BASF (Ludwigshafen / Germany; www.basf.com) has opened a new US research lab for thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) in Wyandotte, Michigan, with a focus on products for the automotive, construction, sports and leisure markets. The Michigan site will be an “excellent basis” for expansion of the group’s existing links with universities and other research organisations in North America, said Christian Fischer, president of advanced materials and systems research at BASF.

The main area of research at Wyandotte will be TPU synthesis and processing with the goal of customising key material properties such as stiffness, elasticity, transparency and UV stability for individual customers. BASF already operates a number of research labs for polymers and coatings at the site, and the TPU facility further enhances the integrated technology network, the group said.