BASF Ramps Up Methane Sulfonic Acid Output

• New methane sulfonic acid plant started up at the Ludwigshafen Verbund site
• Additional sales volumes available in the third quarter of 2022
• Special properties of methane sulfonic acid add value in numerous applications
• BASF meets growing global customer demand for both, high-performance and environmentally optimized formulations

Global demand for methane sulfonic acid (MSA) has increased steadily over the past years. This trend is fueled by a growing interest in environmentally optimized products and formulations. In response to growing customer demand, BASF has invested a higher double-digit million euro amount to expand production capacities at the Verbund site in Ludwigshafen.

“With this investment, we are helping our global customer base to formulate environmentally optimized high-performance products. In doing so, we are supporting our customers’ growth in this dynamic market as a reliable supplier,” says Soeren Hildebrandt, Senior Vice President Home Care, I&I and Industrial Formulators Europe. The investment increases capacity at the Ludwigshafen site to a total of 50,000 metric tons per year.

Sustainable alternative to conventional acids
Methane sulfonic acid – sold under the Lutropur MSA brand – is a highly active organic acid with a unique combination of properties that sets it apart from all other acids: MSA is a strong acid that forms highly soluble salts as well as being colorless, odorless and readily biodegradable. Because of its excellent properties, methane sulfonic acid is used in numerous applications ranging from chemical and biofuel synthesis to industrial cleaning and metal surface treatment in the electronics industry.