OREANDA-NEWS. BASF’s Refining Catalysts business today launched a new fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalysts testing and research laboratory at the hte GmbH (hte) site in Heidelberg, Germany. hte is a wholly owned subsidiary of BASF SE and a leading provider of high throughput technology and services for enhancing research and development productivity.

The new laboratory will provide physical and chemical analyses and characterizations of hydrocarbons and FCC catalysts, fine particles and slurries. It will also develop advanced refining catalysts test methods, complementing BASF’s existing FCC catalysts laboratory in Iselin, New Jersey, USA.

“Through this expansion of our FCC catalysts research activities, we are focused on developing world-class testing methodologies and providing significantly improved turnaround times for the analytical services we provide our customers in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region,” said Detlef Ruff, Senior Vice President, Process Catalysts & Technologies for BASF.