BASF’s Global Business Unit Acrylic Monomers and Superabsorbents under new leadership

As of June 2004, Dr. Markus Kramer is the new head of BASF’s global acrylic monomers and superabsorbents business. After the merger of the two global business units acrylic monomers and superabsorbents at the beginning of 2004, Dr. Martin Brudermьller, head of the Functional Polymers division, had assumed this function on a temporary basis.

Kramer (39), who holds a doctorate in business administration, joined BASF in 1994. After working as a consultant in marketing, he assumed a number of functions in BASF’s former pharmaceutical business. From mid-2001 to June 2004, he was responsible for global marketing in the fine chemicals segment.

“We intend to consolidate our position as market leader in acrylic monomers and superabsorbents in a tough competitive environment and to expand the business through specially targeted measures”, stated Martin Brudermьller. “Our new acrylic acid complex in China will strengthen our position at a regional level, and we are supplementing our portfolio with additional specialty monomers.

We are developing new technical applications for superabsorbents in collaboration with our customers. Innovations, a strong regional presence, competitiveness and, of course, reliable delivery are what we want to offer to become the supplier of choice for our customers worldwide. An efficient organization and a top team headed by Markus Kramer are the ideal conditions to achieve this.”

With an acrylic acid capacity of 785,000 metric tons and a superbsorbent capacity of 305,000 metric tons, BASF is world market leader in this segment. The new acrylic acid complex currently being built at the group’s new Verbund site in Nanjing (China), which will come on stream in 2005, will have an acrylic acid and acrylic ester capacity of 160,000 and 215,000 metric tons respectively.

Acrylic acid is the most important precursor in the production of superabsorbents, the active component in baby diapers and other hygienic products as well as in pure acrylate emulsions used, for example, as binders in paints and coatings. Acrylic esters, the most important derivatives of acrylic acid, are used as precursors for the production of raw materials for architectural coatings, adhesive raw materials, fiber bonding products, construction chemicals and coating binders for the paper industry.