Mitsui Chemicals (Tokyo; www.mitsuichem.com) announced that the company is constructing the world’s first large-scale plant for xylylene diisocyanate (XDI) within its Omuta Works facility (Kyushu, Japan). This new development is one of several measures the company has undertaken in recent years to restructure its business and product portfolio. The plant’s capacity will be 5,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr) and is scheduled for startup in October of 2015.
XDI is a functional material made with proprietary technology and offered only by Mitsui Chemicals. Extensively used in coatings & engineering materials, it is widely used in products requiring safety and durability such as adhesives for food packaging, in special inks and coating materials such as those used in solar cells and smartphones, and in high durability building sealants and highly safe microcapsules. Additional demand is also expected by product shifts from different materials.