German chemical and biotech giant BASF is now offering a range of plasticisers for the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) industry made from organic waste and vegetable oils, the company announced on 15 April.
PVC is one of the most widely used polymers in the world.
BASF’s new biomass balanced (BMB) plasticisers – Hexamoll DINCH BMB, Palatinol N BMB, Palatinol 10-P BMB and Plastomoll DOA BMB – use bio-naptha or biogas made from organic waste or vegetable oils in place of fossil fuels.
The company has also launched Hexamoll DINCH Ccycled – a non-phthalate plasticiser based on chemically recycled feedstock – which uses pyrolysis oil from non-recycled plastic waste in place of fossil fuels.
“The mass balance approach enables us to process renewable and recycled feedstocks together with fossil raw materials in our existing efficient production network and to allocate their share to specific products,” BASF head of marketing plasticisers (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Diana Brunnenkant said.
As the new range had the same specifications and technical properties as regular plasticisers, additional sampling or release testing was not required, the company said.
Plasticisers are used in a range of applications, including films, insulation for cables and ducts, coatings, flooring and hoses. They are also used in the production of toys, medical products, sports and leisure equipment and food packaging.
BASF’s portfolio is organised into six segments: chemicals; materials; industrial solutions; surface technologies; nutrition & care and agricultural solutions.
