en.Wedoany.com Report on Mar 28th, BASF has commissioned the world's first catalyst production unit based on X3D technology at its Ludwigshafen site in Germany. The start-up of this facility marks BASF's advancement of additive manufacturing for catalysts to an industrial scale, solidifying its leadership in innovative solutions for the chemical industry. Through X3D technology, catalysts can be designed with optimized geometry, combining high mechanical stability with an open structure. This significantly reduces reactor pressure drop while increasing the catalytically active surface area, enabling customers to achieve higher reactor throughput and superior product quality with substantially lower energy consumption compared to conventional catalysts.

X3D technology has already been validated in customer applications. For years, BASF has supplied X3D catalysts to production facilities of several domestic and foreign companies. The technology is highly versatile and suitable for various catalyst materials, including precious metal catalysts, base metal catalysts, and various support materials. The new production unit in Ludwigshafen lays the foundation for the broader application of this technology and for shortening development and time-to-market cycles.

In 2025, the Chinese fine chemical company Anhui Jintong completed the loading of its production unit with BASF's O4-115 X3D sulfuric acid catalyst. Zhu Yi, General Manager of Anhui Jintong, stated: "The unit started up smoothly, with significantly improved operating performance compared to before. It achieved a record high output, bringing considerable economic benefits to our company."