BASF recently announced expansion plans totaling $200 million that will be used be used worldwide, including a portion for manufacturing sites in the U.S.
In Alabama, capacity will be expanded for plastics additives such as Tinuvin UV absorbers, which filter UV radiation and protects plastics and coatings. The company will also expand production of benzotriazoles.
According to local media, BASF is a leading manufacturer in Alabama’s chemical industry, which contributes about $2 billion annually to the state’s GDP.
In the same news release, the company announced that is also expanding production of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate at its plant in Geismar, LA. The investment will boost yearly production of MDI from 300,000 mt to 600,000 mt.
MDI is used in a variety of products including adhesives and paints.
“The engineering for the capacity of the MDI synthesis has already started. In subsequent steps, which will be implemented in alignment with business development, the MDI precursor units in Geismar will be expanded accordingly,” Stefano Pigozzi, president of BASF’s monomers division, said on the Geismar plant expansion. “The usage of latest proprietary technologies will ensure the best-in-class productivity and energy efficiency.”
The company did not report when the expansions will be complete.
BASF’s plastics additives business includes other sites in Mexico, Germany, Switzerland, China, Singapore and Bahrain.