MOSCOW (MRC) -- BASF has begun trial operations at the mononitrobenzene plant within the integrated 400,000 metric ton methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) complex in Chongqing, China. Mononitrobenzene is a precursor for the production of MDI, said the company.
This MDI site covers an area of more than 50 hectares, including facilities of 400,000 metric tons per year of Mononitrobenzene, 300,000 metric tons per year of aniline, 400,000 metric tons per year of crude MDI, and an MDI splitter with a capacity of 400,000 metric tons per year.
MDI is an important component for polyurethanes – an extremely versatile plastics material that contributes towards improved insulation for appliances and reefer containers, provides lighter and more modern materials for cars, and helps save energy in buildings.
As MRC wrote previously, BASF will expand its capacity for the production of Paliocrom effect pigments by more than 20% by 2017 in Ludwigshafen, Germany. The investment will enable the company to accommodate for the growing demand of its aluminum-based effect pigments in the automotive coatings sector. With an investment of approximately EUR10 million, BASF aims to strengthen its position in this fast-growing market.
BASF is the largest diversified chemical company in the world and is headquartered in Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF produces a wide range of chemicals, for example solvents, amines, resins, glues, electronic-grade chemicals, industrial gases, basic petrochemicals and inorganic chemicals. The most important customers for this segment are the pharmaceutical, construction, textile and automotive industries. BASF had sales of over EUR74 billion in 2014 and over 113,000 employees as of the end of the year.
MRC