first automotive refinish products that utilize this technology, delivering benefits to both body shops and the environment, BASF notes.
For the workshop, the clearcoats’ drying speed allows for fast processing, with the coating drying in just 20 minutes at 40ºC, it says.
By reducing drying time, energy consumption is significantly lowered, resulting in improved efficiency and reduced environmental impact. This feature is particularly advantageous for electric vehicles, as it minimizes their exposure to excessive heat.
New mixing clears based on BASF’s biomass balance approach have been added to the waterborne basecoat series of Glasurit 100 Line and R-M AGILIS, both of which already offer the lowest VOC content below 250 g/L in the industry.
The new mixing clears now reduce CO2 emissions by up to 50 per cent.