Global toluene diisocyanate (TDI) production capacity is shifting eastward, with my country being its main producer

The toluene diisocyanate market is highly concentrated. In the international market, four companies, BASF, Covestro, Wanhua Chemical, and Yantai Juli, account for more than 75% of the total market share. Among them, BASF is the world’s largest toluene diisocyanate manufacturer. , with a production capacity of 950,000 tons/year, followed by Covestro, with a production capacity of 900,000 tons/year, and the third is Wanhua Chemical, with a total annual toluene diisocyanate production capacity of about 630,000 tons.

Toluene diisocyanate (TDI) is a common polyisocyanate based on a molecule with two N=C=O functional groups. Toluene diisocyanate appears as a water-white or light yellow liquid with a strong pungent odor. It is insoluble in water and is miscible with ether, acetone, benzene, ethyl acetate, carbon tetrachloride, etc. Toluene diisocyanate is an important basic raw material for polyurethane. In addition, toluene diisocyanate can also be used to produce polyurethane varnish, polyurethane foam, anode electrophoretic paint and other products.

According to the “China Toluene Diisocyanate Industry Competition Landscape and Main Competitors Analysis Report 2021-2025 released by the Industrial Research Center, At this stage, the global toluene diisocyanate industry production capacity is 3.75 million tons/year. From the perspective of production capacity distribution, in recent years, driven by factors such as environmental protection policies and production costs, there has been an obvious trend of global toluene diisocyanate production capacity shifting eastward. Asia is currently the The world’s largest toluene diisocyanate production region accounts for more than 50% of its production capacity. In this region, China is its main producer.

my country is the world’s largest producer of toluene diisocyanate. The main manufacturers include Wanhua Chemical, Shanghai Covestro, Cangzhou Dahua, Gansu Yinguang, Lianshi Chemical, etc. The production capacity not only meets the domestic market demand, but also exports to Southeast Asia. , Europe and the United States and other overseas markets. Since 2016, my country’s toluene diisocyanate import and export market has been in a trade surplus situation. In 2020, my country’s toluene diisocyanate export volume was close to 380,000 tons, an increase of nearly 39% compared with 2019, and the export value was about 5 billion yuan. A year-on-year increase of 22%.

There are many production processes for toluene diisocyanate. Currently, my country mainly uses the amine phosgenation method for production. The required raw materials involve toluene, nitric acid, phosgene, coke, chlorine, etc. Against the background of increasingly strict environmental protection and safety supervision, my country’s new toluene diisocyanate production capacity is relatively small. In the next three years, the new toluene diisocyanate production capacity will mainly come from two companies, Wanhua Chemical and Cangzhou Dahua.

Industry analysts said that toluene diisocyanate is mainly used in the production of polyurethane and related products. In recent years, with the steady growth of my country’s economy, The market demand for toluene diisocyanate continues to be released, and the overall development trend of the industry is good. In the global market, the toluene diisocyanate industry in Europe and the United States is relatively mature, and the future market growth space is limited. In contrast, the Middle East, South America, and Asia-Pacific regions have low industrial development and are expected to become the driving force for the growth of the global toluene diisocyanate market.