By David Reed, UT consulting editor
THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS-Huntsman Performance Products, the amine-catalyst making division of Huntsman Corp., has completed improvements at its manufacturing facility in Petfurdo, Hungary.
The firm has also boosted its amine-blending capabilities in Asia as well as registering a novel amine catalyst in Japan for use in low emission/low odour foam applications.
The various moves are "underscoring the company's long-term commitment to the polyurethane industry," a statement from the firm said.
In Hungary, the reaction and purification operations of the firm's plant in Petfurdo, have been upgraded, resulting in expanded production capabilities for Huntsman's Jeffcat line of amine catalysts used in making polyurethanes, the statement said.
These moves, coupled with the amines technical expertise at the recently created Huntsman Advanced Technology Center in The Woodlands, "position Huntsman as a long-term global leader in amine catalyst chemistry," the statement added.
"We have a long-standing commitment to the polyurethane additive industry and the challenges it faces," said Stu Monteith, Vice President for Performance Specialties, in the prepared statement.
"With these improvements to the manufacturing site in Hungary and our continued investment in Asia, Huntsman can now even better meet the global demands of the polyurethane industry. These investments will complement our multi-purpose amine manufacturing unit in Conroe, Texas, and strengthen our global presence with state-of-the-art and cost-efficient production," Monteith claimed.
In Japan, Huntsman has just completed the initial registration of its Jeffcat ZF-10 amine catalyst, a reactive blow catalyst for low emission/low odour foam applications.
Jeffcat ZF-10 catalyst can be used to make a wide variety of polyurethane foams including flexible polyether slabstock, moulded automotive, and rigid packaging foams, the Huntsman statement explained.
Japanese registration of the catalyst will allow the firm to meet the local automotive industry's demand for low emissions from automotive interior components such as seating, headrests, armrests and sound insulation, the statement explained.
The catalyst is already registered in the Americas, Europe and several countries in Asia, the Huntsman statement continued, adding that it is part of a "large and growing family of unique Jeffcat catalysts." ZF-10 can be used in combination with several reactive gel catalyst solutions from Huntsman, the statement concluded.
Huntsman is a global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated and commodity chemicals, including materials for the manufacture of polyurethanes based on MDI (methylene diphenyl diisocyanate). It has 15 000 employees and 78 operations in 24 countries, which generated revenues of $13 billion in 2005."
