BASF to lift Europe THF capacity by 30,000 tonnes

09 May 2007 11:55  [Source: ICIS news]

LONDON (ICIS news)--BASF will lift tetrahydrofuran (THF) production capacity at its Ludwigshafen site in Germany by 30,000 tonnes, bringing its total annual global capacity to 210,000 tonnes, the company said on Wednesday.

The expansion is being made primarily to meet growing demand in the European pharmaceutical industry.

BASF makes THF in Europe, North America and Asia.

THF is used as a solvent in water-sensitive reactions using organometallic compounds such as Grignard reagents to make active pharmaceutical ingredients.

It is also the raw material for the company’s PolyTHF, a component in elastic spandex fibres and an intermediate for thermoplastic polyurethanes.

BASF said it is the only supplier that offers high-purity THF with a residual water content of 0.01% or less.

By: Nigel Davis
+44 20 8652 3214

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