New MDI process technologies at BorsodChem

Fri, 8 February 2008

BorsodChem has achieved significant advance in the technologies for the production of MDI. The R&D programme that was initiated more than 5 years ago is now gradually introduced onto production scale allowing capital-efficient debottlenecking of the existing MDI plants at Kazincbarcika to 300ktpa over the next 2-3 years.

One of the key developments is a more efficient phosgenation process which results in a cleaner reaction with fewer undesirable side products. Because of its efficiency it also has the potential for better capital utilization in future plants. .At the heart of this invention is the use of high operating pressures and the smooth management of the mixing energy thus introduced. In addition, other parts of the process have also been optimized. Patent Applications have been filed.

BorsodChem already has well established operating technologies for aniline, continuous MDA, pure MDI refining and aqueous effluent management. Some of these have been licenced out to other manufacturers.

The combination of all these proprietary technologies now enables BorsodChem to design world scale capital efficient MDI complexes which convert benzene to differentiated MDI variants at rates in excess of 400 Ktpa.

BorsodChem also confirmed the timely execution of its current TDI-2 project. The new state-of-the-art 200ktpa DNT-to-TDI chain is scheduled to come on stream by July 1, 2009.