BASF has outlined several key initiatives for its Asia Pacific plasticisers business.

To meet growing demand for solvents and plasticisers the company plans to expand the annual production capacity of its oxo-C4 plant in Nanjing, China, by 55,000 tonnes to 305,000 tonnes by the fourth quarter of 2008. This move will ensure reliable supplies of the precursor alcohols n-butanol and 2-ethylhexanol.
In Asia, and in China especially, demand for plasticisers is expected to grow by 4 to 5 per cent per year through to 2015.
At the same time, BASF inaugurated the region’s first plasticiser applications laboratory in Shanghai.
The new laboratory’s research and development efforts will focus on flexible PVC applications for innovative products such as BASF’s Hexamoll Dinch, a non-phthalate plasticiser specially designed for sensitive applications for use in food contact and medical devices, and the recently introduced Palatinol 10-P, a new C10 plasticiser with a superior performance in the area of automotive and wire and cable applications.
A team of technical experts will provide specialised services ranging from trials, tests and on-site technical advice to formulation adjustments and joint development with customers.
 “Debottlenecking the oxo-C4 plant prior to the launch of our expansion plans for our other facilities at the Nanjing site is crucial for our customers,” said Dr Albert Heuser, president of BASF’s petrochemicals division. “We will be able to meet rapidly growing demand in Asia, particularly in China, which accounts for about half of the demand for oxo-alcohols in the region.
“With the introduction of a technical service centre in Shanghai and the expansion of our production capacity in Nanjing as well as that of our established facilities in Europe and the United States, BASF is strengthening its position as a leading global player in the field of plasticisers and plasticiser alcohols.”