Supply Nanjing Base! BASF Completes Capacity Expansion!

On December 12, BASF announced that it has completed the expansion of production capacity of key specialty amines produced at its Geismar plant in Louisiana. The plant's products include key polyetheramines and tertiary amines under the Baxxodur® and Lupragen™ brands.

On June 28, 2022, BASF announced that it would expand the production capacity of the plant, which was originally planned to be completed in mid-2023. After completing the capacity expansion of this world-class production asset, BASF will be able to add it to the global network of specialty amine production plants, including integrated bases in Ludwigshafen, Germany, and Nanjing.

The Baxxodur product portfolio is used by customers as highly efficient curing agents and chain extenders for epoxy resins and polyureas in the wind energy, power generation, composites, adhesives and flooring industries. Using Baxxodur products allows customers to gain a wide range of benefits in their formulations, including cure time, hardness, flexibility, peel strength, chemical resistance and temperature resistance.

Lupragen products are highly efficient amine catalysts for polyurethane (PU). These catalysts are usually tertiary amines, which are needed to promote the reaction of the main components - isocyanates and polyols. Depending on the choice of catalyst, the polyurethane molding process can be controlled to enhance the gelling or foaming reaction. BASF’s Lupragen product portfolio includes several low-VOC catalysts to support efforts to address growing goals for sustainable emission reductions.

BASF has about 300 different amine products. In addition to alkyl, alkanol and alkoxyalkyl amines, BASF also offers heterocyclic amines, aromatic amines and specialty amines. These multifunctional products are mainly used in the manufacture of process chemicals, pharmaceuticals and crop protection products, as well as cosmetics and detergents. They are also used in the production of coatings, specialty plastics, composites and specialty fibers.

Kevin Anderson, vice president of business management for amines, acetylene and carbonyl derivatives, and chemical intermediates in North America at BASF, said that this project represents BASF’s commitment to market growth in the Americas. Due to existing infrastructure and skilled labor, the Geismar plant is the ideal location for this expansion.

The Geismar base is located in Ascension Parish, Louisiana. It is BASF's largest production base in North America and one of BASF's six global integrated bases. A total of more than 1,200 employees and 1,000 contractors provide maintenance and operations for the plant's 32 production facilities.