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Business Segments

Our portfolio is well balanced and offers strong growth opportunities. It consists of four segments with twelve operating divisions. Our segments are based on related products, customer industries and production processes. This enables us to more effectively combine our competencies and knowledge and bring our products and system solutions to the market faster.

The Chemicals segment comprises our business with basic chemicals and intermediates. Its portfolio ranges from solvents and plasticizers to high-volume monomers and glues as well as raw materials for detergents, plastics, textile fibers, paints and coatings, crop protection and medicines. In addition to supplying customers in the chemical industry and numerous other sectors, we also ensure that other BASF segments are supplied with chemicals for producing downstream products.

The Chemicals segment consists of the Petrochemicals, Monomers and Intermediates divisions.

transfilling clear liquid
Million € 2017

Sales

16,331

Income from operations before special items

4,233

Income from operations (EBIT)

4,208

Products

Petrochemicals

Basic products: ethylene, propylene, butadiene, benzene, alcohols, solvents, plasticizers, alkylene oxides, glycols and acrylic monomers

Specialties: special plasticizers, special acrylates

Monomers

Basic products: isocyanates (MDI, TDI), ammonia, caprolactam, adipic acid, chlorine, urea, glues and impregnating resins, caustic soda, polyamides 6 and 6.6, standard alcoholates, sulfuric and nitric acid

Intermediates

Basic products: butanediol and derivatives, alkylamines and alkanolamines, neopentyl glycol, formic and propionic acid

Specialties: specialty amines such as tertiary butylamine and polyetheramine, gas treatment chemicals, vinyl monomers, acid chlorides, chloroformates, chiral intermediates

Customer industries and applications

Petrochemicals

Use in the BASF Verbund

Chemical and plastics industry, detergent, hygiene, automotive, packing and textile industries; production of paints, coatings, and cosmetics as well as oilfield, construction and paper chemicals

Monomers

Use in the BASF Verbund

Industries such as plastics, electronics, lumber, furniture, packaging, textile, construction and automotive

Intermediates

Use in the BASF Verbund

Plastics, coatings and pharmaceutical industries, production of detergents and cleaners as well as crop protection products and textile fibers

Our Performance Products lend stability, color and better application properties to many everyday products. Our product portfolio includes vitamins and other food additives in addition to ingredients for pharmaceuticals, personal care and cosmetics, as well as hygiene and household products. Other products from this segment improve processes in the paper industry, in oil, gas and ore extraction, and in water treatment. They furthermore enhance the efficiency of fuels and lubricants, the effectiveness of adhesives and coatings, and the stability of plastics.

The Performance Products segment consists of the Dispersions & Pigments, Care Chemicals, Nutrition & Health and Performance Chemicals divisions.

two liquids mixed together
Million € 2017

Sales

16,217

Income from operations before special items

1,416

Income from operations (EBIT)

1,510

Products

Dispersions & Pigments

Polymer dispersions, pigments, resins, high-performance additives, formulation additives, electronic materials

Care Chemicals

Ingredients for skin and hair cleansing and care products, such as emollients, cosmetic active ingredients, polymers and UV filters

Ingredients for detergents and cleaners in household, institution or industry, such as surfactants, enzymes, chelating agents, polymers, biocides and products for optical effects

Solvents and other ingredients for crop protection product formulations, as well as products for concrete additives and chemical processes such as metal surface treatments or textile processing

Superabsorbents for baby diapers, incontinence products and feminine hygiene articles

Nutrition & Health

Additives for the food and feed industries, such as vitamins, carotenoids, sterols, enzymes, emulsifiers and omega-3 fatty acids

Flavors and fragrances, such as geraniol, citronellol, L-menthol and linalool

Excipients for the pharmaceutical industry and selected, high-volume active pharmaceutical ingredients, such as ibuprofen and omega-3 fatty acids

Performance Chemicals

Antioxidants, light stabilizers and flame retardants for plastic applications

Fuel and refinery additives, polyisobutene, brake fluids and engine coolants, lubricant additives and basestocks, components for metalworking fluids and compounded lubricants

Process chemicals for the extraction of oil, gas, metals and minerals, chemicals for enhanced oil recovery

Functional chemicals and process chemicals for the production of paper and cardboard, water treatment chemicals, membrane technologies, kaolin minerals

Customer industries and applications

Dispersions & Pigments

Raw materials used to formulate products for industries such as construction, automotive, adhesive, printing, packaging, electronics and paper

Care Chemicals

Cosmetics industry, hygiene industry, detergent and cleaner industry, agricultural industry and technical applications

Nutrition & Health

Food and feed industries, flavor and fragrance industry and pharmaceutical industry

Performance Chemicals

Plastics processing industry, automotive industry, fuel and lubricant industry, oil and gas industry, mining industry, municipal and industrial water treatment as well as paper industry and packaging made of paper

In the Functional Materials & Solutions segment, we bundle system solutions, services and innovative products for specific sectors and customers, especially the automotive, electrical, chemical and construction industries, as well as applications for household, sports and leisure. Our portfolio comprises catalysts, battery materials, engineering plastics, polyurethane systems, automotive coatings, surface treatment solutions and concrete admixtures as well as construction systems like tile adhesives and decorative paints.

The Functional Materials & Solutions segment comprises the Catalysts, Construction Chemicals, Coatings and Performance Materials divisions.

functional materials in a bowl
Million € 2017

Sales

 20,745

Income from operations before special items

1,617

Income from operations (EBIT)

1,545

Products

Catalysts

Automotive and process catalysts

Battery materials

Precious and base metal services

Construction Chemicals

Concrete admixtures, cement additives, underground construction solutions, flooring systems, sealants, solutions for the protection and repair of concrete, high-performance mortars and grouts, tile-laying systems, exterior insulation and finishing systems, expansion joints, wood protection

Coatings

Coatings solutions for automotive applications, technology and system solutions for surface treatments, decorative paints

Performance Materials

Engineering plastics, biodegradable plastics, standard foams, foam specialties, polyurethanes

Customer industries and applications

Catalysts

Automotive and chemical industries, refineries, battery manufacturers

Solutions for the protection of air quality as well as the production of fuels, chemicals, plastics and battery materials

Construction Chemicals

Cement and concrete producers, construction companies, craftspeople, builders’ merchants

Solutions for new building construction, maintenance, repair and renovation of commercial and residential buildings as well as infrastructure

Coatings

Automotive industry, body shops, steel industry, aviation, aluminum applications in the architecture and construction industries, household appliances, painting businesses and private consumers

Performance Materials

Automotive manufacture, electrical engineering, packaging, games, sports and leisure, household, mechanical engineering, construction, medical technology, sanitation and water industry, solar thermal energy and photovoltaics

The Agricultural Solutions segment provides innovative solutions in the areas of chemical and biological crop protection, seed treatment and water management as well as for nutrient supply and plant stress.

Field of yellow flowers
Million € 2017

Sales

 5,696

Income from operations before special items

 1,033

Income from operations (EBIT)

 1,015

Application

Fungicides

Protecting crops from harmful fungal infections; improving plant health

Herbicides

Reducing competition from weeds for water and nutrients

Insecticides

Combating insect pests in agriculture and beyond, such as in the fields of public health, professional pest control and landscape maintenance

Functional Crop Care

Products for plant health and increased yield potential that go beyond traditional crop protection, such as biological crop protection, seed treatments, polymers and colorants

Product examples

Fungicides

Boscalid, metiram, dimethomorph, Initium®, metrafenone, F 500®, Xemium®, AgCelence® (umbrella brand)

Herbicides

Kixor®, Engenia®, pendimethalin, imazamox, topramezone, Clearfield® herbicide tolerance system, dimethenamid-P

Insecticides

Fipronil, alpha-cypermethrin, chlorfenapyr, teflubenzuron, Nealta®, Termidor® to guard against termite infestation, Interceptor® mosquito nets to protect against malaria

Functional Crop Care

Vizura®, Limus®, Systiva®, Vault® HP, Nodulator® PRO, Flo Rite®, Integral®, Serifel®