BASF increasescapacityfor Neopor insulation material in Europe
- Increasing production in stages by 60,000metric tons planned
BASF plans to increase the production capacity of its insulation materialNeopor® (EPS, expandable polystyrene) in stages at its Ludwigshafen site by altogether around 60,000metric tons per year from December 2011 and is set to achievefull capacity by October 2013 at the latest. The gray Neopor is an advanced version of Styropor®. It gets its color and unique performance by the addition of graphite particles – Neopor offers an improved insulating performance of up to 20%over the white EPS insulating material.
The increased capacitywill beachieved by expanding existing production plants; this isthe second increase in Neopor capacity at theLudwigshafensite within threeyears. The international trend towards highly efficient insulating materials, particularly for use in external envelopes, continues apace."Weare investing in our plantsso that we can extend our market leadership in gray EPS insulating materials evenfurther", explains Dr. Giorgio Greening, Head of BASF's global Foams Business Unit. In 1998, BASF was the first EPS manufacturer to includea grayinsulating material in itsportfolio. Its additional investment means that the company can offer its customers greater security of supply.
Thermal insulation is demonstrably a major factor in reducing CO2 emissions, which has meant that inrecent years energy-saving regulations have become increasingly stringentglobally. Neopor is used both in new and in renovatedbuildings and so makes a significant contribution towardsclimate protection. InGermany, around 30%of all EPS-basedinsulating materials are used in new buildings, with 70% going intothe renovation of older buildings. Thisis set to rise to 75%by 2012.
Neopor insulation
The grayplastic granular material Neopor istheadvanced version of the insulation classic Styropor. It contains special graphite particles thatreflect heat radiation like a mirrorand so reduce heat loss in a house. Thegranular material isfoamed by BASF's customers and converted to insulating boards and molded parts for insulatingfacades, roofsand floors. Neopor insulating materialsmeet the standards forpassive house construction and in warmclimatic zonesalso save at least 30%ofcooling energy for residential buildings.
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About BASF
BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and agricultural products to oil and gas. As a reliable partner BASF creates chemistry to help its customers in virtually all industries to be more successful. With its high-value products and intelligent solutions, BASF plays an important role in finding answers to global challenges such as climate protection, energy efficiency, nutrition and mobility. BASF posted sales of about €63.9billion in 2010 and had approximately 109,000 employees as of the end of the year. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at or in its Social Media Newsroom at newsroom.basf.com.