50th anniversary for Caprolactam
For 50 years BASF is producing caprolactam at its Ludwigshafen (D) production site
6.5 million tons of polymide 6 (PA 6) intermediate were produced at BASF Ludwigshafen over half a century, entailing also improving processes and production expansion and never a major total plant shutdown occurred. Today there are two additional production sites in Antwerp (B) and Freeport, Texas (USA) and the total combined production capacity amounts to 800’000 t making BASF to the world’s largest manufacturer of caprolactam. When thinking today of engineering plastics, extrusion and fibre polymers it seems impossible to do without caprolactam because its application ranges from transparent and flexible food packaging, fishing lines and nets, cable sheating, textile fibres for outdoor sportswear and carpets to lightweight components for cars.