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Topics on this page:
Thermal insulation of buildings
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Plastics for car industry
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Catalysts
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Nitrification inhibitor
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New energy technologies
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Biodegradable plastics
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How our products contribute to climate protection |
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BASF's innovative and energy-efficient products contribute to climate protection. BASF has long been making successful use of renewable raw materials in numerous processes and constantly researches new possible usages.
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Thermal insulation of buildings
Many of our products such as phase change materials or materials used to manufacture innovative thermal insulating foams are used for energy-efficient construction. The volume of insulating materials we sell annually saves more than five times the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by BASF every year.
Examples of our energy-efficient materials that improve thermal insulation in buildings are Neopor® and Micronal® PCM. Using Neopor® foam plastic manufacturers save up to 50% of raw materials with no reduction in insulating performance.
 More information on Neopor®
Energy efficiency in buildings
Zero-heating cost house
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Plastics for car industry
We also offer plastics that make vehicles lighter, and additives that improve fuel consumption. For vehicles, a 10% reduction in weight equates to a reduction in fuel consumption of around 5%, while our fuel additives reduce consumption by a further 2%.
BASF Automotive Solutions
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Catalysts
The modernization of production plants for adipic acid and nitric acid offers enormous potential for reducing worldwide emissions of greenhouse gases. For years, we have been reducing nitrous oxide emissions by using a BASF catalyst – for instance at our sites in Ludwigshafen, Germany, and Antwerp, Belgium. Since 1998, we have been able to reduce nitrous oxide emissions by approximately 20 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent worldwide using this technology, both at our sites and at customer companies. As of 2008, the figure will increase to around 40 million tons. BASF is supplying PetroChina, one of China's largest oil and gas companies, with the technology to reduce emissions of laughing gas. Using BASF technology, PetroChina will be reducing its emissions of laughing gas by more than 10 million metric tons of CO2 equivalents.
Environmental Technologies
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Nitrification inhibitor
BASF is also developing innovative products for the agricultural industry. Our nitrification inhibitor is an example for this purpose. The use of fertilizers releases large quantities of nitrous oxide through the decomposition of nitrogen in the soil. Our nitrification inhibitor ensures that the nitrogen contained in fertilizers is metabolized more slowly by bacteria in the soil, thus resulting in a reduction in nitrous oxide. The fertilizer can supply crops with nutrients for longer, and the soil requires fertilization much less frequently. More than 400,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent per year are saved in this way. The contamination of groundwater is reduced by the nitrification inhibitor as well.
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New energy technologies
We promote the development of new technologies and materials for the use of alternative energy sources. Topics under investigation by our researchers include organic solar cells, fuel cells, innovative hydrogen storage materials and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs).
Alternative energy sources
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Biodegradable plastics
In addition, we develop biodegradable plastics. Under the brand name Ecoflex® we can offer customers completely biodegradable packaging for example in the realm of flexible films. On compost heaps, Ecoflex® decomposes within a few weeks without leaving any residues behind.
Biodegradable plastics
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