Applications for exterior  

 

Plastic reflectors in headlamps are lighter and more cost efficient than those made of metal. They offer high temperature resistance while still maintaining design flexibilities.

The high-performance plastic Ultrason^® reduces heat build-up using a new pigment system that absorbs visible light but lets heat radiation pass through.

For bezels, Ultradur^® is an ideal material when excellent surface quality and direct metallization are requested.

Ultramid^® meets the high dimensional stability demands as well as legal requirements for safety insurance due to its rigidity and high-impact strength. Bumpers can be made from Elastolit^®, a rigid polyurethane with particularly high-impact strength. Inside, the energy absorbing bumper cores can be made from the foam Neopolen^® to make the car even lighter.

 

BASF offers a wide portfolio of innovative technologies and solutions for all four coating layers – from the e-coat to the primer, the basecoat and finally the clearcoat. These technologies ensure that the paint is resistant to the year-long high stresses caused by rain, UV radiation, hot and cold temperatures, gravel from the road, and the brushes at the car wash. 

The innovative e-coat CathoGuard^® 800 is the leading technology for automotive corrosion protection providing excellent material properties. 

BASF has also developed an innovative clearcoat, iGloss^®. The extremely tough clearcoat sets new standards in scratch resistance. It reduces the creation of annoying microscratches, like those that can come about at the car wash. 

BASF also develops and markets automotive aftermarket products for a comprehensive portfolio of coating solutions. The automotive refinish coatings are approved by most of the leading automotive manufacturers and are used in their authorized bodyshops.

 

With BASF products, the production of automotive body parts is simpler and less expensive. The portfolio enables lightweight parts that are dimensionally stable, tough, and exhibit high-impact strength and stiffness. Simultaneously, they are especially suitable for use in parts exposed to sunlight and heat. 

Door sills made from Elastolit^® benefit from the plastic’s particularly high impact strength. Complex metal parts like lock covers and hinges are powder injection-molded with Catamold^®, a mix of metal granules and the plastic Ultraform^®. This gives the parts the quality of forged components while the production is easier and less expensive.

 

Attached parts produced with BASF products have an excellent surface quality, can be painted easily, and are extremely resistant to influences like sunlight or heat. Elastolit^® D 8832 is easy to paint and has first-class mechanical characteristics. For example, BASF plastics help keeping mirror housings glossy and in place. For the inside mechanics and the mirror arms, the versatile engineering plastics of Ultramid^®, Ultradur^® and Ultraform^® are the materials of choice. They offer excellent mechanical properties and good design possibilities.

Applied to painted surfaces, this aliphatic TPU film protects against minor abrasion, splatters or stone chips. The Elastollan^® properties, though, guarantee a brilliant look of the paint.