Dates – Markets – Companies

Access provided by the Specialized Presidential Council for Educ and Scientific Research Portal

Advice on saving raw materials and materials

So that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing industry can reduce their raw material and material consumption, they receive support from the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) “go-efficient”. Since the beginning of the year, the Fraunhofer IPA has been authorized by the “German Material Efficiency Agency demea” to carry out consulting projects as part of the funding program.

The advice promoted by “go-efficiently” is made up of two performance levels. In the first, savings opportunities are determined in the context of a potential analysis. The second performance level includes detailed action planning through to professional implementation support and in-depth advice. The subject of the consulting projects are all subject areas that contribute to a significant increase in raw material and material efficiency. These include areas of product design and dimensioning such as B. Material selection and waste optimization. The production process also has a significant influence on material efficiency, such as B. processing methods and process parameters as well as the production environment such. B. warehousing, production planning and material disposition.

Above all, commercial companies with a company size of less than 250 employees and an annual turnover of a maximum of 50 million euros or an annual balance sheet of a maximum of 43 million euros are eligible for funding.

“Gluing for life” now also as an e-paper

The new edition of the magazine “Gluing for Life” – published by the Industrieverband Klebstoffe e. V. (IVK) – is now also available online as an e-paper with many photos, videos and additional web links on the association’s homepage www.klebstoffe.com The digital version impressively brings the reader closer to the variety of the ultra-modern joining technology “gluing”. Specifically, it is about topics such as “Adhesives in snow flurries” or “Adhesives that ride roller coaster”.

Planatol strengthens sales team

In order to strengthen the technical sales team, Planatol Adhesive GmbH hired Andreas Flohr, who has been active as Business Development Manager in the field of packaging adhesives since January 1, 2013. Flohr has almost 30 years of experience in the field of packaging development and adhesives (among others at Henkel and HB Fuller).

The portfolio in the field of packaging adhesives has been expanded: In addition to special dispersion adhesives for nozzle application and window application systems, the new product range also includes packaging hotmelts based on metallocene and EVA for the production of folding boxes, corrugated cardboard packaging and end-of-line applications.

Wetzel Adhesive Solutions has been part of the Planatol Group since April 2012. Wetzel develops and sells a wide range of dispersion and hotmelt adhesives for industrial applications with a focus on the packaging, wood and furniture industries.

Behn Meyer sells “Perkacit” products

From July 1, 2013, Behn Meyer Europe GmbH will take over the distribution rights to the dithiocarbamate accelerators and the Thiuram TBzTD of the “Perkacit” brand in Germany, Austria and Switzerland for the rubber, latex and adhesive sectors. Behn Meyer was previously responsible for the distribution of these products in Eastern Europe and Scandinavia.

The Perkacit products are manufactured by Performance Additives Italy Spa, based in Termoli, Italy, and are used in the adhesives sector as antioxidants and accelerators for rubber-based formulations.

Bayer opens innovation center in Shanghai

Bayer MaterialScience has opened an innovation center for the Asia / Pacific region in Shanghai, China. More than 200 experts are to develop new ideas for applications of high-quality plastics, foams and coatings in the fields of mobility, construction, information technology and renewable energies. This is done in close coordination with external scientists, suppliers and customers. The new center, located in the company’s existing polymer research and development center, will support other innovation institutions in the region, attract local talent, and promote knowledge building and dissemination. The employees will work together in international teams, among others with colleagues from the research and development centers in Europe and North America. The new hub is supported by a network of production sites in the Asia / Pacific region. The most important are in Shanghai, Map Ta Phut in Thailand and Niihama in Japan.

The Asia-Pacific region is one of Bayer MaterialScience’s strongest growth regions; more than a quarter of total sales in 2012 were generated there.

FEICA: European Adhesives and Sealants Conference and Expo 2013

The FEICA Annual Conference 2013 will take place from September 11th to 13th in Izmir, Turkey. Numerous international adhesives and sealants experts are expected to use this forum to exchange information on the latest market developments.

The FEICA annual conference is regarded as a jour fixe for the adhesives and sealants industry in Europe. It took place for the first time in 1972 and since then has been an important platform for promoting cooperation between formulators and raw material suppliers in the adhesives and sealants industry. This event brings together experts from leading European companies and opens up extensive opportunities to share experience and knowledge.

This year’s “Business Forum” starts on Thursday, September 12th, under the motto “Adapt and change, the key to growth in Europe”. As the first keynote speaker, the Swedish futurologist Magnus Lindkvist sheds light on trends in the field of consumption, technology and consumer behavior, describes strategies and combines quantitative business factors with visionary art.

The second keynote speaker is the well-known economist Roger Martin-Fagg, who teaches applied economics. Martin-Fagg has extensive knowledge of manufacturing, distribution, financial services and energy and is described as one of the few economists with a keen sense of humor.

In addition, so-called breakout sessions on both days of the event address the following topics:

• Sustainable Development – a 360 ° approach
• Innovations in Hot Melt Technology
• Solutions for Small & Medium Sized Companies – Turning Challenges into Opportunities
• Smart Innovation in Adhesives & Sealants
• Business and Hot Melt
• Advances in Dispersion Adhesive Technology
• Spotlight on Turkey

A tabletop exhibition will take place parallel to the lectures on September 12th and 13th. It offers participants the opportunity to exchange information on the latest developments in the adhesives and sealants industry.

Wagner on course for growth

J. Wagner GmbH, to which Reinhardt-Technik GmbH, which specializes in gluing, sealing and potting, has belonged since the beginning of 2012, reports positive business figures.

Despite the economic downturn, the company was able to increase sales by seven percent in the 2012/13 financial year, which ended on January 31, 2013. The international Wagner Group even recorded growth of eight percent compared to the previous year, despite the very different development of the markets around the world. In Europe – with the exception of the pacemaker Germany – a sideways trend was observed, which resulted from the difficult economic situation, especially in the southern European countries. In contrast, the recovery in the general economy and construction activity in the USA led to positive growth. Overall, sales in the USA grew by double digits. In South America, where both divisions are present, there was also a favorable development. Led by Brazil, both the professional and home improvement business as well as the industrial business grew double-digit. The Asia region again developed very positively in the past financial year with a double-digit increase in sales.

Investments

The focus of investment in the past financial year was in Germany. The Wagner Group invested in both technologies and structures. With the acquisition of Reinhardt-Technik, the know-how in dosing and mixing technology for processing liquid plastics for gluing and sealing was strengthened. The expansion of the production building of Walther Spritz- und Lackiersysteme GmbH in Struthütten and the new construction of an automatic warehouse for small parts at J. Wagner GmbH in Markdorf created the structural prerequisites for further growth of the group. In addition, at the J. Wagner GmbH site in Markdorf, the technical centers and demonstration systems for customers in the areas of industrial powder and wet paint coating as well as handicrafts were comprehensively renewed.

outlook

For the current 2013/14 financial year, the group of companies is faced with a difficult market environment. Nevertheless, double-digit sales growth is expected thanks to new products and a stronger presence with trading partners in the USA. “Developed strategies work and help us to gain market share in the growth regions, especially the USA and the Far East, and to compensate for European weaknesses. The whole thing leads to more stability and growth, also and above all in Germany ”, commented Thorsten Koch, CEO of the Wagner Group.

Krahn Chemie sells dispersions from Celanese Emulsions

With effect from June 1, 2013, Celanese Emulsions GmbH transferred the distribution of its polymer dispersions for applications in the areas of paints, varnishes and adhesives in Germany to the chemical distributor Krahn Chemie. The dispersions, which are known under the trade names Mowilith and Vinamul, are products based on vinyl acetate / ethylene (VAE), vinyl acetate copolymer, acrylate or styrene acrylate. The areas of application for the products are diverse. In the paint and varnish industry, these aqueous binders are used in facade coatings and interior emulsion paints or in industrial applications. They are also used in construction chemistry and in the adhesives industry.

Krahn Chemie has been working with Celanese EVA Performance Polymers on the sale of EVA copolymers since 2010.

Construction of the TDI plant in Dormagen is making progress

The construction of a new production plant for toluene diisocyanate in Chempark Dormagen, announced by Bayer MaterialScience in 2008 and started in spring 2012, has made important construction progress: Six XXL-sized pieces of equipment were transported to the construction site and installed. Among them was the heaviest part of the new system with almost 170 tons. A special crawler crane, the individual parts of which had previously been delivered by 35 trucks, was a prerequisite for assembling the extremely heavy parts.

Otherwise, the construction site in Dormagen is very busy: Several hundred employees are currently involved in the construction of the large-scale plant for the production of toluene diisocyanate (TDI) so that production can start up next year. Most obvious are the advances in the steel structure of the new facility. The TDI system has already reached a height of around 50 meters. Less noticeable – but all the more important – is the installation of the pipelines, for example. The assembly of the more than 60 kilometers of pipes has already started.

Resins and additives are more expensive

As of July 1, 2013, BASF increased prices for resins and additives in Europe, Africa and West Asia by three to ten percent – if existing contractual agreements allowed this. The price adjustments are necessary to compensate for the continued high costs for raw materials, transport and energy.

Rampf Gießharze increases production capacity

The company Rampf Gießharze has responded to the increasing demand for polyurethane and epoxy resin systems by commissioning a new dissolver system and two epoxy tanks.

The new dissolver system enables us to increase our production capacity in the double-digit percentage range so that we can easily meet the increasing demand for polyurethane and epoxy resin systems for at least the next two years, ”said Dr. Klaus Schamel, managing director of Rampf Gießharze. The dissolver system has a capacity of 5000 liters and weighs around 11.6 tons including the machine head. “For the efficient production and manufacture of high-quality products, the system has a process control system that enables fully automatic production,” says Thomas Erne, Head of Rampf Gießharze. Employees from Rampf Gießharze as well as Wurster, Bempflingen, Kammerer Elektrotechnik, Metzingen, and Wilhelm Niemann, Melle were involved in the installation of the system.

ACC hosted Electronics Distributor Seminar

Sixteen distribution partners from all over Europe accepted ACC’s invitation to the second Electronics Distributor Seminar, which took place from June 4th to 6th in Barcelona. The focus of this seminar was on the application-specific advantages of silicone polymers when used in the automotive industry, lighting technology and electronics. Against the background of the advancing miniaturization of electronic assemblies, thermal conduction problems in particular were discussed and thermally conductive silicone materials such as adhesives, gap fillers, potting compounds, gels and composite materials were presented.

New chemical sanctions ordinance

According to the information from the Federal Environment Agency, the sanction options for violations of REACH obligations have been expanded.

From now on: Anyone who violates substance restrictions according to REACH is committing a criminal offense and faces a fine or imprisonment of up to two years. Up to five years imprisonment is possible if the life or health of others or other people’s property of considerable value is intentionally endangered. Anyone who acts improperly, for example by violating the obligation to provide information to commercial customers and consumers, will be fined up to € 50,000. The new Chemical Sanctions Ordinance – ChemSanktionsV – provides for these regulations since May 1st, 2013. It regulates criminal offenses and administrative offenses in connection with various European regulations, including the European chemicals regulation REACH.

Art. 5 of the ChemSanktionsV regulates the criminal offenses with regard to restrictions, Art. 6 of the ChemSanktionsV lists the various individual offenses that can be fined as administrative offenses. The regulatory offenses concern, for example, violations of reporting obligations to the European Chemicals Agency, of various obligations in the supply chain (safety data sheet, downstream users) and of obligations to provide information to customers about substances of particular concern in products.

38th Munich Adhesives and Finishing Symposium

The 38th Munich Adhesives and Finishing Symposium will take place from October 28 to 30, 2013. It is aimed at product and machine manufacturers, formulators, users and end users in the adhesives, printing and converting industries, shows development trends and presents new raw materials, formulations and applications.

The organizers Stephan Hinterwaldner and Dr. Michael RC Gerstenberger has again managed to put together an interesting program. Reports include special adhesive tapes made from UV acrylate hotmelts and the “causal relationship between pneumatic hand applicators and hot melt adhesives”. Furthermore, it will be about additives and what they can do in hotmelts. Other important topics are the sustainable product development of adhesives and new bio-based solutions for tailoring the properties of polyurethane hot melt adhesives. Other exemplary lectures deal with biopolymer coatings for paper and cardboard packaging, with CarboNanoTubes as handy components in the adhesive and with the influence of resin raw materials on the die-cutting behavior.

The planned overview and plenary lecture, which deals with hot melt adhesives as the most successful adhesive technology of the last 50 years, will certainly meet with great interest.Table 1 Events September – October 2013Full size table

BASF completes second REACH phase

BASF was able to successfully complete the second REACH registration phase and suggests using the experience from the first two registration phases to further improve the practicality of REACH.

By the end of the second REACH phase, which ended on May 31 for chemicals with a production volume between 100 and 1,000 tons per year, BASF had submitted around 550 substance dossiers to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) – more than any other company. In phase 1, too, BASF topped the list of registering companies with around 680 substance dossiers. At the end of the last transition period in 2018, BASF expects a total of around 3,500 registrations. 250 employees are working on the implementation of REACH at BASF; the total costs for BASF by 2018 will amount to € 500 million to € 550 million.

Improve practicability

“Both industry and the chemicals agency ECHA, which was founded a few years ago, had to adapt to the new system. It was a learning process that has not yet been completed. In particular when it comes to communication between the registrant and the authorities – both ECHA and the authorities of the EU member states – there is still potential for improvement, ”explains Dr. Karsten Müller, Head of BASF’s Chemical Law Unit. “The experiences from the first two registration phases should be used to further improve the practicality of REACH. In the third registration phase, which is now beginning, with a significantly higher number of substances to be registered, increasingly – and often for the first time – even small and medium-sized companies have to switch to REACH.

For example, the IT systems that ECHA has set up for data collection and that are regularly revised or expanded are complex. So far, BASF has transmitted many millions of individual pieces of data to the ECHA’s electronic data collection system. A safety data sheet, which informs customers about the correct handling of the substance, now comprises up to 140 pages due to the expanded REACH requirements. It used to be a maximum of ten pages.

REACH affects all substances that are currently manufactured in the EU or imported into the EU. They are registered according to their production volume in three phases, each with a different requirement profile (substances larger than 1,000 tons per year; substances larger than 100 tons per year; substances larger than 1 tonne per year). The implementation of REACH is not limited to the registrations. The submitted dossiers must be regularly updated after registration. The industry’s risk assessments are reviewed by ECHA and the authorities of the EU Member States. These evaluations can result in further data requirements and restriction or authorization procedures. The requirements of REACH must be implemented in the production and business processes.

While REACH only applies in Europe, BASF has also set itself the goal of reviewing all risk assessments worldwide for substances and mixtures that BASF sells in quantities of more than one ton by 2020.

Free standards check

To help companies decide which type of standards management is necessary for them, Beuth Verlag is now offering a “standards check” as a new analysis tool  . With this tool, companies can determine their individual needs and receive proposed solutions that meet their own requirements for standards management. The standards check is part of the new “Beuth Standards Management” page, which also provides information about the sense, function and purpose of good standards management. Various practical examples also illustrate the need for a tailor-made solution on the basis of key topics such as “Introduction / audit quality management system”, “Reduction of error rates” and “Up-to-dateness of documents and liability risks”.Show morefrom this box

Efficiently shower off hazardous substances

If large amounts of hazardous substances get on clothing in chemical laboratories, quick action is required. Then the emergency shower is used, which serves to flush the dangerous substance from the body as quickly as possible. Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT in Oberhausen, together with their colleagues from the trade association for raw materials and chemical industry BG RCI, have examined how effectively the showers wash down these substances.

The result: If a lot of water flows through the shower head, this in no way guarantees a particularly short rinsing time – so a lot does not always help a lot. Nor does the form of water distribution, which is specified in German and European standards – how far the jet is fanned out – lead to quick rinsing. The shape of the spray cone therefore does not have the influence that the standards suggest: Showers with a narrower jet than required by the standard performed particularly well. “How good the rinsing effect of the shower is can be better read from other characteristics, in particular the degree of wetting: How well does the shower supply the injured person’s body surface with water? This point has not yet been taken into account in the standards, ”explains Dr. Ulrich Seifert, scientist at Fraunhofer UMSICHT.

The principle of measurement: the researchers installed 34 sensors in a mannequin. To do this, they drilled small holes in the doll and inserted the sensors like plugs. Instead of dousing the doll with real hazardous substances, the scientists use saline solutions: one is thin, the other as tough as honey. If the dummy is “contaminated” with the saline solution, the researchers put it under the shower. The sensors measure how quickly the saline solution is rinsed off at the various parts of the body. This takes place via the electrical conductivity: the core of each sensor are two thin gold wires to which a small alternating voltage is applied. If there is water or saline solution on the sensor, the liquid conducts the current. The magnitude of the current flow tells the researchers

In order to simulate reality in the best possible way, the scientists even took into account that when rinsing, you hold the affected part of the body in the water jet and move a little. To do this, they moved the respective shower head back and forth over the doll. For most of the 15 shower heads examined, the following applies: In less than a minute, the substance is so diluted that there is no longer any risk of chemical burns with a real acid or base.

German adhesives industry expects 3 percent sales growth

The IVK annual conference in Hamburg was dominated by the economic recovery. A total of 251 representatives from 88 of 123 member companies attended this year’s association conference to find out about economic trends and current association activities.

Traditionally, the adhesives market in Germany has grown faster than the gross domestic product. According to a recent survey, the German adhesives industry expects sales growth of 3 percent overall across all target industries for the current year despite economic uncertainties. In addition to private consumption, the growth drivers are foreign trade, which particularly benefits from the strong demand for German products outside the euro area. In addition, the low interest rates encourage residential construction and encourage investment. The main risks for growth in Germany lie in the European banking and economic crisis, in the continuation of the – meanwhile weakened – rise in prices for raw materials and in the shortage of skilled workers.

Training offensive

Last but not least, in order to combat the shortage of skilled workers, training is becoming more and more important among the numerous topics that the association deals with for its members. The association has taken an initiative in the context of which schoolchildren and students are to be made aware of future-oriented job profiles in the adhesives industry. This “adhesive industry training campaign” also ensured that the adhesive industry was included in the “Elementary Diversity” campaign of the German Chemical Employers’ Association (BAVC). When describing the various job profiles (chemical technician, chemical laboratory technician, etc.), it is now also pointed out that adhesive companies provide training accordingly. The training campaign “Come on sticking …” is available as a film. There is also the website www. komm-kleben.de, which serves both as a communication platform and as a job and training portal for young professionals. This internet platform provides information on training opportunities, job profiles, vacancies – and provides background information on the industry and the individual adhesive companies. As a further element, the campaign uses social networks such as B. Facebook.

This training program of the association is rounded off by the interactive guideline “Gluing – but right”, developed together with IFAM, which is made available on the Internet. An English version is also available.

Together with the FWU (media authority of the federal states), the industrial association has successfully implemented the two instructional DVDs “Basics of Gluing” and “Gluing in Crafts and Industry”. The DVDs contain various films that describe the basics of gluing, the execution of professional gluing processes and the gluing of wood, metal and plastic using various practical examples. In addition, the DVDs have interactive learning controls.

BASF and Sinopec strengthen cooperation

BASF and Sinopec want their 50-50 joint venture, BASF-YPC Company Ltd., founded in 2000. in Nanjing / China. The expansion of the existing ethylene oxide (EO) production and the construction of a new production facility for neopentyl glycol (NPG) are being examined. BASF-YPC is also expanding the value chain for acrylic acid with additional plants for acrylic acid and butyl acrylate. Production is scheduled to start in 2014.

Acrylic acid is an important precursor for the manufacture of superabsorbents. Butyl acrylate, an ester of acrylic acid, is used in the manufacture of adhesives and paints.

Cracks glow under UV light

BAM scientists have developed a process with which cracks, for example in weld seams, can be detected quickly, easily and, above all, with great certainty at an early stage. The functionality is based on the use of an adhesive that is processed for the fluorescent coating.

Detecting cracks in structures as early as possible, for example, not only improves safety, but also brings enormous cost advantages when it comes to repairs. The solution could be a process developed at BAM in which cracks glow under UV light.

This innovative process is called crack luminescence, in which possible weak points at which cracks can occur are painted with a thin fluorescent coating and provided with a thin cover layer. If the cover layer is intact, no fluorescence is visible. When the substrate cracks, both coatings are torn open so that the cracks of the fluorescent layer are exposed. In the dark or when the area is darkened, the crack glows under black light irradiation. The process was developed by BAM scientist Milad Mehdianpour. So far, he has relied on commercially available materials. The adhesive used for the fluorescent coating has been used for attaching strain gauges for years. The powder is mixed with a little fluorescent powder (as you would use it in bank notes). There is also a hardening liquid. Then the solution must be applied promptly to the area to be examined – for example with a roller or a brush. The area can then be covered with a thick black felt-tip pen.

However, the procedure can also be changed quickly if necessary. One project partner is experimenting with graphite spray as a top layer, for example. An adhesive tape that combines both coatings (indicator and cover layer) is also conceivable. “It is important to have an adhesive bond between the two layers and the substrate and that the layers are as thin as possible,” says Mehdianpour. And just as important: “The adhesive layer has no influence on the body to be examined”. The process was developed on steel; according to Mehdianpour, however, it could also be transferred to other metals.

Mehdianpour reports how important early detection of a crack is: “While a crack is very small at the beginning and only grows a little, for example one millimeter a year, it can be more than a millimeter per month towards the end of its service life”. The new procedure serves to make the inspection a little more reliable. Testing in practice is still pending. The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the University of Stuttgart are currently experimenting with the new method. Further partners are being sought

KVT-Koenig with a new CEO

Alparslan Kütükçüoglu takes over the function of CEO of KVT-Koenig AG, Dietikon. This completes the management team of the KVT-Koenig Group again. After the sale of the joining technology division and the departure of the former CEO Christoph Eisenhardt, Jürg E. Wenger, Chief Financial Officer, and Robert Hollinger, Head of Sealing Technology, took over the management of the company on an interim basis.

After completing his degree in mechanical engineering at the ETH Zurich, Alparslan Kütükçüoglu gained broad experience in various engineering, project and corporate management positions – among others at Sulzer, Saurer, RMB / myonic and the Wampfler Group. As of 2004, the Swiss and Turkish citizen specialized in his own cariae AG, Zurich, in shorter and longer-term management assignments at companies in Switzerland and abroad, where he successfully applied his technical training and management experience. From 2011 he was a member of the group management at Wifag-Polytype Holding, responsible for the development of new business areas.

Alparslan Kütükçüoglu, together with the established management team – Jürg E. Wenger as Chief Financial Officer and Robert Hollinger as Chief Operating Officer – will continue to implement the strategic focus, particularly on the sealing business.

Weiss Chemie + Technik is investing heavily

In order to be prepared for the future, the company Weiss Chemie + Technik, which specializes in the production of adhesives and sandwich elements, has made some investments. A few weeks ago, for example, four additional large tanks, each with a capacity of 55 m ³installed to stock key raw materials for the production of PUR and acrylate adhesive systems. At almost the same time, two further major investments were put into operation – with the aim of expanding production capacities for various adhesives. These are two robot-assisted packaging lines that are used in the production of cyanoacrylate adhesives and PVC adhesives in order to accelerate the filling and packaging process. Thus, in the medium term, a capacity volume has been created that roughly corresponds to the current double-digit growth volume of the two product groups.

Around half of all adhesives and adhesive sealants are produced for customers who sell them under their own brand. At Weiss, this requires an enormous storage volume for individual packaging materials such as bottles, cartridges, tubes and cardboard boxes. In order to meet the increasing demand for private label products, also to be able to deliver under the aspect of “just in time”, the construction of a further warehouse on an area of ​​around 1300 m ² started in June , which will offer space for 1,100 Euro pallets .

Weiss is also investing heavily in process technology in the sandwich elements division. A few hundred thousand euros have currently been invested in a fully automated restacking portal. Only through largely fully automated manufacturing processes can a consistently high quality and economic efficiency be achieved that existed in international competition.

Weiss now employs 290 people at three production sites in Germany.

Bodo Möller branches under new management

Specialty chemicals expert Lionel Breuilly recently took over the management of the French and Benelux branches of the Bodo Möller Chemie Group.

Show morefrom this box

BASF bundles plastic specialties

Dr. Martin Brudermüller, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF SE, gave an overview of the company’s focus in the plastics business at the specialist press conference on June 25 and 26, 2013 in Ludwigshafen.

BASF wants to continue to grow faster than the market with its customer-oriented plastics as well as large-volume monomers and base polymers. By bundling all plastic specialties in the newly created Performance Materials division, the focus on customer requirements will be sharpened. BASF is strengthening its business with plastic specialties through production expansions, new plants and acquisitions, but is also investing in basic products such as MDI and TDI. When opening up new growth markets such as wind energy, BASF uses its knowledge network. An innovative mass balance approach enables the company to offer already existing sales products based on renewable raw materials.

The Performance Materials division is the new BASF platform for materials. As division manager, Raimar Jahn reported on the organization, goals and future of the division that was newly created in January 2013. In order to differentiate according to business models and customer requirements, units with a customer and industry focus are now more separated from units with a chemical and production focus. Performance Materials bundles the material know-how and the innovative, customer-oriented plastics from BASF under one roof like never before. This holistic approach and the dismantling of interfaces make it possible to offer special solutions and services. The aim is to continue to grow profitably while serving the established sales markets even better, Participate in attractive growth markets and develop new business areas. In the first quarter of 2013, Performance Materials posted sales of 1.6 billion euros.