BASF has officially launched the world’s first industrial-scale production plant for X3D technology-based catalysts at its Ludwigshafen site. This move marks a significant leap for additive manufacturing in the chemical industry, allowing BASF to mass-produce these innovative catalyst solutions and solidify its position as a market leader.

Utilizing X3D technology, advanced catalysts are produced with optimized, open-structure geometries that combine high mechanical stability with superior performance. These custom-designed catalysts significantly reduce reactor pressure drop while increasing active surface area, enabling higher throughput, improved product quality, and significantly lower energy consumption compared to conventional catalysts,

BASF has been supplying X3D catalysts to production plants for several internal and external customers for many years. The technology is highly versatile and can be applied to a broad range of catalyst materials, including precious and base metal catalysts as well as various support materials. The new production plant in Ludwigshafen provides the foundation for making this technology more widely available and for further shortening development and market introduction timelines.

In 2025, the Chinese-based fine chemical company An Hui Jintung filled their production plant with BASF’s sulfuric acid catalysts O4-115 X3D. “The plant started up smoothly, and plant performance has significantly improved compared to before. Production achieved a record high, generating substantial economic benefits for our company. We will continue our collaboration with BASF to promote catalyst upgrades and replacements across additional units,” said Eter Zhu, General Manager at An Hui Jintung.

“We are pleased that X3D technology already gives our customers a real competitive edge: We can supply catalysts tailored precisely to their specific chemical processes – quickly and in large quantities. At the same time, we help customers reach their goals, as our catalysts enable them to increase production performance while improving the efficiency of the raw materials they use,” said Detlef Ruff, Senior Vice President Chemical Catalysts and Adsorbents at BASF. “I am truly excited to see these groundbreaking innovations and honored to take on the responsibility for a business that serves as a key enabler of chemical reactions,” said Yaqian Liu, who will succeed Detlef Ruff as of April 1.