BASF's Agricultural Products division has broken new ground with the innovative active ingredient Boscalid: The broadband fungicide for specialty crops such as fruit, vegetables, vines and ornamental plants has a new mechanism of action. As a result, Boscalid can be used to combat fungi that have developed resistance to existing fungicides. In addition, the new active ingredient is gentle on the environment and has led the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to class it as a "reduced-risk molecule." Attractive market segments are now being developed worldwide with the new crop protection agent.  |
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The project "Boosting MDI quality" focused on the polyurethane basic product diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI), which BASF markets under the trade name Lupranat®. Polyurethanes are extremely important plastics and are used, for example, to make the soles for sport shoes or as insulating materials in the construction industry and in refrigerators. A six-strong international team from a variety of disciplines in BASF's Polyurethanes division succeeded in significantly increasing the purity of MDI by means of several innovations in the production process. BASF's product now has unparalleled quality, and the company has considerably expanded its share of the global MDI market to more than 20 percent. |
