BASF announces major bioplastics production expansion
Production capacities for biodegradable plastics to rise by 60,000 metric tons per year
BASF SE has announced plans for a significant expansion of its production plant for the biodegradable plastic Ecoflex® at the company's Ludwigshafen site. The move will raise Ecoflex production capacities from the current 14,000 by 60,000 metric tons per year. Production at the expanded plant will commence in the third quarter of 2010.
Ecoflex is a petrochemicals-based plastic which has the properties of conventional polyethylene but is fully biodegradable in accordance with DIN EN 13432 requirements.
At the same time, BASF plans to increase production capacity of the compounding facility in Ludwigshafen where the newly developed product Ecovio® is manufactured. Ecovio, a derivative of Ecoflex, contains 45 percent by weight of the renewable raw material polylactic acid (PLA). The PLA content means Ecovio is not only biodegradable but also largely biobased. Polylactic acid is a material obtained from corn (maize).
Other news from the department manufacturing
