INDUSTRY NEWS BASF scales up in India with Ultradur®
New locally manufactured supply of Ultradur® (HR) specialty grades
rising market demand Ultradur®
*specialty grades such as flame- retardant
(FR) and hydrolysis-resistant (HR) are now available from India, marking a significant milestone in BASF’s commitment to delivering high-performance engineering plastics tailored to local market needs. This development enables faster response times, improved supply reliability, and greater flexibility for customers across India.
“The new localised supply of Ultradur® is a strategic
step that enhances our ability to serve Indian customers with speed and agility. It reflects our confidence in the country’s industrial growth and our commitment to supporting innovation in key sectors such as automotive and electronics,” said Andy Postlethwaite, Senior Vice President, Performance Materials Asia Pacific, BASF.
*Ultradur® is BASF’s brand name for its line of partially crystalline, thermoplastic, saturated
polyesters derived from polybutylene terephthalate (PBT).
www.basf.com PBT to meet includes flame-retardant (FR) and hydrolysis-resistant Ultradur® possesses exceptional dimensional stability,
mechanical strength, rigidity, and resistance to heat, chemicals, and weathering. Its low moisture absorption and ease of processing make it ideal for precision components. Specialty grades such as FR and HR offer enhanced flame retardancy and long-term durability, making Ultradur®
a preferred material for
electric vehicles, connectors, electronics, and industrial applications.
VBASE Oil Company awarded $2MM contract to demonstrate high efficiency, sustainable gear lubricants based on SPE®
Base Oils VBASE®
Oil Company has been awarded a $2MM Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II Sequential award through the U.S. Army, W51701- 25-C-A184, titled “High Efficiency and Sustainable Gear Lubricants for Demand Reduction.” The program will deliver an Army-ready formulation built to exceed SAE J2360+ performance requirements, enabling measurable improvements in fuel efficiency, durability, and sustainability in military driveline systems.
The project builds on VBASE’s patented Secondary Polyol Ester™ (SPE®
) base oil technology, which
delivers excellent lubricity, oxidative stability, and low-temperature performance compared to conventional lubricants. These biobased, readily biodegradable base oils support enhanced fuel economy, reduced maintenance, and longer equipment life in demanding operating environments. The effort will formulate and evaluate two viscosity
grades of SPE-based gear oils to demonstrate SPE performance inside finished lubricant systems that can be adopted by lubricant manufacturers and OEM partners.
Planned work includes comprehensive tribological testing, thermal and oxidative stability analysis, and evaluation of extreme-pressure additive packages, followed by field trials to quantify real-world efficiency and durability gains in Army platforms. The resulting formulation will be a fully formulated, qualification- ready gear lubricant that de-risks adoption for lubricant manufacturers and OEM partners by providing a proven design that can be branded and commercialised by industry.
vbaseoil.com
LUBE MAGAZINE NO.191 FEBRUARY 2026
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