BASF, Markor partner for joint ventures in China

Global chemical suppliers BASF and Xinjiang Markor Chemical Industry Co. Ltd. have announced plans to establish two joint ventures to make butanediol and polytetrahydrofuran in Korla, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Northwest China.

The agreements already have been signed, the firms said in a press release, but are subject to further closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

The joint venture companies intend separate plants to produce BDO and PolyTHF. The plants are planned to go on-stream in 2015. The annual capacities of the plants located in Korla will be 100,000 metric tons of BDO and 50,000 tons of PolyTHF.

PolyTHF primarily is used to make elastic spandex fibres for a large variety of textiles and serves as a chemical building block for thermoplastic polyurethanes. TPU’s are utilized to produce hose, film and cable sheathing, and also to make cast urethane elastomers.

BDO is used in the manufacturing of polyurethanes, technical plastics, solvents, electronic chemicals, and elastic fibres.