WYANDOTTE, Mich., May 17, 2004 -- BASF has added its Elastollan B-Series to the family of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) resins the company offers to the North American market. Developed and manufactured in Germany, these innovative TPUs have been commercially available in Europe and Asia.

The Elastollan B-Series of TPUs are based on advanced chemistry that enables faster injection molding cycle times ranging from 20 to 40 percent compared to conventional TPU products, depending on part thickness, with no tooling modifications needed. Other performance benefits of the Elastollan B-Series include excellent abrasion resistance, flexibility and toughness.

Typical injection molded applications for the Elastollan B-Series of TPUs include sports and recreation equipment, such as ski goggles and golf cleats. Elastollan B-Series resins can also be extruded into TPU films for pneumatic tubing, fabric coating and industrial part end uses.

About BASF - The Chemical Company. We don't make a lot of the products you buy. We make a lot of the products you buy better.(R) BASF Corporation, headquartered in New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF AG, Ludwigshafen, Germany. We employ about 11,000 people in North America and had sales of approximately $9 billion in 2003. For more information about BASF's North American operations, or to sign up to receive news releases by e-mail, visit www.basf.com/usa.

BASF is the world's leading chemical company. Our goal is to grow profitably and further increase the value of our company. We help our customers to be more successful through intelligent system solutions and high-quality products. BASF's portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products, agricultural products and fine chemicals to crude oil and natural gas. Through new technologies we can tap into additional market opportunities. We conduct our business in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. In 2003, BASF had sales of approximately $42 billion and over 87,000 employees worldwide. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

Thermoplastic Polyester - Self-lubricating resin customized specially for use in demanding high-pressure, high-velocity applications reportedly outlasts unfilled nylon in wear tests by a factor of eight. The PET-P, called Ertalyte TX, is available in rod and sheet stock from Quadrant Engineering Plastic Products, Reading, Pa., is said to surpass other common wear-grade plastics for wear-resistance and dimensional stability.

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