MOSCOW (MRC) -- BASF plans to increase the production capacity for its antioxidant Irganox 1520L by 20% at the site in Pontecchio Marconi, Italy, said the company.
Irganox 1520L is a key product in BASF’s antioxidant portfolio. The company is a leading global supplier for plastic additives. With this expansion, BASF responds to an increasing market demand and aims to better serve its global customers.
"The production expansion of Irganox 1520L underlines our clear commitment to continuously support the growth of our customers. By debottlenecking operations at our Pontecchio plant in Italy, we are able to respond quickly to an increasing market demand," says Achim Sties, Senior Vice President, Performance Chemicals Europe, BASF.
Irganox 1520L is a highly effective thermo-oxidative stabilizer in a wide range of solution polymerized, emulsion polymerized and thermoplastic elastomers, plastics, adhesives, sealants, oils and lubricants. It is unique in its ability to provide both processing and long-term heat-aging stability used alone, at low levels and without co-stabilizers. Where necessary, Irganox 1520L can be used with other additives such as secondary antioxidants, benzofuranone, light stabilizers and other functional stabilizers.
BASF is a leading supplier, manufacturer and innovation partner of plastic additives. Its comprehensive and innovative product portfolio includes stabilizers which provide ease in processing, heat and light resistance to a variety of polymers and applications including molded articles, films, fibers, sheets and extruded profiles.
As MRC informed before, BASF, the world's petrochemical major, restarted its No. 1 steam cracker on September 30, 2019, following a maintenance turnaorund. The plant was shut for maintenance in mid-August, 2019. Located at Ludwigshafen in Germany, the No. 1 cracker has an ethylene production capacity of 235,000 mt/year and a propylene production capacity of 125,000 mt/year.
Ethylene and propylene are feedstocks for producing polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP).
According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,904,410 tonnes in the first eleven months of 2019, up by 6% year on year. Shipments of all PE grades increased. PE shipments increased from both domestic producers and foreign suppliers. The PP consumption in the Russian market was 1,161,830 tonnes in January-November 2019, up by 7% year on year. Deliveries of all grades of propylene polymers increased, with the homopolymer PP segment accounting for the largest increase.
BASF is the leading chemical company. It produces a wide range of chemicals, for example solvents, amines, resins, glues, electronic-grade chemicals, industrial gases, basic petrochemicals and inorganic chemicals. The most important customers for this segment are the pharmaceutical, construction, textile and automotive industries. BASF generated sales of around EUR63 billion in 2018.
MRC