BASF is increasing its capacity for 1,4-butanediol (BDO) at Geismar, Louisiana, by 10% up to 2016. When the expansion is completed, the German chemical giant will have global capacity to produce 670,000 t/y of the intermediate used in plastics, solvents, electronic chemicals and elasthane fibers.

Without being specific about what may be planned BASF, world's largest producer of BDO, said it is studying additional moves to strengthen and to expand the product's value chain at the Louisiana site.

To be able to supply the steadily growing customer demand, BASF said it continuously implements efficiency-boosting measures and infrastructure improvements at all its production sites.

In addition to Geismar, BASF produces butadiene diol at its main site in Ludwigshafen, Germany, as well as at Kuantan, Malaysia, Caojing, China and Chiba, Japan. A joint venture between BASF and China's Xinjiang Markor is to start up a new plant for 100,000 t/y of the intermediate later this year.