German chemicals company BASF is setting up a new world-scale production plant to manufacture specialty amines at its existing wholly-owned site in the Nanjing Chemical Industry Park in China. The plant, which is scheduled to come on stream in late 2015, will have dimethylaminopropylamine (DMAPA) and polyetheramines (PEA) as the main products.

The new plant complements existing facilities in Germany and the US. for DMAPA and PEA.

“BASF is a leading supplier of DMAPA and PEA globally, and this investment reflects our continued commitment to meeting the growing market demand in Asia Pacific,” said Sanjeev Gandhi, President of BASF’s Intermediates division.”

“The investment is driven by the increasing consumption of personal care products by the growing middle class in China and in Asia,” said Dr Guido Voit, Senior Vice President, BASF Intermediates, Asia Pacific. “Additionally, the development in the construction, wind energy and coatings industries in China and other emerging countries in Asia will continue to drive demand for PEA.”

DMAPA is mainly consumed in the production of betaines, which are used as co-surfactants in personal care products like shampoo and body wash. DMAPA is also used in various other applications including dye-stuff intermediates, lubricant additives, electroplating, coupling agents for rubber and others. Meanwhile, PEA is an intermediate chemical for epoxy curing agents used in the production of plastics, polyurea coatings, adhesives, reaction injection moulding and wind blade composites. BASF offers polyetheramines under its Baxxodur® brand.