Ludwigshafen, Germany - BASF said 3 Jan that it plans to increase its annual global capacity for manufacturing 1,6-hexanediol (HDO) by more than 20 percent to more than 50 kilotonnes per annum by 2014.
The company will invest more than €30 million ($39.3 million) to further optimise its production, carry out various infrastructure projects and enhance its logistics, strengthening its position as the leading HDO supplier in the world.
BASF operates HDO plants at Freeport, Texas, and Ludwigshafen, Germany.
"By increasing our capacity and further optimizing our operations we respond to the growing demand for innovative high-performance formulations," said Sanjeev Gandhi, president, BASF Intermediates division, in BASF's announcement. "By aligning with the growth of our customers and ensuring the availability of high-quality HDO we continue to serve our global customers as a reliable partner."
HDO is used in many applications. BASF's customers use it to manufacture industrial coatings including formulations with lower volatile organic compound levels, polyurethanes, adhesives and cosmetics.
BASF notes that HDO is also used as a reactive thinner in epoxy systems -- used to make rotor blades for wind turbines as well as construction components for automotive lightweight applications.
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