Lyondell TDI sale likely by year-end

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (Sept. 26)—Lyondell Chemical Co. is in talks with potential buyers for its toluene diisocyantes business and expects to make an announcement about the sale of the polyurethane component business within the next three months, Lyondell officials said. "Once we sold our polyols business to Bayer (A.G.),...the TDI business is no longer a strategic business for Lyondell," according to Ed Dineen, senior vice president, intermediates and performance chemicals. "We think we can be successful and continue to add value to the business on our own," Dineen said. "But if we do get the right value we will sell the business." Lyondell claims to be the world´s second largest TDI supplier with an annual capacity of about 260,000 metric tons per year at its Botlek, Netherlands, plant.