BASF increases production of speciality plasticizer

19 October 2006

The capacity for Hexamoll DINCH, BASF’s speciality plasticizer, will be increased to 100,000 metric tons per year due to rising demand for the product since its introduction in 2002. The production plant at Ludwigshafen in Germany, which currently produces 25,000 metric tons a year, will grow its capacity by the second quarter of 2007.

The non-phthalate plasticizer, which complies with new EU-regulations on the restriction of phthalates in toys, is suitable for sensitive applications due to its low migration rate (60 mg per kilogram body weight). It is mainly used in toys and medical applications but may be used more frequently for food contact applications in the future. Pfrimmer Nutricia, producer of sets for enteral nutrition, uses only Hexamoll DINCH in its products.

The company says that the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has recently given Hexamoll DINCH a positive review and the plasticizer has already received a recommendation from the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). It has also collected two innovation awards this year: the ICIS Publications Innovation Award for Best Product Innovation 2006 and the BASF Innovation Award 2006.