Jun 8 2007
BASF has completed the planned expansion of capacity for its specialty plasticizer Hexamol® DINCH from the previous 25,000 metric tons p.a. to 100,000 metric tons p.a. at its site in Ludwigshafen, Germany. The expansion was carried out over the last six months in order to meet the growing customer demand. The increased capacity is available as from now.
Hexamoll® DINCH is an innovative plasticizer that was developed specifically for use in sensitive applications. Over the past few years the focus of use has been on toys and medical devices. In conjunction with the positive decision of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and inclusion in the 4th Amendment of Directive 2002/72/EC, which regulates additives and monomers in contact with food, a significant stimulus to growth is expected in future from products in contact with food, such as packing films, tubes or seals.
“Since the product was launched on the market in 2002 there has been an extremely satisfying growth in demand for Hexamoll® DINCH, and even just the sales figures from the first quarter of 2007 show that the decision to expand the capacity was right,” said Dr. Albert Heuser, president of the Petrochemicals Division.