Jun 14 2006
Plastics are maintenance-free, they are durable and afford freedom of design – these are the reasons why they are replacing traditional construction materials such as stone, wood, clay or metal. And whenever materials have to last for a long time, the market requires support services along the entire value-added chain. This is why June 1 of this year marked the date when BASF launched in Europe a service package for Luran® S that is tailor-made to the requirements of manufacturers of building and construction components made of coextruded PVC/ASA. The service package also includes a long-term color assurance. Luran® S is an acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate copolymer (ASA) and is a member of the PlasticsPlus™ product line of the Styrenics Operating Division.
Assurance of UV stability for more than 5 years
BASF’s new service package is specially geared towards the manufacturers of visible construction elements made of PVC. The outdoor sector calls for extremely weathering-resistant plastics that retain their colors even after years and that do not turn yellow or chalk. “The secret behind the extraordinary UV stability of Luran S is its special acrylate-based rubber. As a result, Luran S retains its color virtually without any maintenance, even after many years,” explains Dr. Michael Breulmann of BASF’s Marketing Development for Specialty Polymers. Over a prolonged period of time, simple PVC construction elements, especially those in dark colors, lose their color, which is why they are coated with a covering layer of ASA. This is precisely where BASF’s service package comes in. It assures that PVC elements coated with Luran S will remain UV-stable for a duration of more than 5 years under climate conditions that are typical of Central Europe. An integral part of this package is the assurance of replacement of the goods value of the raw granules at the time of purchase if defined color deviations are exceeded due to exposure to ultraviolet light. This package also includes application support in the form of color consulting and provision of color samples within 48 hours for volume orders of at least 15 tons per year.
BASF is providing these assurances for 15 different color tones to start with. This applies in conjunction with four different Luran S grades. Special requirements in terms of heat resistance are met by Luran S B&C 778TE and in terms of impact resistance by Luran S B&C 797SE. The assurances apply also to the high-gloss product Luran S B&C KR 2859 for exterior facades or window sections as well as to the matt Luran S B&C 776SE. The suffix B&C stands for "building and construction".
More reliability for the customer
“With this service package, we are helping our customers to minimize the risk of complaints, thus also reducing system costs over the long run,” explains Dr. Peter Wolf, responsible for Business Management Specialty Polymers, and he goes on to say, “This package also shows how we, under the “PlasticsPlus” umbrella, consistently enhance the benefits that our specialties bring to the value-added chains of our customers.”
PlasticsPlus™
BASF has bundled a product line of specialty plastics under the umbrella of PlasticsPlus™, comprising high-performance styrene plastics, biodegradable materials and foams. Whenever exacting requirements have to be met, the experts and products of PlasticsPlus™ offer a high level of diversity, reliability, partnership and innovative solutions.