BASF Opens New PolyTHF Lab in Shanghai      

On October 16th, BASF announced it has inaugurated an application lab for polytetrahydrofuran (polyTHF), marketed by BASF under the PolyTHF (R ) brand in Shanghai. This specialist lab is designed to further improve technical customer services in the region, especially in the PolyTHF growth areas of highly elastic spandex fibers and thermoplastic polyurethane and polyetherester elastomers (TPU, TPEE), polyetheramides and cast elastomers.
   The new laboratory, located at the Shanghai Pudong site of BASF Polyurethane Specialties (China) Ltd., has access to modern polymer analytics and is equipped with a variety of testing and synthesis facilities.
   The lab is a strategic step for BASF to move close to its customers and offer them faster and more efficient technical services, according to Patrick Schiffers, Regional Diols Business Director, Asia, in BASF's Intermediates division.
    In addition, BASF celebrates the 25th anniversary of the production of the "Verbund" product, PolyTHF (R ) this year.
   BASF produces PolyTHF (R ) at its sites in Caojing, China; in Ludwigshafen, Germany; in Geismar, USA; and in Ulsan, Korea, its current total annual capacity being 185 000 tons. The newest chapter in the annals of success is the PolyTHF (R ) plant at the Caojing production base near Shanghai. Since becoming operational in early 2005 the plant has mainly supplied customers in Asia, now not only the largest PolyTHF (R ) market, but also the fastest growing. The PolyTHF (R ) facility at BASF's Caojing site is one of BASF's world scale plants for this important intermediate.