South Korea's Kumho Mitsui Chemicals expands MDI production capacity

MDI is a key raw material for polyurethane, widely used in automotive parts, furniture and bedding, insulation for homes and refrigerators, elastic fibers, and various adhesives. Demand for MDI is projected to grow at an annual rate of 5 percent going forward on account of policy measures around the globe to improve residential insulation as a means of global warming suppression, as well as due to the heightened demand accompanying economic growth.

Kumho Mitsui Chemicals manufactures and sells high-performance monomeric, modified, and high-viscosity polymeric types of MDI used for making auto parts, elastic fibers, and highly flame-retardant insulation materials, as well as commodity polymeric MDI used for making housing and home appliance insulation. The facility is already operating at full capacity following a 200,000-ton capacity increase in 2024. With this new capacity increase, Kumho Mitsui Chemicals will be able to accommodate growing demand for not only automotive materials, but also the high-performance MDI used in flame-retardant insulation materials.

Furthermore, this move will make full use of the recycling facilities introduced during the previous 200,000-ton capacity increase, reducing GHG emissions per unit of MDI produced. Through these efforts, Kumho Mitsui Chemicals aims to simultaneously reduce the plant’s carbon footprint while improving energy efficiency, thereby contributing to cost rationalization and the establishment of a sustainable production system.

Kumho Mitsui Chemicals is aiming to become a global leader for MDI. With this capacity increase, Mitsui Chemicals will pursue both expansion of the MDI business – which is projected for continued growth going forward – and further improvements to the performance of its MDI products.

Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the ALCHEMPro staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (HU)