BASF
New 6,000 t/y plant for “Ultrason” PESU in Korea / First outside Germany / Start-up 2012
 Ultrason is used in the electronics industry, as well as the automotive and aerospace industries, for hot water and food contact parts and in the production of carbon fiber composite materials (Photo: BASF) |
BASF (Ludwigshafen / Germany; www.basf.com) is building its first plant outside Germany for the high-temperature polymer PESU (“Ultrason”). Production of the 6,000 t/y unit will begin in early 2014. Currently, BASF produces the polymer – used in electronics, automotive and aeronautics applications but also in the growing field of carbon fibre composites and water membranes – only at its main site in Ludwigshafen.
The new facility in Korea is part of the group’s plan to move closer to its downstream customers – see Plasteurope.com of 02.12.2011 – and also part of a drive to further lift its profile in the fast-growing Asia-Pacific region. The new plant will “significantly enhance” BASF’s engineering plastics position in the Asian market, said Wolfgang Hapke, president of the Performance Polymers division. He added that the Korean site was selected because of its “highly trained and qualified workforce” but also because the infrastructure for the new facility was already in place.
The new facility in Korea is part of the group’s plan to move closer to its downstream customers – see Plasteurope.com of 02.12.2011 – and also part of a drive to further lift its profile in the fast-growing Asia-Pacific region. The new plant will “significantly enhance” BASF’s engineering plastics position in the Asian market, said Wolfgang Hapke, president of the Performance Polymers division. He added that the Korean site was selected because of its “highly trained and qualified workforce” but also because the infrastructure for the new facility was already in place.
05.12.2011 Plasteurope.com [221005-0]
Published on 05.12.2011
German version of this article...