German chemicals firm BASF will increase its global capacity for manufacturing the chemical intermediate 1,6-hexanediol (HDO) by more than 20% to more than 50,000 tonnes/year by 2014, by optimising its production processes, undertaking various infrastructure projects and enhancing its logistical processes. The firm will invest more than EUR30 million.

Through these measures BASF says it will strengthen its position as the globally leading HDO supplier. It operates HDO production facilities at its Verbund sites in Texas, US, and Ludwigshafen, Germany. “By increasing our capacity and further optimising our operations we respond to the growing demand for innovative high-performance formulations,” said Sanjeev Gandhi, President, BASF Intermediates division, and added, “by aligning with the growth of our customers and ensuring the availability of high-quality HDO we continue to serve our global customers as a reliable partner.”

HDO intermediate is used to manufacture industrial coatings including lower volatile organic compound formulations, polyurethanes, adhesives and cosmetics. HDO also serves as a reactive thinner in the formulation of epoxy systems which are used for the efficient production of rotor blades for modern wind turbines as well as construction components for automotive lightweight applications.