A specialty thermoset plastic foam called Basotect that can be shaped under heat for thermoforming applications has been developed by BASF.
Basotect is a flexible, open-cell foam material made from melamine resin, a thermoset from the group of aminoplastic resins. The special combination of the chemical and spatial structure of the material gives rise to a particularly attractive range of properties. Basotect has high sound absorption, high heat resistance, good fireproofing properties, very good flexibility and is very easy to process. The advantages of the specialty thermoset plastic foam emerge from the combination of these different properties.

Thermoset materials such as Basotect cannot be shaped or melted under heat like thermoplastic product. This is why until now, Basotect had to be impregnated with adhesives, pressed and then dried in order to form complex, three-dimensional automotive parts. This costly impregnation step is eliminated with new Basotect TG – wherein, it can be directly compression-moulded under the usual processing conditions, so that making moulded parts is easier and more efficient. Production costs are reported to have reduced by about 20%.
Basotect's familiar properties have been retained in the TG variant: this foam on the basis of melamine resin is lightweight (approximately 9 kg/m³) and flame-resistant, it can be employed at temperatures of up to 200°C (392°F) and displays an extraordinary sound-absorption capacity. Basotect lends itself for acoustic insulation in automobiles wherever high continuous working temperatures prevail, such as in covers for engine hoods, partition walls between the engine and the passenger compartments, transmission tunnels as well as in engine proximity shells. This material has also found its way into airplane seats and acoustic insulation in buildings.

The specialty thermoset plastic foam is of interest not only in automotive and construction, but also in other industries that make use of compression-moulding methods for shaping.