Given the success of its “Styrodur” insulation business and rising demand for energy-efficient building insulation products, BASF (Ludwigshafen / Germany; www.basf.com) on 1 August 2011 announced that it would expand the production of “Styrodur C” at its Ludwigshafen plant by about 17%. The additional capacity, due to come on stream at the end of this year, would raise output of polystyrene rigid foam panels (XPS) from the current 1.3m m³ to a little more than 1.5m m³.

Once completed, the extension will allow the group to manufacture its new “Styrodur Neo” and “Styrodur HT” XPS grades in Ludwigshafen alongside more standard materials. While the former is a grey XPS with integrated graphite particles and an insulation performance that outshines competitive materials by 20%, the latter is geared specifically for applications exposed to high temperatures.

Although the plant extension will be incorporated into the existing structure, BASF said it would have a more elaborate configuration and employ better operating methods. As a result, the group will be able to set specific panel properties.

BASF had closed one of its PS plants in Ludwigshafen in 2009 (see Plasteurope.com of 26.06.2009). Since then, most PS output has gone into the insulation grades Styrodur C and Neopor.