BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf.com) and China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (Sinopec; Beijing, China; www.sinopec.com) have inaugurated their world-scale isononanol (INA) plant in Maoming Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone, Maoming, China. The plant will be run by BASF MPCC Co. Limited (BMC), which is a 50-50 joint venture (JV) between BASF and Sinopec. It has an annual capacity of 180,000 metric tons (m.t.). This is the first INA plant in China and will serve the growing demand for next-generation plasticizers.
“The establishment of this plant is a perfect example of co-creation, bringing together the expertise of Sinopec and BASF. This is also an important milestone for BASF because it helps us reach our own strategic goals. We are aiming to bring more of our production to the Asia Pacific region, where we will be closer to our direct customers and more closely in tune with the needs and the developments of key markets. Our midterm goal is that 75% of what we sell in this region is also produced in this region,” says Albert Heuser, president Functions Asia Pacific, president and chairman Greater China, BASF.
“MPCC is one of the largest refining companies in Sinopec, with excellent economic performance that matches the foremost enterprises of the Sinopec group. As the leading chemical company, BASF brings both technological and economic strengths. With this cooperation, the resources of the two partners complement each other, creating a win-win strategic fit that will boost the growth of both companies,” says Yu Xizhi, chairman of BMC.
INA is used for the production of diisononyl phthalate (DINP), a high molecular weight phthalate plasticizer. High molecular weight phthalate plasticizers have more favorable toxicological properties compared to low molecular weight phthalate plasticizers. The ongoing substitution of the low molecular weight phthalate plasticizers in the market by high molecular weight phthalates like DINP is expected to drive the demand for INA in the upcoming years. DINP is widely used as a plasticizer in industrial applications such as automotive, wires and cables, floorings, building and construction.
BASF and Sinopec maintain a long-term partnership and jointly operate BASF-YPC Co. Ltd., a 50-50 JV formed in 2000 between BASF and Sinopec in Nanjing, China.