Mitsui Chemicals Inc. recently announced that affiliate Kumho Mitsui Chemicals Inc., Seoul, South Korea, has decided to further increase the capacity of its production facilities for methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI).

Demand for MDI is projected to grow at an annual rate of 5% going forward due to policy measures around the globe to improve residential insulation as a means of mitigating the impact of global warming, 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 and commodity polymeric MDI. 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, the 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.

Learn more about Kumho Mitsui Chemicals at https://www.kmci.co.kr/eng. Additional information about Mitsui Chemicals Inc. is available at https://jp.mitsuichemicals.com/en.