BASF pushes optically active amines

BASF AG (Ludwigshafen, Germany) is making a concerted effort to promote its optically active chiral products, which it is targeting for pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals production.

The products, which use proprietary BASF biocatalytic processes and established core technologies, include optically active amines, alcohols, acids, and their derivatives. The company sells them under its ChiPros trademark.

The company provides nearly one dozen tailor-made intermediates in laboratory though pilot plant through commercial (multiton) volumes from its Ludwigshafen facilities. More intermediates are in various stages of development.

The company is also building two new optically active chiral facilities. It plans to open a 1000 mt/yr plant based on its proprietary biocatalytic enzymatic process in Ludwigshafen during the second half of 2001.

It has also begun construction of a 2500 mt/yr unit optically active amine plant in Geismar, LA. It will produce amines for the company's Frontier X2 corn herbicide. BASF says the unit will begin operation during the first term of 2001.

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