BASF has inaugurated a new production complex for polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) at its site in Shanghai, China. The new facility, which will produce PVP K30 powder for several applications including pharma excipients, detergents, cosmetics and technical applications, is one link in a chain of investments in PVP announced last year and expected to cost as much as $70 million. As part of the scheme, capacities in Ludwigshafen as well as Geismar, Louisiana, USA are set to be expanded.

Saori Dubourg, president of BASF’s Nutrition & Health division, said the Chinese state-of-the-art plant, equipped with a high-quality control laboratory as well as substantial warehousing capacity, “successfully concludes the first step of our global multi-location investment in the NVP/PVP value chain.” The German group, which developed PVP, is still one of the leading producers.

The multi-functional PVP powder is designed to be used in a broad range of applications such as active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), building on characteristics that include easy solubility in water and solvents and excellent adhesive properties. The polymers are also described as temperature-resistant, pH-stable, non-ionic and colorless.

According to BASF, the new plant in Shanghai conforms to local and international Good Manufacturing Practice standards, which makes its output suitable for application in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. A large portion of the group’s PVP output is sold to the pharmaceutical industry under the name Kollidon.