In pursuit of sustainability, BMW Group and BASF have developed matt paints made from biomass instead of crude oil. It’s also created innovative forms of corrosion protection that don’t use fossil fuels.
The matte paint for the BMW i4 M50 in Frozen Portimao Blue is produced without fossil resources by utilizing organic waste as an initial component.
The new innovations reduce fossil fuel resources needed and lower C02 emissions by 40 percent, according to BMW. And there’s no worry about running out of the raw materials for these new paints and corrosion protection materials, as production starts with utilizing the raw materials of bio-waste or waste from sewage treatment plants. And the resulting paints and corrosion protections are chemically identical to paints previously used, and have the same properties as conventional materials previously used.
The sustainably-produced e-coating used at Plant Leipzig is manufactured from biomass, reducing carbon-dioxide emissions.
BASF’s process replaces the petroleum-based materials used in the beginning of the manufacturing process with organic wastes. As the conventional precursors like naptha are no longer needed, reducing CO2 emissions from the plant by 40 percent. The carbon-dioxide savings is determined in a TÜV-certified process amount to over 15,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions between now and 2030.
“By reducing our use of fossil raw materials, we can conserve natural resources and lower CO2 emissions at the same time. To achieve this, we are increasingly relying on sustainability innovations in our supplier network,” says Joachim Post, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Purchasing and Supplier Network. “Innovative paints based on renewable raw materials are an important step in this direction.”
BMW’s European Plants now use the biomass originated paint, while BMW Group Plants Laipzig and Rosslyn use the corrosion protection materials.
