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18 Jan 2006  -  Canada

BASF, Composatron demonstrate color railings that weather the outdoors

Homeowners who wanted weatherproof composite railings to match their decks, docks and porches were once limited in their color choices. Thanks to Luran® S acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate (ASA) from BASF, Composatron Composite Technology of Toronto, Canada, can now offer homebuilders, contractors and their customers a choice of six colors that deliver the look, feel and beauty of natural wood, but with minimal maintenance.
The color composite railings - part of Composatron’s Premier-brand product line -- will be on display at the International Builders’ Show in Orlando, Fla., Jan. 11-14 at the Orange County Convention Center at BASF Booth S11941 and Composatron Booth S12285. The new colors include cedar, sand, mahogany, light grey, slate grey and redwood.
“Composite railings last longer and are easier to maintain than wood, but for years it was difficult to produce color railings that would not fade. Given the strong reputation that our white railings have achieved in the marketplace, we knew that any extensions to our product line would have to meet our stringent standards for quality and durability. We needed a capstock that delivered outstanding weathering performance, without fading or chalking,” said Jim Pratt, head of research and development and product technology for Composatron.
Composatron selected BASF’s Luran S ASA, a specialty plastic that provides long-term color stability in a wide range of colors in railing, siding and fencing applications as a capstock over vinyl and vinyl-wood composites. Luran S ASA is part of BASF’s PlasticsPlus™ specialty plastics portfolio, which includes reliable, high-performance styrenics, biodegradable materials and foams.

"Like all of the specialty plastics in our PlasticsPlus portfolio, Luran S ASA has unique features that enable our customers to bring innovative products to market. Luran S ASA is tough and resistant to chemicals, and has proven to be colorfast in a wide range of applications,” said Herman Savenije, Business Director of BASF’s Styrenic Copolymers in North America.
Composatron’s Premier composite color railing is manufactured with an exclusive technology called Strandex. Similar to the individual strands that make a rope stronger, Strandex technology makes composite-extruded products stronger. Composatron backs its railing systems with a 20-year warranty against warping, rotting, splintering, and peeling.
BASF’s PlasticsPlus products offer a diverse range of solutions to meet the most unique and demanding requirements for new innovations, including Luran S ASA, Terluran® HH high heat acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), Palusol® alkali metal silicate, Basotect® melamine resin foam, PermaSkin® system for coating components, Ecoflex® 100% biodegradable plastic, Styroclear styrene butadiene copolymers (SBC), Styroflex® styrene/butadiene block copolymer (SBS), Terlux® methyl methacrylate/acrylonitrile/butadiene/styrene (MABS), and Terblend® N polyamide and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS+PA).

Source : BAST - Composatron Composite Technology