• Valeras represents BASF’s plastic additives’ offerings with a high sustainability value
• It includes the new range of products that help close the loop in plastics’ circularity

September 13, 2022 – BASF has focused the sustainable solutions of its plastic additives’ portfolio under the new global brand Valeras. The company will showcase Valeras for its plastic additives portfolio for the first time at K 2022. According to the company, Valeras adds value to plastic applications by delivering significant sustainability benefits with additive technical solutions and services. Among these are solutions to accelerate the plastics journey to a circular economy and net zero emissions.

Valeras bundles the company’s longtime experience, innovative solutions, and regulatory support with the aim to increase the sustainability of plastics along the entire polymer value chain. Later this year, the portfolio will expand to include the company’s additive packages for mechanically recycled plastics and their applications.

“The trend towards sustainability has been accelerating, driven by consumer demand and more stringent legislation. Our customers are facing increasing pressure regarding sustainable innovations and challenges of plastics recyclability,” says Dr. Thomas Kloster, President, Performance Chemicals, BASF. “With Valeras, we create new value for plastics by supporting our customers on their sustainability journey with novel solutions and services. Valeras shows our broader ambition: to establish a platform that covers all our additive solutions that contribute to the sustainability goals of our customers.”

Valeras includes BASF’s existing plastic additives that bring a sustainability value to plastic applications by improving durability, saving energy, reducing emissions, and promoting biodiversity.

At K 2022, BASF will also present its latest addition to the Valeras portfolio, Product Carbon Footprints (PCF) of several antioxidants and light stabilizers as a premium service. This complements the recently launched solutions IrgaCycle and RegXcellence. These offerings, along with other novel additive solutions, will be showcased in a series of “Creator Talks” being held at the BASF stand (Hall 5, booth C21/D21).

“Trends in plastic innovation are changing rapidly, driven across the different industries by legislation and higher consumer awareness. As an ongoing effort to create new value for plastics, we proactively collaborate with our customers to develop sustainable solutions that contribute to the make, use, and recycle phases of a plastic’s lifecycle,” said Dr. Achim Sties, Senior Vice President, Performance Chemicals Europe, BASF. “We believe that with our proven track record in additives, coupled with our customer's knowledge of the applications, we will be able to solve the current challenges the industry is facing and deliver innovative solutions to meet tomorrow’s needs. We invite visitors to K 2022 and “Go!Create” together with us.”

New sustainable solutions

BASF will be showcasing various new sustainable additives solutions at K 2022:

Rotomolded products are commonly used for outdoor applications such as water storage tanks. Extreme weather is very damaging to the properties of these applications. Designed specifically for polyethylene rotational molding resins, the tailored additive package from the Irgastab range extends the service life of rotomolded parts, and also saves time, energy and costs during processing, BASF claims.

The company says its Irgatec CR technology enables the creation of advanced meltblown nonwoven materials which fulfill the increasing requirements defined for both personal hygiene and filter applications. With Irgatec CR 25, BASF introduces a solution targeting PP meltblown modification, which is of high interest for filtration materials. BASF says the solution can be implemented directly by the meltblown producers without additional investment in their existing line, thus enabling a faster-to-market solution for specialty PP nonwoven products.

Additives are key enablers for circular plastics and to drive innovation for recyclability. The recently launched IrgaCycle range includes additives solutions that are specifically designed to improve the properties of mechanically recycled plastics for different target industries. BASF claims recyclers can benefit from higher quality of recyclates whereas converters can increase recycled content in their applications. IrgaCycle tackles challenges like gel formation, mitigates the impact of impurities and improves mechanical performance by enhancing process stability, BASF says.

Sustainability journey continues

As an extension to the Valeras portfolio, BASF is now offering its plastic additives customers product carbon footprints for several antioxidants and light stabilizers as a premium service via the myPlasticAdditives online portal. Customers using this service will be provided with greenhouse gas emission information starting with raw material extraction right up to the point a product leaves the BASF factory gates. With the additional transparency, BASF helps its customers to prioritize carbon savings actions, validate sustainability claims for creating low carbon plastics, and increasingly make sustainable purchasing decisions.

Platform for industry players to exchange ideas

In a series of “Creator Talks” at its booth featured under MAKE – USE – RECYCLE, BASF will showcase projects with technology leaders where strong collaboration and open exchange have enabled customers to overcome technical challenges. The BASF plastic additives experts will also share insights into innovative applications for packaging, automotive, building and construction.

BASF is a leading supplier of plastic additives. The company says its product portfolio includes additives that provide ease in processing, and heat and light resistance to a variety of polymers and applications including molded articles, films, fibers, sheets, and extruded profiles. The portfolio is constantly analyzed, assessed and actively improved towards solutions which make a larger contribution to sustainability. BASF plastic additives is part of BASF’s Performance Chemicals division.

Having around 111,000 employees, BASF has a portfolio that comprises six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €78.6 billion in 2021. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S.

Source: BASF