Asahi Kasei Chemicals announced today that it will build a polycarbonate diol (PCD) plant in China. PCD is an intermediate used in high-performance polyurethanes (PUs). The company will use proprietary technology to produce 3,000 m.t./year of PCD, which it markets as Duranol. Asahi Kasei says that Duranol has the leading share of the Asian PCD market for PUs for synthetic leather in automotive interiors, PU coatings, and ultraviolet-curable polyurethanes. Duranol enables PUs to be made with greater softness than is possible with ordinary PCD, the company says.
The plant will be built at the Nantong economic and technological development area, in Jiangsu Province. Asahi Kasei Chemicals will own 62% of the facility, and Asahi Kasei (China) will own the rest. Groundbreaking is expected in spring 2014 and commissioning in early 2015.
Asahi Kasei currently produces Duranol at its Mizushima plant, in Japan. The new plant in China will enable the company to meet demand growth in Asia.