BASF strengthens performance materials production in China

The compounding plant’s total capacity for Ultramid and Ultradur compounds has doubled from 45,000 t/y to more than 100,000 t/y – making it BASF’s biggest engineering plastics compounding facility in Asia Pacific. The expansion, which is operational more than six months ahead of schedule, also includes a compounding line for speciality grades. With this project and the new compounding plant in Yesan, Chung Nam Province, Korea, which is expected to begin operations from the end of 2015, the company’s overall compounding capacities in Asia will increase from the current 130,000 t/y to a total of 225,000 t/y.

In addition, BASF announced it has completed a “significant” capacity expansion at its Shanghai-based Elastollan plant, which was established in 2007. According to the company, the expansion will support growth of the rapidly growing market for textile, footwear, transportation, wire and cable sheathing, and other industrial applications in China.

Furthermore, BASF announced a new investment project for Cellasto, based on the existing facility at its Pudong site, which was established in 2011. The investment project includes the expansion of the Cellasto Asia Pacific Technical Center, the establishment of three new production lines, and the technical improvement of existing facilities. The production capacity will be doubled after the project completion in 2015. BASF currently produces Cellasto at six sites worldwide: Lemförde, Germany, Shanghai and Nansha, China, Guaratinguetá, Brazil, Shinshiro, Japan, and Wyandotte, USA.