Biomass plays pioneering role for BASF

Friedrichshafen, Germany — Manufacturers looking for a sustainable circuit breaker caught a big break at Fakuma 2024.

At the event, materials firm BASF and electronics giant Siemens presented a circuit breaker with components made from biomass-balanced plastics. Officials said the circuit breaker is the first electrical safety product to contain components made from biomass-balanced plastics.

In making the circuit breaker, fossil resources are being replaced by biomethane obtained from agricultural waste. Bio-based grades of BASF's Ultramid nylon and Ultradur PBT are used in the application.

"There's no difference in performance," BASF senior sustainability manager Oliver Geiger said Oct. 17. "We've replaced the feedstock and provided performance that's exactly the same."

Geiger added the new circuit breaker has a carbon footprint that's 30-40 percent lower than standard products. Testing on the circuit breaker has been completed, and it's now commercially available.

Also at Fakuma, BASF officials said the firm is using waste streams that offer post-industrial recycled material to make several Elastollan TPU grades with 30-100 percent recycled TPU. Also available is bio-based Elastollan TPU, which officials said is made with renewable-sourced material featuring identical building blocks.

For electric vehicles, BASF is providing engineering plastics for durable and powerful electric motors. Officials said the firm's Ultrasim simulation and part testing allows customers to develop next generation e-motors while meeting production targets and market expectations for sustainability and energy efficiency.

BASF, based in Ludwigshafen, Germany, is a major supplier of specialty plastics and many chemical products. The firm posted sales of almost $75 billion in 2023.