Owens Corning joins thermoplastic composites alliance

Royal TenCate, Almelo, The Netherlands, and BASF, the global German chemical company, have formed a partnership to build the market in thermoplastic automotive composites. The two recently added Owens Corning, Toledo, Ohio, to the strategic alliance. Owens Corning produces fabrics and glass fiber reinforcement for composite systems. BASF offers comprehensive knowledge about thermoplastic resins; TenCate Advanced Composites brings experience in composite manufacturing. The demand for automotive composites is growing rapidly because they are strong but lighter than metal (giving vehicles better gas mileage), can reduce production cycle times, do not have a limited shelf life and can be recycled.