BASF Begins Production at Superabsorbents Center of Excellence

BASF has begun production at its state-of-the-art Superabsorbents Center of Excellence at the Verbund facility in Antwerp, Belgium. This EUR 25 million investment demonstrates the company's specific focus on the hygiene business segment, an important part of its acrylic value chain. The new pilot facility is equipped with the latest data collection and sensor technology to increase innovation capacity in the superabsorber polymer business and accelerate the growth process from product development to production scale. Through integration of digitalization and advanced modeling, the applied technology is expected to be key to further enhancing product performance. Combined with proximity to BASF's superabsorber production center in Antwerp, the state-of-the-art processes utilized at the new pilot facility will significantly reduce the time to market for products. The pilot facility also represents a strong commitment to BASF's Verbund facility in Antwerp. The Flemish government recognized the innovative character of the Center of Excellence and provided EUR 1.4 million in funding for the development of this new process technology platform. At the opening of the Superabsorbents Center of Excellence, Marco Altmayer, Senior Vice President Global Strategic Business Development Petrochemicals at BASF, stated: "This investment in the Superabsorbents Center of Excellence in Antwerp underscores our commitment to innovation in the hygiene industry. With the pilot facility, we want to provide our customers with new drivers and strengthen our leading role in the global superabsorber market."   Source