OREANDA-NEWS. From October 14-16, 2014, BASF will be presenting functional materials and solutions for the future of mobility at the International Suppliers Fair (IZB) in Wolfsburg, Germany. At booth 2203 in Hall 2, BASF experts will inform visitors about products and technologies for lightweight construction, electromobility, design and the environment. With over 770 exhibitors from 28 countries, IZB is one of the leading trade fairs for the automotive industry in Europe.

"Innovations from the world of chemistry open up new paths for the mobility of the future. Chemical products in cars are increasingly contributing to developments in the automotive industry such as weight and emission reduction, electromobility and individualization," says Hans W. Reiners, President of BASF's Performance Chemicals division.

One possibility to make cars lighter is the use of effective lightweight materials. With Ultracom(tm), BASF offers an integrated system which helps to design automotive structural parts made of thermoplastic composites with optimized cost and weight. Ultracom(tm) consists of three elements: continuous fiber-reinforced semi-finished products (laminates and tapes), injection molding compounds as well as engineering services including part design, simulation, manufacturing and parts testing.

BASF offers numerous technologies that reduce the fuel consumption of vehicles and save resources. With their special lubricating characteristics Emgard(r) drive axle lubricants contribute to improved fuel efficiency, offer extended drain intervals and provide better protection against wear and tear when compared to conventional mineral oil-based lubricants.

With BASF's new mass balance approach, fossil feedstock can be saved through replacement with renewable resources at the beginning of the production process. Through an independently certified process, the specific share of renewable raw materials can be allocated to the respective end product for a vehicle. The advantage: the product performance is identical. At the same time, it saves fossil resources and lowers greenhouse gas emissions.

Another technology for improving air quality is PremAir(r). More than 3 million vehicles worldwide have already been equipped with these special catalytic converters which convert ground-level ozone into oxygen.

BASF invests in the development of cathode materials and electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries. They are crucial in determining the energy density and costs and thus the overall effectiveness of the battery. BASF also develops technologies that can improve the energy efficiency of electric vehicles and increase the range of the batteries. Using a newly developed near-infrared reflective film, solar radiation through car windows can be reduced by up to 40 percent. This reduces heat generation in the vehicle interior during the summer and thus the energy consumption of the air-conditioning system.

To preserve the brilliant gloss of a new car for as long as possible, BASF offers the highly scratch-resistant clearcoat iGloss(r) as well as premium refinish paints.

For the interior, BASF offers valure(tm), a special transfer coating technology. It can produce high-quality, soft-touch surfaces with almost limitless design options as well as unique material combinations with a wide variety of flexible substrates like leather in automotive interior.