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September 6, 2018
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BASF invests in alkoxylate capacity expansion at the company's Antwerp site

  • Investment in response to increased demand for alkoxylates in Europe
  • Stepwise increase of up to 25 percent in world-scale surfactant plant capacity by 2021
  • First additional capacities to be available from as early as 3rd quarter of 2018


Antwerp, Belgium – September 06, 2018 – BASF has started a stepwise capacity increase of its production plant for alkoxylation – a downstream technology of ethylene oxide production – in Antwerp, Belgium. The first additional capacities will be available from as early as the 3rd quarter of 2018.

"With the planned significant capacity expansion, we are responding to rising demand for top-quality alkoxylates in the European market and are supporting the growth of our customers. We are also expanding our market position as a leading supplier of alkoxylates in Europe," said Soeren Hildebrandt, Senior Vice President, Home Care, I&I and Industrial Solutions Europe at BASF. "Overall, we plan to step up our alkoxylation capacities at the Antwerp site by up to 25 percent by 2021."

Alkoxylation is used for example in the manufacture of surfactants for the home care industry and in industrial and institutional cleaning applications. BASF customers use surfactants in the formulation of laundry detergents, surface cleaners and dishwasher detergents, for instance. Alkoxylates are also used in technical applications for industrial solutions. Examples include raw materials for the manufacture of plasticizers, emulsifiers for emulsion polymerization, crop protection additives, and polyurethane foams for the rubber industry.

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About the Care Chemicals division at BASF

The BASF division Care Chemicals offers a broad range of ingredients for personal care, hygiene, home care, industrial & institutional cleaning, and technical applications. We are the global leading supplier for the cosmetics industry as well as the detergents and cleaners industry, and support our customers with innovative and sustainable products, solutions and concepts. The division’s high-performance product portfolio includes surfactants, emulsifiers, polymers, emollients, chelating agents, cosmetic active ingredients and UV filters. Superabsorbent polymers developed for the full spectrum of hygiene applications complete the range. We have production and development sites in all regions and are expanding our presence in emerging markets. Further information is available online at www.care-chemicals.basf.com.

 

About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The more than 115,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into five segments: Chemicals, Performance Products, Functional Materials & Solutions, Agricultural Solutions and Oil & Gas. BASF generated sales of €64.5 billion in 2017. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (BAS). Further information at www.basf.com.

 

P-18-309

Last Update September 6, 2018