BASF to increase prices for Butanediol and Derivatives in North America

FLORHAM PARK, NJ, June 2, 2014 – Effective July 1, 2014 or as contracts allow, BASF is increasing its list and off-list prices in North America for the following grades of Butanediol and Derivatives by $0.05/lb.

• 1,4 Butanediol (BDO)                                    
• N-Methylpyrrolidone (NMP)                          
• N-Ethylpyrrolidone (NEP)                              
• gamma-Butyrolactone (GBL)                        
• Tetrahydrofuran (THF)                                  
• Polytetramethylene ether glycol (PolyTHF)  

1,4-Butanediol (BDO) is a high-quality intermediate. 1,4-Butanediol and butanediol derivatives are widely used for producing plastics, solvents, electronic chemicals and elastic fibers.

N-Methylpyrrolidone is a high-quality specialty solvent that is used to produce coatings, crop protection products, medicines and other products.

N-Ethylpyrrolidone is a high-quality intermediate that is used, for example, in the production of crop protection products and in textile finishing.

Gamma-Butyrolactone (gamma-Butyro-1,4-lactone; GBL) is a high-quality intermediate. Most of the GBL quantities produced are used by the chemical industry as an intermediate for the production of specialty chemicals. Moreover, BASF’s customers use GBL for producing crop protection products (fungicides, insecticides). Additional examples are products for beverage filtration and cleaning of circuit boards in the electronics industry.

Tetrahydrofuran (THF) is a high-quality intermediate that serves, for example, as a specialty solvent in the production of medicines.

PolyTHF is primarily used to make elastic spandex fibers for a large variety of textiles, including underwear, outerwear, sportswear and swimsuits. It also serves as a chemical building block for thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU), which are used to make hoses, films and cable sheathing. Other applications include thermoplastic polyetheresters, polyetheramides and cast elastomers, e.g., for the production of wheels for skateboards and inline skates.

BASF - The Chemical Company

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has nearly 17,000 employees in North America, and had sales of $19.3 billion in 2013. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.us.

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF had sales of about €74 billion in 2013 and over 112,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

P-13-589