BASF acquires long-term rights to bio-based 1 4-butanediol QIRA

● Supply BASF with new generation of Qore® products produced from renewable raw materials
1,4-Butanediol (BDO) QIRA®

● BASF will expand its product portfolio of bio-based butanediol derivatives to include polytetrahydrofuran (PolyTHF®) and tetrahydrofuran (THF)

● QIRA’s product carbon footprint (PCF) is lower than corresponding fossil-based chemicals

BASF will acquire long-term bio-based products from Qore® LLC (hereinafter referred to as Qore), a joint venture between Cargill and HELM AG.
1,4-Butanediol (BDO) QIRA®. BASF and Qore have reached an agreement in this regard. Qore
The bio-based butanediol will be produced at Cargill’s biotech campus and corn refinery in Eddyville, Iowa, USA. With the help of
With QIRA, BASF will expand its existing product portfolio of butanediol derivatives, such as polytetramethylene ether glycol (polytetrahydrofuran, PolyTHF) and bio-based varieties of tetrahydrofuran (THF). First products expected in 2025
Available in the first quarter of the year.

Qore produces bio-based butanediol under the brand name QIRA. QIRA® is made by fermenting plant sugars harvested from corn fields to the same specifications and quality as fossil-based butanediol.

Qore CEO Jon Veldhouse said: “QIRA
Serving as the perfect drop-in replacement will enable the industry to quickly and seamlessly switch to more sustainable alternatives. Compared with fossil-based butanediol, switching to QIRA is expected to significantly reduce the product carbon footprint (PCF) by 86%. ”

Using QIRA helps BASF produce butanediol derivatives with a lower carbon footprint than corresponding fossil-based chemicals. QIRA compared to fossil-based butanediol
The produced butanediol derivatives have the same physical and technical properties.

“By using
With QIRA, we can not only offer our customers larger quantities of butanediol derivatives with a lower carbon footprint, but also guarantee a specific content of renewable feedstock. We will further enrich our existing portfolio of sustainable solutions, which already includes biomass-balanced products, low product carbon footprints and products produced according to BASF’s ChemCycling® method. 1″

Jon Veldhouse, CEO of Qore, said: “We are honored to partner with BASF to bring more sustainable material solutions to the market. This collaboration illustrates the
QIRAis an important alternative to fossil-based butanediol, thereby significantly improving the sustainability of its derivatives. QIRA are innovative platform chemicals for a variety of applications in markets including apparel, automotive and electronics. ”

ButanediolDownstream productsPolytetrahydrofuran (PolyTHF)andTetrahydrofuran (THF)Wide range of applications

Butylene glycol is an important precursor for the production of polytetrahydrofuran, which is an important starting material for the production of elastic spandex and spandex fibers, which are widely used in various textiles such as swimwear, sportswear, underwear, and outerwear such as shirts and stretch jeans . Polytetrahydrofuran is also a chemical component in the production of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), which BASF’s customers use to make wear-resistant and highly elastic hoses, films and cable jackets, mainly for the automotive industry. Other applications include thermoplastic polyetheresters, polyetheramides and cast elastomers used to make wheels, for example for skateboards and inline skates. BASF owns a total of five polyTHF production units in Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific, and is one of the largest suppliers of multi-component intermediates. Butanediol is an intermediate in the production of tetrahydrofuran, whose main use is pharmaceuticals. BASF is one of the world’s leading producers of butanediol derivatives.