Extrusion International USA 4-2022

32 Extrusion International 4/2022 32 INDUSTRY NEWS  BASF is moving forward with the final phase of the ex - pansion project for the methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) plant at its Verbund site in Geismar, Louisiana. With this third step of its multiphase capacity expansion, BASF will increase production capacity to 600,000 metric tons per year by the middle of the decade and support the on- going growth of its North American MDI customers. The company kicked off the expansion project in 2018 with a staggered approach consisting of three investment phases. The investment in the final expansion phase from 2022 to 2025 amounts to $780 million. “This investment underlines our commitment to North America and strengthens BASF’s supply reliability and the competitiveness of our customers’ value chains in the re- gion,” said Michael Heinz, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, BASF Corporation. “As one of BASF’s Verbund sites, the Geismar location is ideally suited for the expan- sion of our MDI production thanks to its existing infrastruc- ture, reliable raw material supply, skilled workforce and strong community support.” Leveraging state-of-the-art technology, the expansion will showcase the highest safety standards combined with advanced digitalization in its operations. BASF is now en- tering the final phase of the expansion, targeted for com - pletion by the end of 2025. “BASF is committed to growing and partnering with our North American MDI customers, be it in the construction and appliance, transportation, automotive, footwear or furniture sectors,” said Ramkumar Dhruva, President of BASF’s Monomers division. “With this integrated facility, we will continue to support our North American MDI cus- tomers by growing our capacity to meet their needs.” The first phase of the expansion project involving the construction of a new MDI synthesis unit was put in oper- ation in October of 2020. The second phase, which started operations in 2021, expanded several existing upstream units. With the third and final expansion phase, which in - cludes several new upstream units and a splitter, the new overall MDI output of the Geismar complex will increase to 600,000 metric tons. BASF SE www.basf.com Final Phase of MDI Expansion at Geismar Verbund Site Confirmed  FRX Innovations announced that it is stepping up its communication and education program to help customers, OEMs, and retailers, meet the upcoming Washington State Department of Ecology (“WSDE”) regulatory changes that will impact consumer electronics supply chains and materi- als design for companies active in the state, and therefore across the United States. WSDE issued its end of Stage 3 Draft Regulatory Determi- nation Report to the State legislature to permanently ban the use of brominated flame retardants in all plastic casings across a wide range of electronics and home appliances used indoors. This development comes as part of a broader Safer Products for Washington initiative, a pioneering set of laws that are aimed at replacing toxic chemicals in a range of applications with potential exposure for consum- ers. Specifically, this action will affect high-touch electronic equipment such as televisions, smart speakers, computer monitors, and home appliances and will drive the conver- sion to more sustainable alternatives such as FRX’s line of Nofia Flame Retardant Polymeric Additives. Chief ExecutiveOfficer,Marc Lebel commented, “FRXhas been anticipating the flame retardant industry’s inevitable shift away from toxic chemicals. Together with a number of global partners, we have thoughtfully developed a family of commercial materials choices that deliver market lead- ing flame retardancy with environmental safety that the industry and consumers demand and deserve. We are wit- nessing an unprecedented number of opportunities with an increasing number of resin producers and compound- ers keen to develop cost effective alternatives, promptly ahead of this major change. We commend the State of Washington for this important step in its program to elimi- nate known toxic chemicals from consumer products and see this as an inflection point for flame retardants, as part of a global shift away from harmful chemicals.” Lebel continued, “The proposed rule changes establishes the State of Washington as a leader in the U.S. affecting the flame retardant industry, since OEMs and national retail - ers seek products that are approved in all states across the country. This follows in the footsteps of similar regulatory changes in the European Union and New York State.” “The proposed rules intend to ban brominated flame re - tardants as a class of materials from these uses. This would be the most aggressive legislation to date affecting the flame retardant industry. These changes, and likely others yet to be announced, are leading to an expansion of FRX’s customer base. We are thrilled that we invested early in ad- ditional capacity in our state-of-the-art manufacturing plant and are ready for the coming windfall in demand.” FRX has been built on over US$120MM of investment and is in commercial production at its fully permitted facil- ity in Antwerp, Belgium from where FRX is currently sup- plying its Nofia Flame Retardant product line to a growing number of multi-national OEMs around the world. FRX Innovations www.frx-innovations.com NewRules