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BASF debuts release agents made from renewable materials

16 Jul '15

3 min read

German speciality chemicals producer BASF has commissioned a new plant to produce form release agents to meet the increasing demand for ecologically sound and user friendly products.

“The new facility produces release agents based on renewable raw materials as well as emulsions from renewable and non renewable raw materials,” BASF said in a press release.

Successful trial operation was completed in early July 2015, and the plant has since commenced regular production.

“This important investment is to strengthen our release agent business in the European marketplace and to help us achieve a leadership position,” Philipp Kley, Sr VP, Construction Chemicals Europe said.

“We identified the increasing demand for alternatives to mineral oil based release agents at an early stage, and aligned our research efforts accordingly,” Kley added.

“We can provide our customers with an innovation that fills a gap in the market and can give them a competitive advantage,” he observed.

Form release agents facilitate the easy removal of the concrete from its formwork and at the same time, also enhance the surface of precast concrete elements and cast in place concrete.

“This investment underpins the importance of the Staßfurt site,” Jan Klügge, head of marketing - Ready Mix Europe stated.

“Staßfurt is our European production hub for the release agents from the Master Builders Solutions portfolio,” Klugge informed.

The Master Builders Solutions experts at BASF have, among others, developed new release agent formulations based on natural raw materials such as plant oil.

According to BASF, the new products offer excellent surface quality, are efficient and easy to use, and lower concrete manufacturers’ production costs, when applied correctly.

BASF offers a complete range of MasterFinish form release agents under the Master Builders Solutions umbrella brand, as well as in depth application technical advice on the selection of the right product and application process.

The new release agents made from natural raw materials provide an alternative to mineral oil based release agents, most of which have to carry an ‘Aspiration Hazard’ label as of June 1, 2015.

The new Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals now also applies to chemical mixtures and thus to concrete release agents.

“Based on renewable raw materials release agents from BASF are not classified hazardous and will not require labeling,” the German company informed.

GHS is a globally standardised system for the labeling of chemicals and the classification of the hazards they might entail.

Initiated by the United Nations, the system is to provide improved safety and reduce complexities when trading chemicals.

It came in to effect in Europe in December 2010 for chemical substances and in June 2015 for chemical mixtures, which also include concrete release agents. (AR)

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