Ultramid® Expand’s lightweight performance, high strength & durability enhance railway container floor stability under demanding conditions
BASF at CHINAPLAS 2026: Booth 7.2C41, National Exhibition & Convention Center, Shanghai, China
Shanghai, China – April 15, 2026 – At CHINAPLAS 2026, BASF introduces an innovative railway container floor solution, jointly developed with Shanghai Jiang Ju Yuan New Materials Co., Ltd. (Jiang Ju Yuan) and Golden Eagle Heavy Engineering Machinery Co., Ltd. (Golden Eagle Company). Made with BASF’s Ultramid® Expand polyamide particle foam (EPA), the solution provides lightweight performance, high strength and enhanced durability for modern railways.
“The development of the EPA-based flooring represents a significant breakthrough in new materials for railway equipment. It is expected to deliver notable advantages in railway logistics applications and further accelerate the industry’s transition toward lightweight and more sustainable solutions,” said Xin Liu, General Manager, Container Business Unit, Golden Eagle Heavy Engineering Machinery Co., Ltd.
With the continued expansion of the railway logistics industry and increasing transport intensity, material innovation has become essential for improving operational efficiency. EPA’s weight‑saving yet robust material properties open new possibilities for performance upgrades in next‑generation railway equipment.
“During the joint evaluation, the EPA-based composite floor demonstrated outstanding performance across key requirements for high performance railway container floors, offering greater design flexibility and streamlined manufacturing,” said Jiangqiao Guo, Chairman of Shanghai Jiang Ju Yuan New Materials Co., Ltd.
In this total solution, a lightweight sandwich structure between the EPA and Elastoflex® Polyurethane Spray Transfer Molding (STM) composite is used. EPA functions as the core material and works in synergy with a robust polyurethane system as the top and bottom surface layers, delivering enhanced load bearing capacity, long-term reliability and structural stability across diverse operating environments.
“The collaboration between BASF, Jiang Ju Yuan, and Golden Eagle Company demonstrates our capabilities in addressing the high-strength requirements of railway applications and expands the potential of our material solutions across other demanding transportation segments,” said Eng Guan Soh, Vice President, Business Management Engineering Plastics, Performance Materials Asia Pacific, BASF.