LUDWIGSHAFEN, Germany,
June 22, 2011
(Press Release) -
Every thermal paper contains a color developer as a key component in a chemical system designed to produce an image or record upon the application of heat. For many years Bisphenol A (BPA) was widely used as a color developer but recently there have been many concerns raised regarding its toxicological properties and therefore its suitability for use in thermal paper. As a result of these concerns, a number of retail companies are now looking for BPA- and phenol-free thermal receipt papers.
"For quite some time there was no satisfactory alternative to BPA for manufacturers of thermal receipt papers," states Dr. Frank Hoefer, Vice President Marketing Wet End Chemicals, Europe, within BASF's Paper Chemicals division. "This trend had been identified by Ciba [now part of BASF] where the R&D work on alternative color developer chemistries began and led to the first dedicated production capacities being installed in Ankleshwar, India."
As a leading global manufacturer of Paper Chemicals, BASF has a range of high quality products that are used in the manufacture of thermal paper. At a time when alternatives to BPA are being requested by end users of thermal paper, BASF has gone one step further and offers Pergafast® 201, a proprietary color developer that is not only an alternative to BPA, but is also non-phenolic. Because of this two-fold benefit, the product more than meets the demand from the industry.
Bill Palmer, Regional Head of Wet End Chemicals Asia Pacific, within Paper Chemicals division: "It was the combined effort of the European and the Asian business units to make additional quantities of this interesting product available and secure supply for a large market introduction. Now the first real commercial alternative to BPA can be launched and confirms BASF's position as a leading supplier for sustainable paper chemicals."
High image stability of this new product class enables a wide range of applications such as tickets, tags, labels and bank statements where such properties are essential.
