- Plant commissioned in Ludwigshafen on March 19, 2026 to produce X3D catalysts at industrial scale.
- An Hui Jintung filled a production plant in 2025 with BASF sulfuric acid catalyst O4-115 X3D and reported higher throughput and record production.
- X3D catalysts use precious and base metals and various support materials and enable lower reactor pressure drop, increased active surface area and reduced energy use.
- Yaqian Liu will succeed Detlef Ruff as head of Chemical Catalysts and Adsorbents effective April 1, 2026.
Plant startup
BASF commissioned the world’s first industrial production plant for X3D catalysts in Ludwigshafen on March 19, 2026, scaling additive manufacturing of catalysts to an industrial level.
X3D technology benefits
X3D enables catalysts with optimized geometries that combine high mechanical stability and open structures, reducing reactor pressure drop, increasing catalytically active surface area, boosting reactor throughput, improving product quality and lowering energy consumption versus conventional catalysts.
Commercial adoption and scale-up
BASF has supplied X3D catalysts to internal and external customers for several years; the technology is applicable to precious and base metal catalysts and various support materials, and the new plant aims to broaden availability and shorten development and market-introduction timelines. In 2025, An Hui Jintung filled a production unit with BASF’s sulfuric acid catalyst O4-115 X3D and reported higher throughput and record production.
Leadership
Yaqian Liu will succeed Detlef Ruff as head of Chemical Catalysts and Adsorbents effective April 1, 2026.
