Business Segments
Our portfolio is well balanced and offers strong growth opportunities. It consists of four segments with twelve operating divisions. Our segments are based on related products, customer industries and production processes. This enables us to more effectively combine our competencies and knowledge and bring our products and system solutions to the market faster.
Chemicals
The Chemicals segment comprises our business with basic chemicals and intermediates. Its portfolio ranges from solvents and plasticizers to high-volume monomers and glues as well as raw materials for detergents, plastics, textile fibers, paints and coatings, crop protection and medicines. In addition to supplying customers in the chemical industry and numerous other sectors, we also ensure that other BASF segments are supplied with chemicals for producing downstream products.
The Chemicals segment consists of the Petrochemicals, Monomers and Intermediates divisions.
| Million € | 2017 |
| Sales | 16,331 |
| Income from operations before special items | 4,233 |
| Income from operations (EBIT) | 4,208 |
Products
Petrochemicals
Basic products: ethylene, propylene, butadiene, benzene, alcohols, solvents, plasticizers, alkylene oxides, glycols and acrylic monomers
Specialties: special plasticizers, special acrylates
Monomers
Basic products: isocyanates (MDI, TDI), ammonia, caprolactam, adipic acid, chlorine, urea, glues and impregnating resins, caustic soda, polyamides 6 and 6.6, standard alcoholates, sulfuric and nitric acid
Intermediates
Basic products: butanediol and derivatives, alkylamines and alkanolamines, neopentyl glycol, formic and propionic acid
Specialties: specialty amines such as tertiary butylamine and polyetheramine, gas treatment chemicals, vinyl monomers, acid chlorides, chloroformates, chiral intermediates
Customer industries and applications
Petrochemicals
Use in the BASF Verbund
Chemical and plastics industry, detergent, hygiene, automotive, packing and textile industries; production of paints, coatings, and cosmetics as well as oilfield, construction and paper chemicals
Monomers
Use in the BASF Verbund
Industries such as plastics, electronics, lumber, furniture, packaging, textile, construction and automotive
Intermediates
Use in the BASF Verbund
Plastics, coatings and pharmaceutical industries, production of detergents and cleaners as well as crop protection products and textile fibers
Performance Products
Our Performance Products lend stability, color and better application properties to many everyday products. Our product portfolio includes vitamins and other food additives in addition to ingredients for pharmaceuticals, personal care and cosmetics, as well as hygiene and household products. Other products from this segment improve processes in the paper industry, in oil, gas and ore extraction, and in water treatment. They furthermore enhance the efficiency of fuels and lubricants, the effectiveness of adhesives and coatings, and the stability of plastics.
The Performance Products segment consists of the Dispersions & Pigments, Care Chemicals, Nutrition & Health and Performance Chemicals divisions.
| Million € | 2017 |
| Sales | 16,217 |
| Income from operations before special items | 1,416 |
| Income from operations (EBIT) | 1,510 |
Products
Dispersions & Pigments
Polymer dispersions, pigments, resins, high-performance additives, formulation additives, electronic materials
Care Chemicals
Ingredients for skin and hair cleansing and care products, such as emollients, cosmetic active ingredients, polymers and UV filters
Ingredients for detergents and cleaners in household, institution or industry, such as surfactants, enzymes, chelating agents, polymers, biocides and products for optical effects
Solvents and other ingredients for crop protection product formulations, as well as products for concrete additives and chemical processes such as metal surface treatments or textile processing
Superabsorbents for baby diapers, incontinence products and feminine hygiene articles
Nutrition & Health
Additives for the food and feed industries, such as vitamins, carotenoids, sterols, enzymes, emulsifiers and omega-3 fatty acids
Flavors and fragrances, such as geraniol, citronellol, L-menthol and linalool
Excipients for the pharmaceutical industry and selected, high-volume active pharmaceutical ingredients, such as ibuprofen and omega-3 fatty acids
Performance Chemicals
Antioxidants, light stabilizers and flame retardants for plastic applications
Fuel and refinery additives, polyisobutene, brake fluids and engine coolants, lubricant additives and basestocks, components for metalworking fluids and compounded lubricants
Process chemicals for the extraction of oil, gas, metals and minerals, chemicals for enhanced oil recovery
Functional chemicals and process chemicals for the production of paper and cardboard, water treatment chemicals, membrane technologies, kaolin minerals
Customer industries and applications
Dispersions & Pigments
Raw materials used to formulate products for industries such as construction, automotive, adhesive, printing, packaging, electronics and paper
Care Chemicals
Cosmetics industry, hygiene industry, detergent and cleaner industry, agricultural industry and technical applications
Nutrition & Health
Food and feed industries, flavor and fragrance industry and pharmaceutical industry
Performance Chemicals
Plastics processing industry, automotive industry, fuel and lubricant industry, oil and gas industry, mining industry, municipal and industrial water treatment as well as paper industry and packaging made of paper
Functional Materials & Solutions
In the Functional Materials & Solutions segment, we bundle system solutions, services and innovative products for specific sectors and customers, especially the automotive, electrical, chemical and construction industries, as well as applications for household, sports and leisure. Our portfolio comprises catalysts, battery materials, engineering plastics, polyurethane systems, automotive coatings, surface treatment solutions and concrete admixtures as well as construction systems like tile adhesives and decorative paints.
The Functional Materials & Solutions segment comprises the Catalysts, Construction Chemicals, Coatings and Performance Materials divisions.
| Million € | 2017 |
| Sales | 20,745 |
| Income from operations before special items | 1,617 |
| Income from operations (EBIT) | 1,545 |
Products
Catalysts
Automotive and process catalysts
Battery materials
Precious and base metal services
Construction Chemicals
Concrete admixtures, cement additives, underground construction solutions, flooring systems, sealants, solutions for the protection and repair of concrete, high-performance mortars and grouts, tile-laying systems, exterior insulation and finishing systems, expansion joints, wood protection
Coatings
Coatings solutions for automotive applications, technology and system solutions for surface treatments, decorative paints
Performance Materials
Engineering plastics, biodegradable plastics, standard foams, foam specialties, polyurethanes
Customer industries and applications
Catalysts
Automotive and chemical industries, refineries, battery manufacturers
Solutions for the protection of air quality as well as the production of fuels, chemicals, plastics and battery materials
Construction Chemicals
Cement and concrete producers, construction companies, craftspeople, builders’ merchants
Solutions for new building construction, maintenance, repair and renovation of commercial and residential buildings as well as infrastructure
Coatings
Automotive industry, body shops, steel industry, aviation, aluminum applications in the architecture and construction industries, household appliances, painting businesses and private consumers
Performance Materials
Automotive manufacture, electrical engineering, packaging, games, sports and leisure, household, mechanical engineering, construction, medical technology, sanitation and water industry, solar thermal energy and photovoltaics
Agricultural Solutions
The Agricultural Solutions segment provides innovative solutions in the areas of chemical and biological crop protection, seed treatment and water management as well as for nutrient supply and plant stress.
| Million € | 2017 |
| Sales | 5,696 |
| Income from operations before special items | 1,033 |
| Income from operations (EBIT) | 1,015 |
Application
Fungicides
Protecting crops from harmful fungal infections; improving plant health
Herbicides
Reducing competition from weeds for water and nutrients
Insecticides
Combating insect pests in agriculture and beyond, such as in the fields of public health, professional pest control and landscape maintenance
Functional Crop Care
Products for plant health and increased yield potential that go beyond traditional crop protection, such as biological crop protection, seed treatments, polymers and colorants
Product examples
Fungicides
Boscalid, metiram, dimethomorph, Initium®, metrafenone, F 500®, Xemium®, AgCelence® (umbrella brand)
Herbicides
Kixor®, Engenia®, pendimethalin, imazamox, topramezone, Clearfield® herbicide tolerance system, dimethenamid-P
Insecticides
Fipronil, alpha-cypermethrin, chlorfenapyr, teflubenzuron, Nealta®, Termidor® to guard against termite infestation, Interceptor® mosquito nets to protect against malaria
Functional Crop Care
Vizura®, Limus®, Systiva®, Vault® HP, Nodulator® PRO, Flo Rite®, Integral®, Serifel®