BASF brings polyamide solutions based on renewable feedstock to the world of fashion

Ultramid® polyamide derived from renewable feedstock helps save fossil resources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Maintains trusted Ultramid® quality and technical properties

BASF offers a high performance Ultramid® polyamide, which is derived from renewable raw materials, to the textile industry. Italon, a Taiwan based textile manufacturer, is the first company to use this new solution to produce yarns. With an innovative method, called the mass balance approach, BASF replaces 100% of the fossil feedstock required to manufacture Ultramid® polyamide with certified renewable material, while maintaining the same high performance properties. The use of bio-feedstock helps to save fossil resources and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

“Consumers are becoming more aware of how their clothing is made, what kind of raw materials are used in the production process and their impact on the environment,” said Dr. Ramkumar Dhruva, Senior Vice President, Monomers Asia Pacific, BASF. “The mass balance method is a groundbreaking way of creating fashion for sustainability-conscious consumers, without the need to modify the production processes or technologies along the value chain.”

With the mass balance approach, products are manufactured in an innovative way that allows replacing fossil feedstock with renewable raw material at the beginning of BASF’s existing integrated production system. The bio-feedstock is then allocated to the respective sales product, such as Ultramid®. The formulation remains the same and the quality is identical to the product made from fossil-based resources. An independent certification issued by TÜV SÜD confirms the use of the required amount of renewable raw materials needed to produce the product. “With the TÜV SÜD certification, we can be assured that the right amount of bio-feedstock has been used in the BASF production site for every single ton of mass-balanced product we purchase. This also ensures our customers that we can produce high quality, fossil resource-saving products for them to use,” said Huang Ming Hsiang, Chairman of Italon Co., Ltd.

With more than 60 years of experience, BASF is the leading supplier of high quality polyamide and polyamide intermediates for the engineering plastics, film, fiber and monofilament industry. Yarns made from Ultramid® polyamide are the material of choice for a wide range of superior quality textiles, from clothing, hosiery to swimwear and high-tech outdoor garments.

Thanks to its outstanding chemical properties, Ultramid® combines easy processability, brilliant and durable colors with high strength in both fiber and fabric, guaranteeing high processing speeds with outstanding yields and homogenous dye shade. By providing the high quality products, chemical processes, scientific research, and technical competences, BASF is capable of satisfying customers with service and product innovations.

BASF operates Ultramid® polymerization plants in Ludwigshafen, Germany; Antwerp, Belgium; Freeport, USA; São Paulo, Brazil as well as a new production plant in Shanghai, China to be started up in 2015.

About BASF

At BASF, we create chemistry – and have been doing so for 150 years. Our portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. As the world’s leading chemical company, we combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF had sales of over €74 billion in 2014 and around 113,000 employees as of the end of the year. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN).