BASF Commissions Pilot Plant for the Production of Novel PU-Aerogel Insulating Panels

In April, BASF commissioned the pilot plant for the manufacturing of SLENTITE, its new high-performance product. The large-sized insulating panels will initially serve the optimization of the performance profile and will subsequently be supplied to selected cooperation partners. This high-performance insulating material based on a polyurethane aerogel is thus the first to be available in the form of a heavy-duty panel. SLENTITE combines all the key properties of a forward-looking insulating material for both new construction projects and renovation.

As announced, the new plant at the Lemförde location went into operation after 18 months of planning and construction. Numerous firms from the local area were involved in the project. The plant was installed by plant engineering specialists working to specific instructions from BASF engineers.

“We’re very pleased to have been able to execute such a complex and novel project on time with our competent and enthusiastic team,” says Dr. Hermann Bergmann, Group Leader Polyurethane Research. “Now it’s a question of fine-tuning the production process.”

Dr. René Lochtman, Managing Director BASF Polyurethanes GmbH, also stressed the positive impact of development from the laboratory to the pilot stage: “By investing in new technologies like the SLENTITE pilot plant, we have succeeded in building on our very good position on the insulating materials market and strengthening the Lemförde location.”

Dr. Marc Fricke, SLENTITE project manager, stresses the special features of the newly developed product: “SLENTITE is unique. With the pilot plant up and running, we have achieved an important goal and can soon start supplying samples to selected partners. What’s more, we are now in a position to develop an industrial-scale production process.”

The first polyurethane-based aerogel in the form of a heavy-duty panel delivers efficient and extremely slim insulation that is also exceptionally space-saving. With a lambda value of 17 mW/m•K, SLENTITE achieves the best-possible insulation for a mechanically strong panel. The high-performance product is suitable above all for interiors and offers architects ample design freedom. It also scores with its minimal space requirements and excellent moisture regulation which adds to a pleasant room-climate. The panel can be handled dust-free and processed just like conventional construction products.