LUDWIGSHAFEN, Germany - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded its Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award to BASF's Automotive Refinish Coatings business for the company's eco-efficient UV-curable primer.

The Eco-Efficiency Analysis showed that, compared to conventional thermal-cured products, the new primer cures 10-times faster. Since UV-curing is light-activated and does not rely on heat, it eliminates the need for bake ovens. As a result, the energy consumption in a body shop is significantly reduced by approximately 80 percent.