T h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l p l a s t i c s m a g a z i n e f r o m B A S F

2 / 9 9

L u x u r y : p l a s t i c p a c k a g i n g f o r c o s m e t i c sS c re w s : t h e a r t o f b l e n d i n g

R o n f a l i n : B A S F p u rc h a s e s A B S b u s i n e s s f ro m D S M

2

T i t l e

Pure

continued P. 4

The first thing to strike anyone from today sent back

in time to a medieval town in Europe would proba-

bly be the smell. Hygiene was not high on the list

of our forefathers’ priorities: no perfumed soap, no deodo-

rants, no sweet-smelling powders, no aftershave.

It was not until the end of the 14th century that the first

perfume was produced, in Venice. The fashion in the next

two centuries were pomanders, made of gold or silver and

filled with fragrant essences. They were carried on the

body, on the belt or on a chain, and in their artistic design

were the predecessors of today’s lavish plastic perfume

bottles. Modern attitudes also applied then: beauty and

taking the trouble to appear beautiful were expressions of

luxury. This is still reflected today in the packaging – rarely

in the contents.

P las t i c s make new unusua l shapes poss ib l e

In the 17th century, perfume containers were made of

glass. By the 18th century, porcelain had become an alter-

native. Now, in the 20th century, plastic is replacing

traditional materials. BASF, as a raw materials producer, is

playing its part, supplying plastics for perfume bottles, and

containers for cosmetics and hygiene products.

„Glass is still a very popular material amongst designers“,

but if the designers want to give their bottles or jars more

The des i re to beat t ract ive, andhow plast ic pack-aging can he lp

LUXURY

Whether Terlux for Givenchy andJP Gaultier or Terluran for Dior:BASF plastics with their glossy,scratch-resistant surfaces withspecial-effect colouring and pleasant handiness, appeal tocustomers.

plast ics 2 99 3

polystyrene is natu-

rally transparent,

Lucryl being the closest

to the traditional material

glass in appearance and feel.

„This is often known as acrylic

glass, and is particularly rigid and

scratch-resistant, but on the other

hand is more brittle and sensitive“ .

Glossy, sc ra t ch- res i s t an t ,w i t h me ta l f l akes o r

mo the r-o f -pea r l

Transparent materials also have the

advantage of being easier to colour

than opaque plastics. „The colour is

also much deeper“. An interesting

material for designers is tough Terlux,

which is suitable for special-effect

colours, such as metal flakes or

mother-of-pearl, which make the

material more brittle. Opaque Terluran

in turn has the advantage of enabling

particularly intense colours to be pro-

duced in a multitude of shades – with

a good price/performance ratio.

These plastics all feature scratch-

resistant, shiny surfaces. BASF pla-

stics give designers plenty of free-

dom for visual appeal: they can be

coloured and metallized, electropla-

ted, printed and laser-inscribed, and

Mascarafrom YvesSaint Laurent,

attractivelypackaged with

Lucryl.

4

unusual shapes, they are, better and

cheaper off with plastic. „A good

example is the bottle for Gaultier’s

‘Madonna’ perfume. The French

manufacturer Techpack could not

have made the characteristic

copper-coloured body in this

complex shape in

any other material

than Terlux®“.

Terlux (MABS),

Luran® (SAN),

Terluran®

(ABS),

Lucryl® (PMMA) and

polystyrene are the most important

products purchased from BASF by

manufacturers of cosmetic packa-

ging. The list of brand-names whose

packaging contains BASF plastics

reads like a who’s who of the cosme-

tics industry, stretching from Dior and

Clarins via Beiersdorf, L’Oreal and

Estee Lauder to Wella, Yves Saint

Laurent and Yves Rocher.

An important factor in the choice of a

material is of course its appearance.

In contrast to Terluran, packaging

made from Luran, Terlux, Lucryl and

4

p l a s t i c s i n s i d e

Men and cosmetics -two worlds?

By far the majority of our

readers are men, as

“Plastics” goes primarily to

materials scientists, engineers

and buyers - and these are still

mostly male preserves. In spite

of this, we have chosen

“Cosmetics” as our cover story

as the frequently complex

shapes involved in cosmetics

packaging are a challenge to

any technician.

The market for luxury packaging

is tiny compared with the

automotive market, for example.

However, it is demanding. And

these demands can be met

using BASF plastics.

However, since BASF is not only

a plastics producer, but also

makes equally good profits with

chemicals, “Plastics” takes a

peek at the outside world and

describes how BASF produces

the ingredients for cosmetics,

namely fragrances, vitamins and

auxiliaries.

We hope you enjoy

reading this issue.

Simple shapes need appealing material : Luran for Chanel.

continued from p. 2

5plast ics 2 99

T i t l e

allow velvet and cool effects. Our

plastics for the cosmetics industry

are all resistant to chemicals. After

all, cosmetics often contain alcohol,

fats or other constituents which

could easily attack the packaging.

Another material which needs to be

durable is Ultraform® (POM), as it is

used in many atomizers: „The

material is resistant to chemicals and

is also dimensionally stable, which is

necessary to prevent the tiny spray

hole from closing as a result of swel-

ling“. The broad field of packaging

for lotions, shampoos, shower gels

and creams usually uses coextruded

bottles. Blow-moulded polyethylene

containers, which have excellent

chemical resistance and low-

temperature impact strength.

The surface of polyethylene is not

very attractive, so many manu-

facturers use our Ultramid as a shiny

coating. This gives the bottle a

glossy,

scratch-resistant surface, and the

polyamide acts as an oxygen barrier,

protecting the contents against oxi-

dation and also preventing the fra-

grance from escaping.

As transparent asglass, but more

stable:cream potsfor YvesRocher

Ul t ramid – he lp ing bod ies look good

Most injection moulders only know Ultramid® as

granules which are tipped into the moulds to make

the casing of power drills, inlet manifolds or similar

relatively large parts. But Ultramid can also be con-

verted into fibres, in which form it makes a sparkling

appearance in bathing and swimming: Ultramid BS

(nylon 6) is highly suitable for the spinning of fibres for

swimsuits. Apart from this, Ultramid BS fibres are also

made into carpets and tights, fishing nets and

parachutes.

Ultramid products are especially suitable for high-

speed spinning, so increasing the package yield. The

yarn is extremely easy to dye and is light- and heat-

stable, so offering the ideal prerequisites for high-

quality, stripe-free fabrics – showing a good figure,

for example, in the best possible light.

F i b r e - g r a d e p o l y m e r s f o r s w i m s u i t s

F i b r e s

6

It all startswith a bottle

The consumer does not buy

because of the product, but

because of the presentation.”

The man who says this knows what he

is talking about. Joël Desgrippes is the

founder of the international design

agency Desgrippes Gobé & Associa-

tes (DGA), whose clients include IBM

and Coca-Cola as well as brands such

as Kenzo, Cartier, Boucheron, Betty

Barclay, Beiersdorf Nivea and Sans

Soucis. The world of perfumes and

cosmetics is an area where it is not the

contents that determine the design,

but the design that determines the

contents. The designer first starts by

creating the concept and form, and

the professional noses then develop

the perfume to match.

”A customer who wants to launch a

new perfume on the market comes to

us with an idea of which target group

he would like to address and how he

would like to position his product on

the market”, explains Corine Restrepo,

packaging designer at DGA. The trend

analysts at the agency then create the

product concept which matches the

consumer profile, using a creative

method developed by the agency cal-

led ”SenseÒ”, which stands for ”Sen-

sory Exploration and Need States Eva-

luation”.

They find out which needs and expec-

tations characterize the target group.

D e s i g n

Designers he lp determine whether a f ragrance is a success

What feelings should be associated

with a product? Should it be luxurious

or more sporty? Soft or sharp? And

finally, together with the designers,

they apply themselves to the question

of how to create brand identity. When

these questions have been answered,

the designers start their real work.

Consumer p ro f i l e f o r pe r f ume and bo t t l e

”Firstly, we consider which shapes,

colours and materials, which acces-

sories, awake the desired feelings in

the consumers”, explains designer

Restrepo. A number of concepts are

developed in this way. Of the preli-

minary rough designs, the practical

ones are selected - always together

with the customers and trend collea-

gues. ”It is then time to produce the

first 3D models from plastic foam.”

In consultation with possible manu-

facturers, the designers then check

the suitability of various materials

(feasibility and cost study). And final-

ly, a model which looks exactly like

the later product is produced from

acrylic, for example BASF Lucryl®.

And perfume and packaging together

ultimately evoke the feelings that

marketing experts and trend ana-

lysts, designers and ”noses” were

aiming at.

Design influences purchasing behaviour Joël Desgrippes, the founder of the FrenchAgency DGA.

7

B e a u t y

In or out – this is not a question of fashion for BASF: In

cosmetic products, they are often inside and outside.

On the outside, plastics in the form of pots and tubes

form the packaging, and the cosmetics themselves often

contain BASF fragrances, active ingredients and auxi-

liaries which are amongst the world leaders in this field.

Most commercial perfumes – no matter how expensive –

cannot manage without industrially produced fragrances.

BASF markets around 100: products like anisaldehyde

(„sweet, flowery, hawthorn“), and citral (“fresh, citrus-like,

green, lemon peel”). Phenylethyl alcohol, for example, has

a mild floral, hyacinth- or honey-like scent, while

cyclohexylethyl acetate a fruity floral, green odour,

reminiscent of raspberries and apple.

With around 150 auxiliaries and active ingredients, BASF

also helps with skin and hair care. With new Luvigel® EM,

for example. This

thickener makes

gels, creams

and body

lotions more viscous, stopping them running off like

water. „This innovative liquid thickener can be

incorporated more quickly and saves the cosmetics

manufacturer time and money“, explains Dr. Petra

Neumann from Technical Marketing at Ludwigshafen.

Excessive exposure to sunlight is prevented by Uvinul® T

150. „The UV filter offers the highest light protection

currently available in suncreams“, says Dr. Karin Sperling,

underlining its advantages.

Vitamin products such as retinol (vitamin A) and vitamin C

phosphate counter the skin aging process. They prevent

cell damage caused by free radicals and UV rays. They

also promote collagen formation, so improving skin

elasticity.

I n c reams and shampoos,cond i t i one r s and sp rays

However, intense sunlight not only

irritates the skin, but also stresses the

hair. This is why many manufacturers of

care products use panthenol. This

provitamin B5 penetrates deep

into the hair structure, improves

elasticity and combability and

protects the hair against dry-

ing out. Luviquat® Care, on

the other hand, protects the

hair surface in conditioners,

shampoos, sprays and dyes

and not only makes wet hair easy

to comb, but also prevents static

and flyaway hair and gives the cut

body and hold – the style stays in

place. In any weather.

Fine fragrances, effective auxil iariesA b road range o f BASF p roduc t s fo r t he cosme t i cs i ndus t r y

plast ics 2 99

8

The recycling of packaging waste is regulated at

a European level by the EU Packaging Directive,

which came into force at the end of 1994. It

prescribes that, by the year 2001, at least half of all

packaging - whether plastic or metal - must be re-

cycled or incinerated for energy recovery. At least a

quarter must be recycled.

The various EU states have incorporated the 1994

directive into national law in quite different ways. There

are significant differences in the methods used, ranging

in the case of plastics waste from incineration of hou-

sehold packaging together with other waste (energy

recovery), as in the Netherlands, to collection, sorting

and recycling of even small items of packaging

(Germany).

The ”g reen do t ”i s w idesp read

In Belgium, Germany, France, Ireland, Luxemburg,

Austria, Portugal and Spain, recycling is regulated with

the aid of licensing through the ”green dot”, which

appears on around 460 billion items of packaging per

year across Europe. Although in most countries the

green dot is restricted to retail packaging for house-

holds, it can, in Austria for example, also be used for

commercial and industrial packaging. Other countries

finance the collection and recycling in other ways, for

example in Denmark by means of special waste fees.

The 1994 EU directive stipulates that the targets must

be re-examined after five years. The states are there-

fore currently discussing whether the recycling rates for

the individual packaging materials should be raised.

”We are concerned to see that, in order to meet

quotas, there is a growing trend in the recycling of

plastics only to allow restricted use of feedstock

recycling methods”, says Dr. Thomas Plesnivy, respon-

sible for questions concerning plastics and the environ-

ment at BASF. This would favour mechanical recycling,

i.e. the remelting of used plastic to give new moulded

articles.

”It has been shown that feedstock recycling and energy

recovery are ecologically appropriate methods of

recycling plastic packaging waste and are superior to

mechanical recycling methods if the waste is soiled or

of mixed types“, emphasizes Plesnivy. There is there-

fore no ecological justification for preferring mechanical

recycling. There is therefore no recognizable benefit for

the significant cost increase this causes.

About 66 million metric tonnes of packaging is consumed annually in western Europe. Plastics account for about 17 percent of them.

Different countries, different conceptsT h e E U P a c k a g i n g D i r e c t i v e i s a p p l i e d d i f f e r e n t l y a c r o s s E u r o p e

L e g i s l a t i o n

BASF’s R&D employees

stepped up the pace again

in 1998: they were re-

sponsible for 1,075 new patent

applications worldwide, 141 more

than in the previous year. This has

enabled BASF to maintain its leading

position amongst major chemical

companies. By the end of 1998, the

company held a total of around

90,000 patents and patent applicati-

ons, about 8,000 more than at the

end of 1997. This increase is primarily

attributable to a larger number of for-

eign filings.

Of the new applications in 1998, 37

percent came from BASF’s Plastics &

Fibers segment. Life sciences,

covering products for

health and nutrition,

pharmaceuticals,

fine chemicals

and

crop protection, came next with 23

percent. Colorants & Finishing Pro-

ducts accounted for 21 percent, and

the Chemicals segment 13 percent.

The remaining 6 percent came from

other units, such as process enginee-

ring and information technology.

DM 2.6 b i l l i on fo r r esea rch

The figures for patent applications

relate only to inventions which were

first filed at a national patent office – in

most cases at the German Patent and

Trademark Office in Munich. They

form the basis for further

applications throughout the world. On

average, a BASF patent provides pro-

tection in 14 countries. In the year

2000, BASF will achieve at least one

fifth of its sales (excluding the Oil &

Gas segment) with products launched

during the last five years. The cost? In

1998 alone, the company spent

around DM 2.6 billion.

p last ics 2 99 9

R e s e a r c h

Researchersat the top Number o f pa ten t app l i ca t i ons i nc reases

aga in i n 1998

Automatic laboratory equipment for routineoperations. Speed is of the essencewhen it comes to patent applications.

BASF researchersput in a lot of headwork. The results in 1998:1,075 first-filedpatent applications.

10

The screws make the differenceBASF pilot plant optimizes processes for the production of compounds, blends and mixtures

T e c h n i c a l

Whether plastics or

detergents, pharma-

ceutical activestet

compounds or animal feeds –

BASF’s compounding pilot plant

employs around 40 people

dedicated to the art of com-

pounding. In general, their job is

to process two or more

substances under optimum con-

ditions in a type of mincer, the

extruder.

Where b l end ing i s an a r t

For plastics, this means using

the compounding pilot plant to

carry out small-scale trials to

determine the best conditions

for incorporation of glass fibers

into the Ultramid® (PA) raw

material. The incorporation of

additives into the raw product,

which sounds so simple to the

layman, is actually extremely

difficult: for example, not every

material withstands the

temperature necessary to melt the

blend components sufficiently to

allow them to be mixed inten-

sively and then granulated.

„Every researcher who has an idea

for a new formulation variant, for

example using a new flame

retardant, comes to us. We test

whether the formulation can be

converted into a practical product

using standard commercial

equipment and whether the

conditions can be applied later on

a production scale“, says Jürgen

Hofmann, responsible for com-

pounding and high-viscosity

technology in plastics research.

This means that every new pro-

duct will pass through the compo-

unding pilot plant at some stage.

The extruders of various sizes can

process from 500 grams to 300

kilograms of material per hour.

Qu ick ass i s t ance fo rcus tomers

Another function is described by

the Head of the Pilot Plant,

Armin Kurps: „If a customer calls

the Technical Service Department

and says that the plastic he uses

in injection moulding sometimes

tears during demoulding, the Just as fascinating for engineers as photo-graphers, detail of a screw.

plast ics 2 99 11

Technical Service Engineer or

product developer comes to us.

Together, we look for a way to

improve the demoulding properties

of the product“. This could mean,

for example, adding more rubber

or a demoulding aid, for example

beeswax, to the raw material. In

the pilot plant, engineers work out

how to modify the screws in the

extruders or how to adjust other

process parameters so that the

added component is distributed

correctly and does not adversely

affect other product properties.

Produc t i on p l an t r ep roduced i n m in i a tu re

„In the end, our job is to recom-

mend how the plastic can be com-

pounded by us at BASF or by our

contractual partners on a large

scale“, is how Hofmann

summarizes the job of the pilot

plant. The list of additives for

plastics is long, ranging from

pigments and metal flakes via

sawdust and glass fibres to

stabilizers, lubricants and

plasticizers. „Sometimes, one of

our production plants comes to us

because they want to improve the

output of their compounder while

maintaining the specification“,

says Kurps.

In such cases, the pilot plant per-

sonnel build a small copy of the

production plant and try to optimi-

ze it. „The plant conditions are

usually such that we only modify

the screw configuration. The

remainder is permanently

installed“. The correct com-

bination of various mixing, com-

pounding or conveying elements

(to mention but a few) of which the

screw is composed requires a lot

of experience and technical and

product knowledge – which the

pilot plant personnel have in

abundance.

It is not just customers who profit

from this experience. The

manufacturers of plastics

processing machines also benefit,

explains Hofmann. „We are

continually testing new machines

in collaboration with the manu-

facturers. This means we are bang

up to date at all times“.

T e c h n i c a l

Changing the screw clearance by the rotation of special mixing/conveying elements.

Mixing with toothed discs Dispersing and kneading with kneadig blocks.

12

here were lower raw materials costs

and rationalization and cost reduction

measures, ex-plained Strube. A good

financial result also helped. However,

Strube predicts hard times in the near

future. „After a reasonably successful

1998, we will be working in a much

tougher business climate in 1999“.

Sales in the Plastics & Fibers

segment increased by two percent to

just under 15 billion marks. Earnings

improved even more. Strube: „We

increased profits in Plastics & Fibers by

almost half, to well over one billion

marks.“ An upswing was experienced

by engineering plastics, where sales

increased due to high demand from the

automobile and electrical industries. In

Ulsan, Korea, a world-scale ABS plant

which is setting new cost standards

was brought on stream, says Strube.

Another plant is expected to start pro-

duction of ABS commodities and spe-

cialties at Altamira, Mexico, in 1999.

The capacities for compounding

engineering plastics at Schwarzheide

and producing Ultraform in the USA

were increased.

Styrene plastics recovered from their

low point. Through structural changes

and improvements in cost structures,

they achieved an improvement in ear-

nings of 270 million marks. BASF bro-

The 1998 financial year was

characterized by strong con-

trasts in the BASF Group.

Business was very satisfactory until

mid-year, but flattened off consider-

ably in the second half. This was how

the Chairman of the BASF Board of

Executive Directors, Dr. Jürgen

Strube, summarized the results from

the preceding year at a press con-

ference. Crises in Asia, Russia and

South America had an impact on pri-

ces, and demand fell. „We did not quite

repeat the high sales level of 1997“,

said Strube. The BASF Group achieved

sales of around 54 billion marks in

1998 – a drop of 3.1 percent compared

with the preceding year. Nevertheless,

profits before taxes for the BASF

Group remained high, rising slightly to

5.4 billion marks. Contributory factors

1998 resu l ts : S t rong beg inn ing, weaker endI nc rease i n sa l es and ea r n i ngs fo r p l as t i c s

R e s u l t s

ught on stream new plants for

Styropor® at Nanjing, China, and for

polystyrene at Joliet, Illinois. The acqui-

sition of the Hyosung Group’s share in

BASF Styrenics Korea Ltd., now BASF

Company Ltd., Korea, strengthened

BASF’s position in Styropor and poly-

styrene in Asia, says Strube.

Annua l Repo r tExact figures and explanations of

BASF’s business are given in the

Annual Report entitled „Excellen-

ce in chemistry“, available in Ger-

man and English. It can be orde-

red by filling out the fax response

form on the back page.

Further information is also available fromthe BASF homepage at www.basf.de.

L i b r a r y

5671

4359

3639

3024

2707

Investment BASF GroupMio. DM

‘94 ‘95 ‘96 ‘97 ‘98

BASF’s Terluran® family has

grown. On April 1, the

Ludwigshafen company

acquired the Ronfalin® and

Stapron N® ABS plastics business

from DSM of Holland. ”These two

products from DSM will enable us

to strengthen our market position

in ABS plastics and so achieve our

strategic aims in this sector more

quickly and effectively”, explains

Christian Meyer, responsible

for integration of the new products

into the BASF portfolio.

Although this is a major step for

BASF and DSM, hardly anything

has changed for the customers.

”The contracts with the customers

naturally remain valid. And we

guarantee that the customer

service and the quality of the pro-

ducts will be exactly the same”,

assures Meyer. The only difference

that the customers will notice will

be that BASF will provide

the customer

care instead

of DSM.

Lego buildingblocks, for instance,are made from theABS Ronfalin.

plast ics 2 99 13

In addition, BASF can now offer

customers a wider range of ABS

products. It is made up of the pro-

ducts of the Ronfalin range,

Terluran specialties and Terluran

commdodities. Furthermore, BASF

is expanding its line of specialties

with the ABS/PA blend Stapron N.

The background to the transaction

is that BASF wants to strengthen

its market

position,

New additions to the ABS familyRonfalin and Stapron N from DSM integrated into the BASF plastics line

New Products

expand its product portfolio and

utilze synergies in distribution,

marketing, logistics nad techincal

service. Further, the deal with

DSM will provide BASF with

additional product and process

know-how.

I n fu tu re, a lmos t600,000 met r ic tons o f

s ty rene copo lymers

BASF is one of the world’s leading

suppliers of ABS plastics and

other styrene copolymers. The

company has so far been

operating production and compo-

unding plants with a total capacity

of 400,000 metric tonnes per year

in Germany, Spain, Korea and

Australia. When the new plant at

the Altamira site in Mexico comes

on stream in the second half of

1999, the capacity will rise to

530,000 metric tonnes per year.

Via DSM, BASF now has a plant at

Geleen, the Netherlands, with an

annual ABS capacity of 60,000

metric tonnes.

Your contact for Ronfalin and Stapron N:Christian Meyer, Tel. +621/6048798

14

Absolute silence, not a

single sound, even when

listening closely – many

people cannot imagine this sensa-

tion. However, it has been possible

to experience it since April in the

city of Paris, not exactly known for

being quiet. In the „Cité des

Sciences et de l’Industrie”, Euro-

pe’s largest science and industry

museum in the Parc de la Villette,

BASF has used its Basotect foam

to build the „Corridor of Silence“ –

an entrance hall full of corners into

I n b r i e f

Absolute silenceBaso tec t i n ac t i on a t t he Pa r i s Acous t i c sExh ib i t i on

The colouring of plastics requires

considerable expertise. When

selecting a suitable pigment, not

only must the type of plastic be

considered, but its processing and

use are also important criteria.

Statutory requirements must

also be taken into account.

In order to simplify selection of

the ideal BASF pigment, the

company is now making version

2.0 of its ”Lucolor: Colourants for

plastics” database available on

CD-ROM. The user enters the

pigment requirements in a search

mask, and the programme finds all

suitable BASF products.

Besides colour, application and

physical properties of all BASF

pigments for colouring plastics, the

simple, user-friendly database also

includes information on supply

specifications, safety data sheets

and the major test

methods.

The CD-ROM can be ordered

with the fax response.

Co lou r i ng o f p l as t i c smade easy

N e w C D - R O M

which not a single sound penetra-

tes. The melamine resin, a thermo-

setting plastic from the amino

resin group, absorbs all noises

from the outside and muffles every

word and whisper from visitors.

Qu ie tness i n bu i l d i ngs,ca r s and p l anes

The „Corridor of Silence“ is loca-

ted in the redesigned permanent

acoustics exhibition on the Explora

floor of the French museum. Besi-

des this subject, the „Cité des

Sciences et de l’Industrie” offers

many other exhibits which allow a

broad public to find out about the

modern industrial world and cultu-

re in a fun way.

Basotect is a material that most

visitors will already have encounte-

red – probably without knowing:

Basotect foam panels provide

soundproofing in cars, aircraft,

buildings, industry and in machi-

nery. Basotect is very flexible and

temperature resistant and has

good fire protection properties.

If you would like to switch off your ears for awhile, visit the ”Cité des Sciences et de l’In-dustrie” in Parc de la Villette, Paris, 30, ave-nue Corentin Cariou.

The corridor of silence in Paris

L u r a n S

High-tech-frisbeemade from Luran S®

I wou ld l i ke a copy of the CD-ROM

”Lucolor colours for plastics”

fur ther informat ion on Terlux

on Luran

A copy of the Annual Report

I would like the information in

German

English

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Further comments:

BASF plc

Plastics editorial office

GB-Cheadle

Fax 0161 488 4133

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Company:

Address:

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Telephone:

Fax:

plast ics 1 99 15

E d i t o r

plastics

Editorial team:

Hélène Bekourian

(BASF France), Ben Bloemendal

(BASF Nederland B.V.),

Lena Christiaen

(BASF Belgium),

Karen Kling

(BASF Aktiengesellschaft),

Julie Whittaker

(BASF plc/Great Britain)

Editorial address:

BASF Aktiengesellschaft,

ZOA/KK, C 100,

67056 Ludwigshafen,

Fax +49 621 60-49497

Editor:

BASF Aktiengesellschaft

Karen Kling, ZOA/KK

Tel. +49 621 60-4 69 10

Layout:

Spektrum, Ludwigshafen

Fax response to the ed i to r ia l team

xF pla

stic

s

a

It has to stand up to a lot of

sunshine, must be resistant to

weathering and durable – the

frisbee. So, it is only natural to

use Luran S, BASF’s ASA with

the right properties. This stur-

dy material is excellently suited

for demanding applications in

the leisure sector, whether in

superstructures of boats, color-

ful facings for scooters, mobile

homes or surfboards.

Professor Dr. Burghard

Schmitt, President of BASF’s

Engineering Plastics Division

will leave the company in July

1999 to become CEO of Süd-

deutsches Kunststoffzentrum

(South German Plastics Centre)

in Würzburg. From August

1999 Dr. Ehrenfried Baum-

gartner, who is now President

of BASF Company Ltd. in

Seoul, Korea, will be his

successor.

New leader of Engineering plastics

P e r s o n n e l