BASF of Germany Launches Low-VOC Polyurethane Catalyst for Flexible Foam Applications

en.Wedoany.com Reported - BASF has launched a new low-emission polyurethane catalyst, Lupragen BisDMAPU, for flexible polyurethane foam production. The product's chemical name is 1,3-bis[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]urea. It can simultaneously promote both the gelation reaction and the blowing reaction during the polyurethane foaming process, and reduces volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions in finished foam through its low volatility and low odor characteristics. The product will be supplied to the global market under the Lupragen brand.

Lupragen BisDMAPU is primarily intended for slabstock flexible foam and molded flexible foam, and can be used in products such as furniture, mattresses, and automotive interiors. BASF states that this catalyst maintains a relatively balanced activity between the gelation and blowing reactions, which helps improve foam molding stability and dimensional stability, and meets the requirements of applications with high demands for finished-product VOC and odor control.

In addition to flexible polyurethane foam, the product can also be used in reactive polyurethane hot-melt adhesives, two-component epoxy systems, and cationic polymers. BASF's existing product documentation shows that Lupragen BisDMAPU has a minimum purity of 98% and a molecular weight of 230.4 g/mol, making it a new addition to its amine-based polyurethane catalyst product line.

BASF's polyurethane catalysts are mainly used to control the reaction process between isocyanates and polyols, with different catalysts capable of respectively enhancing the gelation reaction or the blowing reaction. The newly launched BisDMAPU features balanced reaction characteristics, complementing the company's Lupragen N 208 launched in December 2025. The latter is a reactive blowing catalyst that can enter the polymer network during foam formation, thereby reducing subsequent volatilization.

BASF also plans to hold a technical seminar on September 23 for Lupragen BisDMAPU to further introduce its chemical properties, practical formulation applications, and low-VOC production solutions for flexible foam. With this new product launch, the company's low-VOC polyurethane catalyst product line further covers different process requirements such as balanced catalysis and blowing catalysis.