Catalysts
BASF’s Catalysts division is the global market leader in catalyst technologies. The division develops and produces mobile emissions catalysts as well as process catalysts and offers precious metals trading, recycling and related products and services. It is also the home of BASF’s battery materials business and provides base metals sourcing, recycling and management services. BASF expands its leading role in catalyst technology through continuous process and product innovation.
Sales by region 2022 (location of customer)
Sales by direct customer industry 20221
1 Excluding sales of €12,336 million in precious metal trading and precious metal sales in the automotive catalyst business
Battery base metals and recycling
The global business unit Battery Base Metals & Recycling supports BASF’s battery materials business and its customers with services related to base metals sourcing and management. It purchases, sells, distributes, stores and offers transportation services for metals. In addition, we offer closed loop battery recycling solutions and services for our customers in the e-mobility value chain. This unit also provides a variety of pricing and delivery arrangements to meet logistical, financial and price-risk management requirements.
Battery materials
BASF is a leading global supplier of advanced cathode active materials (CAM) for the lithium-ion batteries market, providing high- performance CAM to the world’s largest cell producers and for leading platforms of OEMs. BASF has a global presence with R&D and production capacity in all regions, in some cases leveraging partnerships. BASF is a frontrunner in developing innovative solutions and conducting next-generation battery materials research.
Mobile emissions catalysts
BASF’s mobile emissions catalysts enable cost-effective regulatory compliance, providing technologies that control emissions from gasoline and diesel-powered passenger cars, trucks, buses, off-road vehicles and motorcycles.
Precious metal services
The global business unit Precious Metal Services supports BASF’s mobile emissions catalysts business and its customers with services related to precious metals sourcing and management. It purchases, refines, sells, distributes, stores and offers transportation services for metals. The business produces precious metals chemicals and temperature sensors and is a global leader in precious metals recycling and refining. In addition, it provides a variety of pricing and delivery arrangements to meet logistical, financial and price-risk management requirements.
Process catalysts
BASF is a leading global manufacturer of catalysts for the chemical industry, with solutions across the chemical value chain. The business comprises chemical catalysts and adsorbents, refinery catalysts and custom catalysts.
Emissions catalysts market – regulation remains primary demand driver
The Catalysts 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 Albemarle, Clariant, Easpring, Ecopro, Johnson Matthey, Umicore and W.R. Grace.
For battery materials, the focus is on offering comprehensive products meeting customers’ requirements for e-mobility applications, including improving energy density to extend driving range as well as stability, safety and cost. For mobile emissions catalysts, the focus is on improved products to meet future vehicle emission standards. In the process catalysts business, priority is given to developing new and improved products that enable the chemical industry’s transformation to net-zero emissions.
(from 2020 onward)
Product group | Description | Year |
Battery materials | BASF and Shanshan formed joint venture (BASF 51%) for CAM and PCAM production in China | 2021 |
CAM capacity expansion for the joint venture BASF Shanshan in Chansha, China | 2023 | |
New PCAM manufacturing plant in Harjavalta, Finland | 2023 | |
New CAM manufacturing plant in Schwarzheide, Germany | 2023 | |
New battery recycling prototype plant in Schwarzheide, Germany | 2023 | |
CAM capacity expansion for the joint venture BASF TODA in Onoda, Japan | 2024 | |
New black mass recycling plant in Schwarzheide, Germany | 2024 | |
Mobile emissions catalysts | Capacity expansion in Środa Śląska, Poland | 2020 |
Capacity expansion in Chennai, India | 2022 | |
Precious metal services | Acquisition of Zodiac Enterprises LLC assets in Caldwell, Texas, for catalyst recycling | 2021 |
Refinery capacity expansion in Seneca, South Carolina | 2022 | |
BASF HERAEUS (China) Metal Resource Co., Ltd. formed in China for automotive catalyst recycling | 2022 | |
Process catalysts | Construction of global Catalyst Development and Solids Processing Center in Ludwigshafen, Germany | 2024 |
(from 2020 onward)
Product group | Description | Year |
Process catalysts | Closure of the Erie, Pennsylvania, production site | 2021 |
Single-crystal cathode active material
With its broad portfolio of innovative cathode active materials, BASF serves all market segments – from small to luxury cars. Promising developments are single-crystal cathode active materials. Due to their specific structure, they are characterized by particularly high electrochemical and temperature stability and they age slower than other materials. This leads to a longer battery lifetime in electric vehicles and increases battery safety.