Germany. BASF introduced a new sheet protective coatings plant at its facility in Münster, a technology with which the company's coatings division enters a new business area, accessing additional market segments.
The opening took place in the presence of the Minister of Economy, Innovation, Digitalization and Energy of the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Andreas Pinkwart and the Mayor of Münster, Markus Lewe.
Innovative materials applied layer by layer in an ultra-thin coating give the sheets additional properties, which "functionalizes" them, for the protection of elements such as thin-film photovoltaic cells from harmful environmental stresses.
"For these sheets, we have joined forces with international partners to develop new applications and are also considering functions beyond barriers," explains Jörg Lenz, head of the new "Beyond Paint" business unit.
For his part, the Minister and Professor Pinkwart comments that "the chemical industry is an engine of innovations. It lays a fundamental foundation and is indispensable for addressing the responsibilities we face. BASF's new coating technology is a good example of this, as the sheets extend the life of pv units."
Other application areas for the foils include OLED displays and thin-film batteries.
Source: BASF.
