BASF announces an expansion of its MDI production capacity from 300,000 tons per year to 600,000 tons per year
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The German chemical giant BASF recently announced that it will expand and upgrade its 300,000-ton MDI production facility in Geismar, Louisiana, in order to double its production capacity. The plan is expected to be officially launched in 2020 and will last for about five years. Stefano Pigozzi, President of BASF’s Global Monomers Division, provided a detailed explanation: “We will use the group’s latest patented technologies to upgrade the facilities.” It is a step-by-step, gradual process. We have completed some basic engineering planning, and initial facility construction will begin in mid-2018. Subsequent work will be carried out as the business progresses, until the project is completed. By then, the group will possess industry-leading productivity and energy efficiency. In addition, several MDI upstream raw material units at the Gaismar plant will also be adjusted accordingly. ” Stefan Doerr, head of BASF’s Monomers Business Unit in North America, agrees wholeheartedly: \"The group’s decision to expand production in Geismar is indeed a wise one.\" By combining our advanced production capabilities with the local advantages in terms of reserves of raw materials such as shale gas, we can meet the company’s own production needs, while also supplying relevant product markets both locally and globally – it offers countless benefits with no drawbacks at all. ”
MDI is the abbreviation for diphenylmethane diisocyanate, and it can be found in various items that are part of our daily lives, such as refrigerators, cars, handbags, and shoes. The synthetic polyurethane material made from it stands out among various synthetic materials thanks to its excellent properties, wide range of varieties, and extensive applications, making it one of the materials with the fastest growth rate today.
MDI was originally produced using the phosgene method, which is highly toxic; the government imposes very strict controls on this process. Moreover, the phosgene method requires large investment; phosgene is difficult to transport and store, the hydrogen chloride produced causes severe corrosion of equipment, the production requirements are stringent, the operation is highly dangerous, and equipment maintenance is difficult. Today, people are actively developing alternative methods to phosgene. The American company Monsanto has filed a patent. The German company BASF has industrial production facilities using the carbamate process in Belgium and the United States. The production cost of the non-phosgene method is 20% lower than that of the phosgene method. The carbamate method involves first forming an anilide by combining aniline with a carbamate, then reacting it with *** in the presence of sulfuric acid to produce a mixture of MDI, which is subsequently distilled to yield the final product. Aniline first reacts with carbon monoxide, ethanol, and oxygen to produce ethyl anilinoformate (EPC). Then, EPC is condensed with formalin solution to produce ethyl bis(methylene)dianilinecarbamate (MDV); the resulting product is further pyrolyzed to yield MDI and ethanol, which are then recycled for the carbonylation reaction. During the reaction process, the presence of aniline can reduce the carbonylation reaction of ***, thereby increasing the yield of urethanes. To ensure the reaction proceeds smoothly. Methanol is usually used in excess. The raw material feeding ratio is: methanol: aniline: ***: catalyst = 13.5:1.0:1.0:0.002. The reaction is carried out at a CO pressure of 6.87 Mpa and at 160°C for 3.5 hours to produce EPC. The catalyst used is a new carbonyl compound, and the reaction mixture is quickly discharged and sent to the drum below.
I found the above information online, and I would like to ask those who are familiar with MDI for their advice: can the coal chemical industry get involved in MDI production? The aforementioned “carbamate method” uses aniline, ***, methanol, and carbon monoxide as raw materials. Both methanol and carbon monoxide can be produced from coal chemical processes. Is it cost-effective to purchase aniline and *** from external sources?
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