BASF announced that it will increase its production capacity for Neopor (a gray expandable polystyrene containing graphite, a special form of carbon), an eco-friendly, high-performance insulation material, by a combined total of 40,000 tons per year at its production plants in Ludwigshafen, Germany, and Ulsan, Korea, and that it plans to carry out all adjustment work at each plant by the fourth quarter of 2018 to this end.
Through multiple rounds of process improvement work, the Ludwigshafen plant now has an annual Neopor production capacity of 200,000 tons, and at the same time, its total annual production capacity for expandable polystyrene (EPS) has increased by 20,000 tons, reaching a total of 460,000 tons.
Meanwhile, the white Styropor produced at the Ulsan plant will be fully converted to and produced as gray Neopor, which offers superior insulation performance, by the end of 2018, bringing Neopor production to 85,000 tons. As a result, BASF will be able to meet the growing demand for gray insulation materials in the Asian market.
Neopor is processed into eco-friendly, efficient insulation boards that make it possible to achieve real savings in heating energy for both new and renovated buildings. As global demand for Neopor has steadily increased, BASF has continuously expanded its production capacity since the launch of Neopor in 1998. Neopor insulation boards containing graphite offer superior insulation performance compared to conventional Styropor products. With its lower density, Neopor can be processed into lighter boards, which not only increases construction efficiency but also saves on raw material consumption.
Dr. Klaus Ries, Head of Global Business Management for BASF's Styrenic Foams business unit, said, "To address the challenges we face with regard to climate protection and resource conservation, BASF is providing more customers with products that are more advanced not only economically but also environmentally." He added, "Worldwide, about 45 percent of oil consumption and carbon dioxide emissions (40 percent in the case of Germany) is caused by the heating and cooling of buildings. Together with comprehensive and efficient insulation, optimized building equipment and the appropriate use of alternative energy sources can dramatically reduce such energy consumption."
Meanwhile, BASF invented and patented Styropor, well known as white foam beads, in 1951, and in 1998 became the world's first to launch Neopor, a gray EPS containing graphite, on the market.