Huntsman Expands In Polyurethanes

Huntsman Corp. is investing a total of $135 million in methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) plants in Geismar, La., and Rotterdam, the Netherlands. MDI is reacted with polyols to make polyurethane foams, elastomers, and adhesives. In Geismar, the company will increase MDI capacity by more than 10% to 500,000 metric tons per year. The company commenced design engineering for the project last summer. In Rotterdam, Huntsman will install a splitter that efficiently divides a stream of MDI into monomeric and polymeric MDI. The company says the project will help it better serve customers in applications such as automotive, adhesives, and coatings.