Performance Polymers
BASF’s Ultramid® portfolio features premium polyamides that enhance performance across a wide range of applications: from automotive and electrical engineering to furniture design and household appliances. With a unique blend of adaptability, strength, durability, and thermal stability, Ultramid® ensures that your products can endure the demands of everyday use.
Ultramid® comprises a broad portfolio of polyamide materials, including PA6, PA66, copolyamides, polyamide blends, high-temperature and semi-aromatic polyamides, specialty PPA grades, glass fiber-reinforced and impactmodified variants, particle foam solutions, and sustainable grades with recycled content, enabling applications from automotive and industrial components to electrical and consumer products.
Ultramid® Advanced polyphthalamide (PPA) is ideal for lightweight, high-performance parts for many applications – from the automotive and the E&E industries to mechanical engineering and consumer goods, the right PPA for the right part.
Ultramid® Expand is a particle foam by BASF that is based on a combination of several polyamide 6 grades. The particle foam consists of pre-foamed particles with a defined particle size and density, which can be welded into a 3D component without generating foam waste in a molding machine. The component has isotropic foam properties, i.e. the same mechanical properties in all directions. A chemical reaction does not take place in the foam.
The particle foam excels with a wide range of unique characteristics: high temperature-resistance, outstanding stiffness and strength as well as an excellent chemical resistance, e.g. in contact with fuels, oils and lubricants. Additionally, the closed cell foam structure offers an exceptional compressive strength, a requirement for the use in crash relevant components that are exposed to high mechanical demands. Because of this versatility, lightweight applications are possible as well.
What is the application range of PA Ultramid®?
PA Ultramid® serves automotive, electrical & electronics, industrial, consumer, transportation, construction, and chemical-processing industries with high-performance polyamide solutions. Examples include:
Self-service solutions:
Q: What are the main benefits of PA Ultramid®?
PA Ultramid® offers high strength, stiffness, thermal stability, chemical resistance, impact resistance, dimensional stability, and excellent processability. These properties make it suitable for a wide range of engineering applications.
Q: What is the difference between PA6 and PA66?
PA6 is known for its toughness, processability, and impact resistance, while PA66 generally provides higher stiffness, strength, and heat resistance. The choice depends on the application's mechanical, thermal, and processing requirements.
Q: What makes PA Ultramid® different from other engineering plastics?
A Ultramid® combines a broad portfolio of polyamide technologies with BASF’s application expertise, offering tailored solutions that balance strength, heat resistance, chemical resistance, processability, and design flexibility.
Q: Which engineering plastic can replace aluminum in structural parts?
Glass fiber reinforced polyamides are widely used as alternatives to aluminum in structural components. They provide high stiffness and strength while significantly reducing weight. Compared to metal, these materials also offer corrosion resistance, greater design freedom, and the ability to integrate multiple functions into a single molded part.
Q: How does PA Ultramid® compare to metal in lightweight design?
PA Ultramid® can help replace metal components in many applications by significantly reducing weight while maintaining excellent mechanical performance, durability, and design flexibility. Its combination of high strength, stiffness, and thermal stability makes it a preferred material for lightweight engineering solutions in industries such as automotive, electrical, and industrial manufacturing.
