German chemicals major BASF is rolling out a new range of polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) grades designed for high-temperature food-contact applications—completely free of Bisphenol S (BPS) and Bisphenol A (BPA).
The Ultrason P portfolio aligns with EU Commission Regulation 2024/3190, which bans bisphenols in food-contact materials, with transition periods ending by January 2028.
The six Ultrason P grades, complete with datasheets, certificates, and food-contact approvals, are available immediately. Manufacturers of reusable bottles, catering tableware, coffee machine components, and high-heat pans can now begin re-qualifying products currently made from polyethersulfone (PESU), which will also fall under the ban.
BASF promises a smooth transition, offering a PPSU range that supports excellent processing, design flexibility, and long-term performance.
The EU regulation, effective January 2025, prohibits hazardous bisphenols in food-contact materials, though PPSU is exempt and ready to serve as a robust replacement for affected applications.
BASF’s Ultrason P portfolio caters to manufacturers using PESU, polysulfone (PSU), or polyetherimide (PEI) in food-contact applications.
The grades are engineered for easy mold release, versatile coloring from opaque to translucent, and superior performance: temperature-independent mechanical properties, high resistance to detergents, oils, fats, and superheated steam, exceptional toughness, and dimensional stability. Ultrason P has long been trusted for household items, catering dishes, baby bottles, and microwaveable containers.
“Bisphenols as defined in the EU regulation 2024/3190 are not used in the manufacture of our Ultrason P,” said Georg Graessel, Global Business Management, Ultrason at BASF.
“We have adapted and extended this portfolio to give manufacturers sufficient time to test and re-qualify their food-contact products until the ban takes full effect in the EU. Technical data sheets and required certificates can be provided to support qualification processes. Existing injection molding tools for PESU can continue to be used.”
The EU regulation targets only food-contact materials, not drinking water applications. Filtration membrane assemblies for food remain exempt, allowing polysulfone to continue in these uses.
