Consumables
PolyTHF: 25th anniversary of “Verbund” product, still going strong
Friday 12. September 2008 - BASF successful in developing Spandex and Elastan fibers throughout global markets
Twenty-five years ago, in September 1983, BASF brought its first plant for the production of polytetrahydrofuran on line at its “Verbund” (integrated production) site in Ludwigshafen, Germany. The product is now marketed under the name PolyTHF throughout the world. With a nameplate capacity of altogether 4,000 tons per year the first plant was the launch pad for a remarkable success story. Now with an aggregate capacity of 185,000 tons and a world-spanning network of production plants, BASF is globally the most important supplier of this multifaceted intermediate.
Driven by growing demand for PolyTHF, a second plant was built in Ludwigshafen and started operations in 1995. It had to be expanded in 2002. At the same time BASF was building added capacities close to Asian and NAFTA customers. Beginning in 1987 the company began supplying customers from a plant in Geismar in the U.S. state of Louisiana, while Asian customers started receiving PolyTHF from the Ulsan site in South Korea as of 1998. The newest chapter in the annals of success is the PolyTHF plant at the Caojing production base near Shanghai. Since becoming operational in early 2005 the plant has mainly supplied customers in Asia, now not only the largest PolyTHF market, but also the fastest growing.
“For us, PolyTHF is a core business. In keeping with our practice for the past 25 years, we will therefore continue to be a reliable partner in support of our worldwide PolyTHF customer base,” declared Dr. Beate Ehle, president of BASFs Operating Division Intermediates. Not only are the worlds most important Spandex and Elastan fiber manufacturers customers, but also a constantly growing number of smaller producers in Asia. Ehle added: “Together with our customers we keep working on innovative fibers for the future.”