Leading global chemical solutions provider, BASF, has expanded the production facility at Ludwigshafen for the manufacture of methanesulfonic acid sold under its trademark name, Lutropur.
After a construction time of nearly two years, BASF has now started up production in the plant extension used to manufacture methanesulfonic acid in Ludwigshafen.
The recently concluded two-year expansion endeavor has ramped up Lutropur production to 30,000 tons per annum. The capacity expansion has also resulted in the generation of 12 extra jobs at the Ludwigshafen facility.
Dr. Stefan Beckmann, Senior Vice President of BASF’s Home Care & Formulation Technologies Europe business stated that the expansion was aligned with the increase in demand for Lutropur. Gabriel Tanbourgi, President of Care Chemicals, spoke about BASF’s plan to establish a new methanesulfonic acid facility amongst other plants in Malaysia under a new entity in which BASF would hold 60% stake and PETRONAS would hold the remaining 40%.
The patented continuous process developed by BASF to produce Lutropur yields an end product characterized by very high purity. This process does not make use of chlorine and hence Lutropur is biodegradable unlike other methanesulfonic acid labels. Lutropur is neither reducing nor oxidizing. The easy-to-handle, colorless, odorless, strong organic acid causes very low levels of corrosion. Its salts are water soluble. Because of these properties, Lutropur is being considered as a preferred alternative to other acids employed in cleaner formulations sans phosphate. Lutropur finds applications in chemical industry and pharmaceutical industry as a catalyst and as raw material for syntheses. It is employed in household and industrial cleaners. Lutropur is also used in the electroplating of baths in the manufacturing process for tin plate and printed circuit boards.