Shanghai, China -- BASF and Hisense said 14 Jan 2013 that they have worked together to develop a new energy-efficient domestic refrigeration technology.
This combines Hisense's advanced foaming technology with BASF's polyurethane foam Elastocool, resulting a reduction in polyurethane material usage, along with improved thermal insulation performance.
BASF's announcement said: "Consumers will be able to reduce energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions with the new generation of refrigerators using this technology."
BASF vice president, business management, for the polyurethanes unit in Greater China, Jeffrey Lou said in this announcement that, "In recent years, growing awareness has led customers to choose high performance, energy efficient appliances to conserve resources and protect the environment."
BASF notes its commitment to supporting leading refrigerator manufacturers, such as China's Hisense, by providing innovative polyurethane solutions to optimise production of refrigerators, reduce material usage and enhance insulation performance.
"Hisense and BASF share the vision of contributing to sustainable development for the future. We are looking forward to strengthening the cooperation with BASF for the development of next generation refrigeration technologies," said Hisense Kelon Electronics Holdings vice president Gan Yonghe.
The Elastocool low-density PU system allows fridge makers to cut foam density by up to 30kg/cu.m, saving raw materials cost of up to 8 percent.
A series of stringent tests have shown that energy consumption of the refrigerator is reduced by 3-5 percent, as a result of the low thermal conductivity.
Additionally, BASF comments, manufacturers can design energy-saving refrigerators due to the dimensional stability and compressive strength of the system. This results in more storage space being added inside the fridge design, due to combining excellent insulation performance with minimal material thickness.
BASF and Hisense worked closely on the development, production and commercialisation of Elastocool low density PU system, initially developed in April 2012.
Following precise testing of mechanical properties, system performance, material reactivity and processing capabilities, the Elastocool technology has been adopted by Hisense for its Ronshen brand refrigerators and freezers one of the top ten quality refrigerator brands in China.
