German chemical giant BASF opened a new production facility to produce alkyl ethanolamines at its Verbund site in Antwerp, Belgium.
Global demand for alkyl ethanolamines is growing quickly for use as gas treatment precursors, flocculants used in water treatment, bindings between pigments and resins.
In lubricants, it is used as a corrosion inhibitor and anti-microbial additive in metalworking fluids. Some can be reacted with another component to form an anti-wear additive in situ, explained additives consultant Trevor Gauntlett.
The expansion increases BASF’s global production capacity for alkyl ethanolamines by almost 30%, raising capacity to more than 140,000 metric tons per year.
“This new plant expands our production network globally and supports our customers’ ability to grow sustainably,” said Ketan Joshi, president of BASF’s intermediates division.