BELLINGHAM, Wash.—Conductive plastics developer Integral Technologies Inc. of Bellingham, Wash., has signed a letter of intent with BASF Corp. to explore jointly the North American market for a patented line of conductive thermoplastics.
The conductive materials are marketed by Integral subsidiary ElectriPlast Corp., while Integral is the researcher and owner of the technology's intellectual property. BASF supplies resins to Integral for use in compounding the ElectriPlast product line.
ElectriPlast and BASF initially will target auto applications where lightweight plastics could provide shielding in various applications and contribute to meeting stringent vehicle mileage requirements by replacing metal.
Integral earlier this year announced an agreement with Delphi Automotive Plc to jointly develop wire and cable insulation using ElectriPlastic conductive resins. It also signed a sales and manufacturing agreement with Hanwha L&C of Seoul, South Korea, to license ElectriPlast in Asia.
"ElectriPlast is a disruptive technology that is changing the way industry approaches materials, design and manufacturing," Integral CEO Doug Bathauer said in a news release. "We now have several key relationships primed to help us expand our operations both domestically and internationally."