BASF is the first company worldwide to offer customers a new, superior pellet form of triphenylphosphine (TPP) that minimises dust and improves handling and processing.

The breakthrough product is made at a new manufacturing plant dedicated solely to this product and using an improved process. The plant enables BASF to respond flexibly to customers’ requirements for different product formulations and to easily satisfy any surges in demand.
“Customers are very interested in the new TPP pellets and expect product handling to be much easier,” said Dr. Dieter Kovar, business director, marketing, acids and specialty intermediates for BASF in Ludwigshafen, Germany.
“Until now, the standard commercial form of TPP has been flakes, which typically stick together in their container. BASF’s new TPP pellets empty with greater ease because the TPP pellets pour without difficulty,” a BASF text explained.
 “This dramatically reduces dusting and results in easier, cleaner product handling. Because of their superior product purity, BASF’s TPP pellets also have significantly less odour than standard TPP flakes. BASF’s TPP pellets can be packaged in flexible intermediate bulk containers (FIBCs), also known as bulk bags, without any problems.
 Kovar said demand for TPP was growing worldwide and the encouraging trend had prompted BASF to double its capacity. BASF’s new TPP plant, located at the company’s manufacturing site in Ludwigshafen, is the largest of its kind in the world. It came on stream in January 2004.
 “BASF is the only manufacturer that operates a single-line TPP plant with continuous product processing,” said Kovar. “Cross-contamination is no longer a concern. This enables the company to supply consistently high quality product.”
In addition to pellets, BASF markets TPP in a melt formulation, which can be pumped, making dosing easier than for a solid. Most of BASF’s TPP is sold to customers around the world, with a small fraction used within the company to make other products.
TPP has many applications, including vitamin synthesis, and production of pharmaceutical active ingredients, crop protection products and coatings. TPP is also used as a catalyst in isobutanol and n-butanol production.
BASF reported that overall sales increased by 3.6 percent to €33.4 billion. Excluding currency effects, the growth would have been substantially higher and sales would have reached €35.7 billion.
Sales and earnings increased substantially in the agricultural products & nutrition and oil & gas segments. In the chemicals, plastics and performance products segments, earnings were below the previous year’s level, but sales in some divisions increased.