BASF plans to double its manufacturing capacity for certain alkylethonalamines (AEOA) by mid-2009 in response to increases in customer demand for the products, some of which are used in lubricants and metalworking fluids.
BASF manufactures a range of AEOA specialties at its Ludwigshafen, Germany site. AOEA are part of the alkylalkanolamine category that BASF makes at its sites in Ludwigshafen, and in Geismar, La., in the United States, with a total annual capacity of 70,000 metric tons.
AOEA – including ethylethanolamines, propylethanolamines and butylethanolamines – are used in a variety of applications, including lubricants and coatings, in pharmaceutical and agrochemical products. Butylethanolamines in particular are used in lubricants, corrosion inhibitors and metalworking fluids, according to BASF.
We are expanding our production capacity in response to our customers growing demand for specific AEOAs, said Stefan Blank, head of the regional amines business unit within BASFs intermediates division.
Last year, BASF started up its new AEOA plant at its U.S. plant in Geismar, La., and began shipping product last June. That plant is backward integrated through existing on-site ethylene oxide production.