BASF start polythiophenes production

In order to produce polythiophenes, BASF has entered into a licensing and joint development agreement with Rieke Metals, Inc., Lincoln, Nebraska. The organic semiconductors will be used by customers in the fast-growing printed electronics industry. This industry prints low-cost, highly-flexible integrated circuitry for use, for example, in flexible displays (e-paper) and radio frequency identification tags (RFID). In addition, the semiconductors can be used in the manufacturing of large-area photovoltaic cells. BASF will use existing production facilities, located in Europe and/or the United States. The production capacity can be flexibly increased to meet the growing demand in the printed electronics industry, which is expected to reach a market volume of several hundred kilograms of semiconductors in the coming years. Polythiophenes, with an exceptionally high electronic quality, are manufactured using a synthesis process developed by Rieke Metals. This quality is achieved by a unique control of the detailed molecular weight and structure of the polymer. At BASF's production facilities, the process will be further optimized in terms of productivity and purity.