R-M® unveils at Automechanika 2024 a new, sustainable clear coat created under the mass balance approach

R-M®, the premium automotive refinish brand from BASF, introduced its next generation of coating innovations at Automechanika 2024, the world's leading international trade fair for the automotive aftermarket. Designed to further drive sustainability in the refinish industry and boost bodyshop profitability and efficiency, this next generation of clear coats employs the unique ChemCycling technology. 
“At BASF Coatings, we’re always pushing what’s possible, empowering body shops to lead the change with sustainable technologies that are unique to the market. With our exclusive ChemCycling approach, our vision is to support a circular economy by reducing the use of fossil raw materials, minimizing waste, and cutting CO2 emissions in the value chain. We’re here today making a difference with our new products, replacing a share of the fossil resources with renewable resources, and that is a huge step towards less environmental impact, less emissions and less waste,” said Chris Titmarsh, Senior Vice President, Global Automotive Refinish Coatings, BASF.
Leveraging BASF’s Chemcycling® technology, recycled feedstock derived from waste tires is used to create certified Ccycled® products, effectively diverting them from landfills or incinerators. The recycled feedstock is attributed to the certified Ccycled clearcoats through a mass balance approach: R-M Race Finish-R eSense Clear Coat is the first product of its kind that utilizes the technology, delivering benefits to both bodyshops and the environment.

The clear coat's drying speed allows for fast processing, with the application drying in just 20 minutes at 40ºC. By reducing drying time, energy consumption is significantly lowered, resulting in improved efficiency and reduced environmental impact. This feature is particularly advantageous for electric vehicles, as it minimizes their exposure to excessive heat.

Further expansion of Biomass Balance products 
Additionally new eSense mixing clears based on R-M's Biomass Balance approach have been added to the waterborne basecoat series of R-M AGILIS, which already offers the lowest VOC content below 250 g/L in the industry. The new mixing clears now drastically reduce CO2 emissions by up to 50%.

More information:
Automechanika Frankfurt
Sustainability
ChemCycling®: Chemical recycling of plastic waste (basf.com)