As planned, BASF-YPC – the 50:50 joint venture between BASF (Ludwigshafen / Germany; www.basf.com) and Sinopec (Beijing / China; www.sinopec.com) – in early April commenced production of acrylic acid and commissioned its 60,000 t/y superabsorbent polymers (SAP) plant in Nanjing / China (for previous coverage, see Plasteurope.com of 03.06.2013). BASF said the plants would strengthen the C3 value chain while also meeting growing downstream demand.

A “Verbund” site, the plants’ location in Nanjing mean that both acrylic acid and SAP production are backward integrated into the C3 chain. BASF-YPC plans to start up a butyl acrylate facility at the site this year, too.