BASF Opens World’s First Production Plant for 3D-Printed Catalysts

BASF, a leading global manufacturer of catalysts for the chemical industry, announced that it opened the world’s first production plant for 3D printed catalysts, located in Ludwigshafen, Germany. The plant will produce X3D® catalysts on an industrial scale. Increasingly, we are seeing additive manufacturing being used for production. So why was AM chosen to mass-produce catalysts?

What Are Catalysts? Why 3D Print Them?

In chemistry, catalysts are any substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction with a reactant, without itself being consumed. Since 2019, BASF has been 3D printing catalysts with its proprietary X3D® technology, combining proven active materials with a new shaping methodology. According to the company, X3D® results in high reactivity and greater design freedom. So, these 3D printed catalysts reduce costs, lower emissions, and increase efficiency.

BASF’s X3D catalysts combine high mechanical stability with an open structure.

The X3D catalysts are optimally designed, with geometries that have high mechanical stability and an open structure. This significantly reduces pressure drop in reactors while simultaneously increasing the catalytically active surface area. This allows users to achieve higher reactor throughput and improved product quality, while consuming less energy than conventional catalysts.