Bayer MaterialScience AG Starts to Build Diisocyanate Plants Near Shanghai
LEVERKUSEN, Germany - Bayer MaterialScience AG announces the start of construction of polyurethane and coatings raw materials production plants near Shanghai, with the plants scheduled to begin production in 2006. The company said it would invest approximately $200 million to build facilities to produce hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) in the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park in Caojing.
The HDI project involves a total capacity of up to 50,000 tons per year, making the Caojing plant the biggest Bayer production site for coatings materials in Asia-Pacific. HDI is a precursor product for aliphatic polyisocyanates, which are used as raw materials in polyurethane-based coatings. Key uses include automotive, industrial and plastics coatings.