COLUMBUS, OH — Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. (MSC), Columbus, OH, a leading manufacturer and supplier of epoxy resins and curing agents, has opened new curing agent manufacturing capabilities at a facility in China. The company has also has invested in new capability for waterborne resin production in Barbastro, Spain.

The new curing agent plant, located in Tianjin, China, expands MSC’s regional capacity to produce amine-curing agents for the world’s fastest-growing market and supports the global demand for high-performance epoxy systems. Using locally sourced raw materials, the facility can manufacture a full range of standard polyamides, such as EPIKURE™ Curing Agent 3115-X-70, as well as specialty amine curing agents that provide higher performance and market differentiation. These specialty amines are suitable for producing systems requiring lower temperature cure, higher solids, higher chemical resistance or lower yellowing.

The new Barbastro site will take advantage of current technologies and will allow the company to produce its complete range of standard and modified epoxy resin emulsions and dispersions. In addition, the site is already producing MSC’s “in house” surfactants. Combining surfactant production with waterborne resin dispersion manufacturing at a single site will improve efficiency. The investment will provide the increased capacity needed to not only support existing business but also enable the company to grow with its coatings, civil engineering, and fiber and textiles customers. Adding capacity also supports MSC’s strategy to make waterborne paints the industry standard in protective coatings applications.

“During the last decade, Momentive Specialty Chemicals has continued to focus on developing new waterborne resin systems that offer our customers lower VOC, higher flexibility, and extremely fast drying rates,” said Ann Frederix, Business Director of Epoxy Specialties for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “The latest development is focused on waterborne, 2K zinc-rich resin systems with equivalent or better performance than the old solvent-borne technologies.”