BASF with increased Poly THF capacity
German chemical giant has increased its global annual capacity for the production of the chemical intermediate PolyTHF® (polyetramethylene ether glycol) from 185000 to 250000 metric annual tons
There are production facilities for the intermediate chemical PolyTHF®, namely in Geismar, Louisiana (USA), Ludwigshafen (D), Ulsan Korea and Caojing (PRC) and all of those were modernized to enhance the efficiency of the plants and the total investment amounted to more than EUR 60 million. He main purpose was to serve the growing customers’ demand. The intermediate is primarily used to make elastic spandex fibres for a large variety of textiles, including underwear, outer- and sportswear and swimsuits. It also serves as a chemical building block for thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) for applications such as the manufacturing of hoses, films and cable sheating. Other applications are thermoplastic polyetheresters, polyetheramides and cast elastomers for the production of wheels for skateboards and inline skates.