BASF Enhances its North American Manufacturing Operations for Copper-chrome Catalysts

BASF has initiated a number of capital investment projects to enhance the company's manufacturing operations for copper-chrome catalysts at its production sites in Erie, Pa., and Elyria, Ohio.

These multi-million dollar investments are aimed at reengineering, retrofitting and further automating the catalysts manufacturing environment at both sites. The operational improvement projects will be completed in phases through the early part of 2011.

BASF's Erie and Elyria sites produce a wide variety of base-metal catalysts, which are primarily used in petrochemical and oleochemical processing. Typical catalyst applications include guard beds, hydrogenation processes, such as solvent and gasoline dearomatization, dehydrogenation processes, monomer production, and manufacturing of specialty and detergent alcohols.