Intermediates

Acetylenics and carbonyl derivatives
These specialty intermediates are based on raw materials from BASF’s Verbund, such as acetylene and chlorine. Among the acetylene derivatives are vinyl monomers, acetylenic alcohols and higher alkylpyrrolidones. Chlorine-based intermediates include acid chlorides and chloroformates. Further specialty intermediates are glyoxal and imidazoles, 2-mercaptoethanol and triphenylphosphine. The products serve as building blocks for crop protection agents and pharmaceuticals or as monomers and performance additives for polymers, coatings and printing inks.

Acids and polyalcohols
BASF is the world’s leading manufacturer of polyalcohols, such as neopentyl glycol (NPG) and 1,6 hexanediol (HDO^®), and carboxylic acids, such as formic acid (FA) and propionic acid (PA). Carboxylic acids are used as preservatives for the feed and food industries, as auxiliaries for textile and leather applications and as deicing agents. The portfolio also includes higher carboxylic acids such as 2-ethylhexanoic acid and isononanoic acid, which are primarily utilized in synthetic lubricants, paint dryer and PVC plasticizer applications. Polyalcohols are mainly offered for the production of a wide range of coatings.

Amines
With about 300 different amines, we have the world’s most diverse portfolio of this type of chemical intermediate. Along with alkyl-, alkanol-, alkoxyalkylamines and ethyleneamines, we offer heterocyclic and aromatic as well as specialty amines. The range is completed by a portfolio of chiral amines of high optical and chemical purity. The versatile products are used mainly to manufacture process chemicals, pharmaceuticals and crop protection agents, as well as cosmetic products and detergents. They also serve to produce coatings, specialty plastics, composites and specialty fibers.
 

Butanediol and its derivatives
In Europe and North America, BASF is among the largest manufacturers of 1,4-butanediol, which is a chemical building block for products such as polyesters and polyurethanes. Its derivatives are used to manufacture products ranging from fibers to paints, pharmaceuticals and lithium-ion batteries, and include N-methylpyrrolidone, tetrahydrofuran (THF) and PolyTHF^®.

With a focus on CO₂ management, recycled and renewable carbon, we offer solutions that support our customers in achieving their sustainability goals. Our portfolio includes different sustainable product variants – all designed to meet the diverse sustainability needs of our customers.

Our standard intermediates deliver high performance with a competitive carbon footprint, powered by BASF’s integrated Verbund and continuous efficiency improvements. Some standard products even come with a LowPCF claim, indicating a cradle-to-gate PCF demonstrably below the global average PCF of fossil-based equivalent products produced by third parties. Current LowPCF products include FA, PA and HDO^®.

We also offer NPG and PA from our Ludwigshafen Verbund site as ZeroPCF products. Their cradle-to-gate PCF of zero or below is achieved by allocating renewable feedstocks and in some cases renewable electricity via our certified biomass balance (BMB)¹ approach. This enables customers to effectively reduce their Scope 3 emissions and increase the share of renewable raw materials in their value chains.

In addition, we are expanding our portfolio with rPCF intermediates. These products have a cradle-to-gate PCF that is at least 10% lower than the BASF standard product in the producing region. The PCF reduction is achieved through active measures, specifically the use of low-emission feedstocks and low-emission energy supplies. The new product range will be expanded, supporting our customers to fulfill their CO₂ targets.

1 In the biomass balance approach, fossil fuels are replaced by renewable feedstock in the value chain. The corresponding share of renewable raw material is attributed to the specific sales product via a certified methodology. This contributes to saving fossil raw materials and reduces the product carbon footprint.
For more information on the mass balance approach, see basf.com/massbalance

Low-VOC polyurethane catalyst Lupragen^® N 208

BASF is adding a modern catalyst, Lupragen^® N 208, to its portfolio of amine catalysts for the production of polyurethane (PU) foams. As a reactive catalyst, Lupragen^® N 208 is firmly integrated into the PU polymer network during foam production and therefore cannot escape from the foam afterwards. This prevents the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can cause unwanted effects such as odor. This property makes Lupragen^® N 208 particularly suitable for the manufacture of PU products for applications in which stringent low-VOC standards must be met. Examples range from flexible foams for mattresses and upholstery to more rigid foams for automotive interiors such as dashboards or armrests.

The Intermediates division holds one of the top three market positions in all strategic business areas in which it is active.

The main competitors (alphabetical order) include Dairen, Dow, Eastman, Huntsman, Luxi, LyondellBasell and Wanhua.

From 2023 onward

1 Operated in a fully consolidated joint venture with PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad
2 Operated in a joint venture with Sinopec; the startup of the plant expansions for ethanolamines and ethyleneamines took place in early 2024.

From 2023 onward

Thousand metric tons per year

1 All capacities are included at 100%, including plants belonging to joint operations and joint ventures.