OREANDA-NEWS. BASF is significantly expanding its production capacity for about 20 specialty amines at its Verbund site in Ludwigshafen. The company will therefore invest a double-digit million euro amount in expanding current production facilities, which are planned to go on stream gradually by early 2017. The specialty amines are especially used for the manufacturing of coatings, lubricants, crop protection products and pharmaceuticals. With this investment, BASF strengthens its worldwide amine production network with plants in Ludwigshafen and Schwarzheide, Germany, in Antwerp, Belgium, in Geismar, Louisiana and in Nanjing, China.

"This investment will allow us to meet the growing demand that our European customers have for specialty amines," said Stefan Blank, President, BASF Intermediates division. "We have decades of experience in the development and manufacturing of amines and hold a leading position globally with regard to these versatile intermediate products. Through the current expansion, we will strengthen this position."

In March and April 2014, BASF announced the construction of two new multiple product plants for the manufacturing of specialty amines at the BASF Verbund sites in Ludwigshafen, Germany and Nanjing, China, where startup is planned for 2015.

With about 200 different amines, BASF has the world's most diverse portfolio of this type of chemical intermediates. Along with alkyl-, alkanol-, alkoxyalkylamines, the company offers heterocyclic and aromatic as well as specialty amines. The range is completed by an expanding portfolio of chiral amines of high optical and chemical purity. The versatile products are used mainly to manufacture process chemicals, pharmaceuticals and crop protection products, as well as cosmetic products and detergents. They also serve to produce coatings, special plastics, composites and special fibers.