BASF’s Plastic Additives business supports industry growth in North America with capacity expansions and operational excellence

BASF recently announced its plans to invest more than $200 million in its plastic additives business worldwide. Part of this investment will focus on strengthening its manufacturing footprint in North America by investing in its McIntosh, Alabama, site to support market growth. As the leading global manufacturer and supplier of plastic additives, BASF is a major partner to the plastics industry. The investment will also increase capacity of Tinuvin® product lines to support global demand.

Low-priced natural gas feedstock enticed many large petrochemical companies to construct new plants and expand operations in North America. BASF’s investment aligns with announced expansions by existing and new polyolefin producers in North America, which significantly increases production capacity in the market.

“To us, this is a clear signal of our customers’ commitment to growth in the region,” said Anup Kothari, Senior Vice President, BASF Performance Chemicals. “The close proximity of our McIntosh site to our customers’ plants places us in an ideal position to fuel their growth.”

BASF’s investment in McIntosh will expand the production capacity of light stabilizers, namely the Tinuvinproduct line. Tinuvin UV absorbers (UVAs) prevent degradation of both plastics and coatings by filtering out harmful UV radiation. BASF’s capital investment to increase the production capacity of Benzotriazoles (BTZs), in particular will better serve the global needs of its customers in plastics and coatings.

BASF’s McIntosh employees have embarked on Operational Excellence and investment projects to increase capacity and ensure asset reliability. To complement these efforts, infrastructure investments help increase the sustainability and efficiency of its operations.

“We continue to focus on safety, quality and reliability,” Kothari added. “We are well-positioned to remain the trusted and reliable supplier of additives to our customers.”

In addition to its US locations, BASF’s Plastic Additives business has manufacturing sites in Mexico, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Bahrain, China and Singapore.