BASF raises compounding capacity for engineering plastics in Europe
BASF is increasing its compounding capacities for the engineering plastics Ultramid (polyamide) and Ultradur (PBT: polybutylene terephthalate) at its Schwarzheide site in eastern Germany by 10,000 metric tons/year, the company said on Tuesday.
This is a first step of planned capacity expansions based on a sharp rise in European demand, officials said.
Already in the first quarter of 2011, BASF announced that it would be doubling its compounding capacities for engineering plastics in China and Korea.
“Engineering plastics in Europe came out of the economic crisis more quickly than we and our customers had expected back in early 2010,” said Dr. Willy Hoven-Nievelstein, head of the engineering plastics Europe business unit of BASF. “In comparison to the crisis year of 2009, demand rose by more than 30% in 2010. For 2011 as well, we are counting on double-digit growth.
“Consequently, the consumption will already have returned to the pre-crisis level in 2011. We are anticipating an average annual growth of more than 5%, which is why we are going to considerably expand our compounding capacities for engineering plastics in Europe in the coming years.”
The engineering plastics Ultramid and Ultradur are further processed into high-performance components in the automotive industry, in the electric and electronics sector as well as in the realms of construction and furniture-making.
Such components include car seat structures, oil pans, sensors and connectors, window profiles and chairs, the company said.
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