BASF is upgrading its expandable polystyrene portfolio to focus on its improved graphite-containing gray foam sold under the brand name Neopor, for which it claims a 20% better insulation performance, compared with its older product, Styropor. Due to their lower density, the lighter insulation panels are said to make construction more efficient and result in 40% lower raw material input in production.

A 40,000 t/y EPS expansion at the group’s Ulsan site in South Korea site will see the entire 85,000 t/y output of the traditional white Styropor foam supplanted by Neopor. The German chemical giant points to growing demand for the gray foam in Asia.

At its headquarters site in Ludwigshafen, BASF is adjusting production facilities to increase the share of Neopor. Completion is expected for this year’s fourth quarter. Following debottlenecking, the site can now produce 200,000 t/y of the gray foam, In total, the group said, Ludwigshafen’s output capability for both Styropor and Neopor has been expanded by 20,000 t/y to 460,000 t/y.

Klaus Ries, BASF’s head of global business management Styrenic Foams, said Neopor has been further developed to meet challenges in climate protection and resource conservation. While an estimated 45% of total oil consumption and CO2 emissions is attributed to heating and cooling, he said emissions can be significantly reduced by comprehensive, efficient insulation, optimized building equipment and appropriate use of alternative energy sources.