The inevitable outcome of globalization development and technological innovation
Bayblend®'s 30-year history has reached a milestone of two million tons of production
Leverkusen, August 2007 - For 30 years, Bayer MaterialScience has been selling Bayblend®, a plastic blend of the main components of the copolymer of polycarbonate Makrolon® and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene. (PC+ABS). To date, Bayer has produced more than two million tons of thermoplastics. The secret of success is continuous innovation, which has led to an increase in sales of this high-tech material. “Over the years, more than 80% of the Bayblend® products on the market have been on the market for less than five years, and their replacements are fast, and as new products continue to develop, this successful history will continue. Said Dr. Dieter Wittmann. As Director of the Global Innovation Mixing Division of the Polycarbonate Business Unit, Dr. Dieter Wittmann has witnessed the development of PC+ABS hybrid materials for several years.
It is estimated that the current total market sales of polymer blends has exceeded 1.1 million metric tons per year. PC+ABS hybrid materials account for more than 50% of this sales. According to the latest forecast data, the demand for PC mixed materials will increase at least 7% per year in the next decade. Bayblend® will also benefit, making Bayer MaterialScience the world's leading supplier of PC+ABS materials.
Market-leading Bayblend® was launched on a commercial scale in 1977, which unveiled its mystery. Prior to this, Bayer's production site in Uerdingen has been actively working on product development and has put a lot of effort into it. The main purpose of this development work is to stabilize the matrix of the mixed material to ensure a simple process. Bayblend® has soared in sales since its launch, and in 1977 it sold 300 tons. In just three years, sales have become 10 times that number. The business is showing an upward trend. By 1984, sales had reached 14,000 metric tons, and in 1987 it had risen to 30,000 metric tons. Customers in this period were mainly from the automotive industry, which required extremely high requirements for materials used in automotive interior structures such as instrument panels, instrument panel covers, and door trim components. To this day, it is unthinkable without the interior structure of the Bayblend® car. A major reason why Bayblend® is indispensable is its excellent heat resistance, which depends on the polycarbonate content. Bayblend® is the ideal material for components such as instrument panels, because the temperature of the instrument panel becomes very high when exposed to direct sunlight. “A more important feature of Bayblend® is its hardness at low temperatures. This property makes Bayblend® materials ideal for safety components in head impact and airbag opening applications.†Europe Dr. Eckhard Wenz, Director of Products and Services for Polycarbonate and Mixed Materials Technology, added.
Focus on flame retardants In the mid-1980s, the flame retardant Bayblend® FR pioneered breakthroughs in the electrical and electronics industry – currently the industry is our main customer. By 1984, the company offered a series of materials that were packaged in flame retardant without cerium oxide. Just four years later, Bayer became the world's first material manufacturer to include bromine and chlorine-free flame retardant PC+ABS in its product range. “At the time, this alternative flame retardant material system in thermoplastic materials was neither legally required nor specific. It was only followed by environmentally friendly signs such as “Blue Angel†or “TCOâ€. Despite this, we are still keen on pre-emptive strikes, which laid the foundation for the success of our product range in this sales area, and until today,†Wittmann recalls. The development of the product did not end there. In 1993, Bayblend®'s “no liquid†new generation of products (including non-volatile flame retardants) was launched. Three years later, the standard Bayblend® product line was overhauled. Just five years later, the new “T-Class†achieved a total sales of 50,000 metric tons.
In response to the globalization of the automotive and IT industries in the 1990s, the Bayblend® product line was also developed through the inclusion of a range of products supplied worldwide. Bayer MaterialScience has built production plants in all major economic zones and in 2000 crossed the global sales of 100,000 metric tons. PC+ABS blends are currently produced at Dormagen, Uerdingen and Filago, Europe, Newark (Ohio), USA, Map Ta Phut (Thailand), Asia, and Caohejing (China).
There are also many different applications in the future. "In fact, we have material innovations in every sales area," Wittmann concluded. For example, the new smart fortwo uses Bayblend® DP T95 MF, a new custom PC+ABS frame construction material for polycarbonate automotive glass, which has a very promising future. The new easy-flow series Bayblend The demand for ® T65 XF and T85 XF is also large. These products are ideal for automotive interior parts and components for thin-wall technology in the IT and electrical industries. “We have entered a new field and our range of materials is also used in extrusion applications. The customer response is very good,†Wittmann said excitedly.
About Bayer MaterialScience:
With 2006 sales of 10.2 billion euros (continuing), Bayer MaterialScience is one of the world's largest polymer manufacturers. Its main business areas cover the production of high-tech polymeric materials and the development of innovative solutions for products in many areas of daily life. Its main consumer groups include the automotive, electrical/electronic, construction, sports and leisure industries. Bayer MaterialScience has 30 production sites around the world with approximately 14,900 employees (statistics at the end of 2006) and is part of the Bayer Group.
Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements made by Bayer Group management based on current assumptions and forecasts. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and Other factors may cause the material to differ in actual future results, financial condition, development or performance of the Bayer Group from the forecasts herein. These factors also include our public reports to the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (including our Form 20-F). Bayer Group does not assume any responsibility for the content described herein, nor does it update this forward-looking statement or make it comply with future conditions or development obligations.
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