Bayer has new TDI technology

Bayer MaterialScience says it will use a new toluene diisocyanate technology at a plant it is planning in Caojing, China, by the end of 2009. Bayer says the technology lowers plant construction costs by up to 20% versus other TDI technologies and also reduces energy consumption in manufacturing. The company had been testing it in a 30,000-metric-ton-per-year plant in Dormagen, Germany, for more than a year. The plant in Caojing, where Bayer has been building other polyurethane-related facilities, is set to have an annual capacity of 160,000 metric tons. The company says it is considering the technology for future European plants.