Working together, BASF and Hisense have developed a new highly energy efficient domestic refrigeration technology.
Hisense’s advanced foaming technology and BASF’s polyurethane solution Elastocool were combined to make the new refrigeration technology, which has resulted in polyurethane material usage been reduced, while improving the thermal insulation performance in refrigerators.
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 of Polyurethanes in Greater China, Jeffrey Lou said, “In recent years, growing awareness has led customers to choose high performance, energy efficient appliances to conserve resources and protect the environment.”
BASF is committed to supporting the leading refrigerator manufacturers, such as Hisense, by providing innovative polyurethane solutions to optimise production of refrigerators, reduce material usage and enhance insulation performance to meet the needs of customers.
Hisense Kelon Electronics Holdings vice president Gan Yonghe said, “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.”
Foam density can be reduced up to 30kg/m3 by using BASF’s Elastocool low density PU system, which saves raw materials cost of up to 8%.
Through a series of stringent tests, it was shown that the energy consumption of the refrigerator has been reduced by 3-5% - a result of the low thermal conductivity.
Additionally, manufacturers are able to 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 have worked closely on the development, production and commercialisation of Elastocool low density PU system, bringing refrigeration technology in to a new era.
Initially developed in April 2012 and after a series of precise testing, including mechanical properties, system performance, material reactivity and good processing capabilities, the Elastocool technology has been adopted by Hisense for its refrigerators and freezers brand series “Ronshen”, which is one of the top 10 quality refrigerator brands in China.
