BASF’s Coatings Division has entered into a joint development agreement with Sirrus Inc. The agreement reportedly intends for BASF to further develop a new class of high-performance automotive coatings based on Sirrus’ proprietary methylene malonate technology.

“The automotive industry's drive toward reducing energy, capital and solvent in coating finishing technologies is inevitable,” said Jeff Uhrig, Sirrus CEO. “At the same time, the industry will not tolerate any loss in manufacturing throughput or performance of the finished coating. Our malonate platform is a key enabling technology in meeting the industry’s environmental, safety, cost-reduction, and performance goals.”

“Being one of the leading paint suppliers to the automotive industry, BASF’s coatings division is an innovative partner for its customers and always strives for exploring new technologies,” said Harald Borgholte, vice president, strategic marketing and product development. “The methylene malonate platform is an interesting opportunity for us in many aspects, particularly to provide OEMs with more sustainable and energy-saving coating solutions.”