UBE to start production facility for polycarbonate diol in Thailand

UBE Industries Ltd announced that its Thai subsidiary, UBE Fine Chemicals (Asia) Co Ltd will open a production facility for polycarbonate diol (PCD) to meet rising global demand. The facility is designed to manufacture 3000t/yr of PCD and is scheduled to start production in October 2015.
The completion of the new production facility in Thailand will bring the UBE Group’s production capacity up to 11,000t/yr, including 2000t in Japan, 6000t in Spain and 3000t in Thailand. With the addition of the new facility, the UBE Group will strengthen its global supply network as the largest manufacturer of PCD in the world.
PCD is mainly used as a polyol component in the principal raw material in high-grade polyurethane, which offers superior performance in resistance to heat, hydrolysis, oil, and weather (UV).
Applications for PCD-based polyurethane including coatings for electronic devices, adhesives and environmentally responsible water-based paints that use polyurethane dispersion (PUD) technology.