Tosoh to build MDI plant in Japan

TOKYO (June 2)—Tosoh Corp. will invest $142 million over two years to build a plant for methylene diphenyl diisocyanate feedstock materials at its Nanyo, Japan, plant. The 150,000 metric-ton-per-year unit will supply aniline to the group's Nippon Polyurethane Industry Co. Ltd. affiliate, Tosoh said. The new plant will complement a carbon monoxide facility, which will come on-steam at the same site a year earlier. Carbon monoxide is a feedstock for phosgene, a key raw material for the production of MDI. The two feedstock projects represent a combined investment of around $184 million.