BASF to build new worldscale glyoxal plant at Ludwigshafen

24 October 2000 15:19  [Source: ICIS news]

LONDON (CNI)--Plans to build a new worldscale glyoxal plant at Ludwigshafen in Germany were unveiled on Tuesday by BASF.

The German chemicals giant said the plant, which will also produce some methylglyoxal, is to have a capacity of 60 000 tonne/year and is expected onstream in mid-2002. It will replace BASF's existing plant, which has a capacity of 25 000 tonne/year.

BASF, which would not disclose the cost of the new facility, said it would be the largest glyoxal plant in the world and would be fully integrated into the Ludwigshafen verbund structure.

It will bring BASF's total glyoxal capacity to 80 000 tonne/year as the company has a plant at Geismar, Louisiana, US which supplies the North and South American markets.

A spokesman for BASF told CNI that the new plant will mainly supply European markets. But together with Geismar it would also help meet Asian demand.

BASF has no immediate plans to build a glyoxal plant in Asia. However, the spokesman said that the optimum means of meeting future Asian demand were under constant review. "If another new glyoxal plant is built, it will be in Asia," he added.

Glyoxal and methylglyoxal are chemical intermediates for a broad range of derivatives such as resins for textile, paper or epoxy applications as well as for glyoxylic acid, cellulose ethers, biocides and soil hardeners. They are also used in the manufacture of imidazoles which are used as intermediates for the production of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and epoxy resins.

ICIS Copyright © Reed Business Information 2009

Author: Neil Sinclair
+44 20 8652 3214

For the latest chemical news, data and analysis that directly impacts your business sign up for a free trial to ICIS news - the breaking online news service for the global chemical industry.

Get the facts and analysis behind the headlines from our market leading weekly magazine: sign up to a free trial to ICIS Chemical Business.