BASF, Lightning Technologies Develop 'Extremely' Durable Composite Pallet

BASF and Lightning Technologies partnered to develop an eco-friendly, lightweight and cost-efficient composite pallet that is stronger, more durable and safer than traditional wooden or plastic pallets.

The newly developed pallet is the first of its kind to offer a hermetically sealed surface – a crucial component in pharmaceutical and food transportation safety. It protects against insects, bacteria, mold and other harmful organisms that can damage shipments or cause delays.

The technological breakthrough combines a substrate fabricated by Lightning Technologies with a newly formulated proprietary hybrid polyurea spray coating named Exobond, developed in partnership with BASF.

“Our goal is to revolutionize the pallet industry, and to do so we needed the right material partner to make that a reality,” said Jeffrey Owen, CEO of Lightning Technologies. “BASF matched the inventive and innovative spirit of our company, and together we’re making groundbreaking advancements for pallet platforms.”

Exobond, the polyurea spray coating material developed jointly by BASF and Lightning Technologies, enables several benefits for the composite pallet. It increases durability for end-to-end supply chain stages and is chemical-resistant to ensure safety during storage and transportation. Its improved weight to strength performance makes pallets lighter and easier to handle and more fuel-efficient to transport. This composite pallet is made from sustainably sourced materials and all production waste will be repurposed into additional value streams.

“This composite pallet outperforms traditional pallets in terms of safety and durability because of material innovation and close collaboration between our companies,” said Scott Schlicker, industrial marketing manager at BASF Performance Materials. “The synergistic partnership between BASF and Lightning Technologies was critical to making this composite pallet a reality.”