Research at Bayer

Research at Bayer MaterialScience

Investment in research and development at Bayer MaterialScience in 2006 came to €227 million, not including the company’s joint development activities with customers. Research and development helps maintain the subgroup's leading position within the of technology and as global supplier of high-tech, customized materials and systems solutions.

The five Business Units of Bayer MaterialScience

Polyurethanes
Polycarbonates
Coatings, Adhesives, Sealants
Thermoplastic Polyurethanes and

employ state-of-the-art technologies and production processes to develop new products and new applications in close cooperation with external partners and our customers.

New Applications for High-Tech Materials

	Waterborne 2K-PUR-Coating Meeting ecological requirements		Printable aliphatic Desmopan films for improved mechanical properties & light stability
	Aspartates for innovative corrosion protection		Multitec Short Fiber Spraying – Fast, efficient process
	New Makroblend product lines for use in automative exterior parts – high toughness even at low temperatures		Flame resistant Bayblend gradies with Eco-label compliance
	New scratch-resistant Makrolon gradies for automotive glazing		Baytron – conductive polymer for capacitors, electrodesand antistatics

More than 20 percent of 2004 sales achieved with products less than 5 years old.

Examples of new product developments at Bayer MaterialScience:

Poly-carbonates

In the Polycarbonates Business Unit, for example, work is going on to further improve and fine-tune the melt polycarbonate process for the new polycarbonate production plant in Caojing (China), which is being equipped with the very latest production processes. Examples of innovative product applications include the development of diffuser sheets that ensure even distribution of the light in the backlighting of flat LCD screens, and the development of plastics with improved flame retardance through nanoparticles.

Polyurethanes

The Polyurethanes Business Unit is driving the ongoing improvement of existing processes for the production of aromatic isocyanates and polyethers as well as the development of new products for new applications. In the field of modern high-performance composites, in which polyurethanes hold a key position, we have succeeded in developing a new Baydur® formulation for exterior parts of large vehicles. It is superior to the material currently used in terms of both heat resistance and strength.

Coatings, Adhesives and sealants

A further example of our innovative capacity is the Coatings, Adhesives, Sealants Business Unit, which is focused on the development of polyurethane raw materials for the formulation of high-quality products for the surface coatings and related industries. One important segment is that of raw materials for very low-solvent systems that are even more environmentally friendly than before. Typical examples are raw materials for thermoformable soft-feel coatings with a velvet-like touch.

To tap profitable areas of business for the future, the BMS experts from New Business are constantly searching for and evaluating new technologies and market trends and consistently turning the most promising ideas into new research and development projects. The projects are either implemented directly together with the Business Units or can also end up in "greenhouse initiatives" – one topical example is that of carbon nanotubes – or even in independent companies. Considerable importance is attached to the worldwide cooperation activities with universities, institutes and start-up companies.

Extensive information on research and development at Bayer MaterialScience is available for download here:

New insulating material for high temperatures – Holds up in the heat, current edition 18

New process optimizes aniline production – Away from the tube, current edition 18

Solvent-free raw material for imitation leather – Fashionable Foams, current edition 18

Solvent-free coatings for parquet floors – A top-class finish, 17th edition

Production of nanotubes on an industrial scale – Tiny tubes, big impact, 17th edition

Coating raw materials make scratches disappear – Self-healing automotive coating, 16th edition