Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. (Tokyo: 4183; President & CEO: HASHIMOTO Osamu) today announced that affiliate Kumho Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (Seoul, South Korea; CEO: PARK Chan-Koo) has decided to further increase the capacity of its production facilities for methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI).
MDI is a key raw material for polyurethane, widely used in automotive parts, furniture and bedding, insulation for homes and refrigerators, elastic fibers, and various adhesives. Demand for MDI is projected to grow at an annual rate of 5 percent going forward on account of policy measures around the globe to improve residential insulation as a means of global warming suppression, as well as due to the heightened demand accompanying economic growth.
Kumho Mitsui Chemicals manufactures and sells high-performance monomeric, modified, and high-viscosity polymeric types of MDI used for making auto parts, elastic fibers, and highly flame-retardant insulation materials, as well as commodity polymeric MDI used for making housing and home appliance insulation. The facility is already operating at full capacity following a 200,000-ton capacity increase in 2024. With this new capacity increase, Kumho Mitsui Chemicals will be able to accommodate growing demand for not only automotive materials, but also the high-performance MDI used in flame-retardant insulation materials.
Furthermore, this move will make full use of the recycling facilities introduced during the previous 200,000-ton capacity increase, reducing GHG emissions per unit of MDI produced. Through these efforts, Kumho Mitsui Chemicals aims to simultaneously reduce the plant's carbon footprint while improving energy efficiency, thereby contributing to cost rationalization and the establishment of a sustainable production system.
Kumho Mitsui Chemicals is aiming to become a global leader for MDI. With this capacity increase, Mitsui Chemicals will pursue both expansion of the MDI business - which is projected for continued growth going forward - and further improvements to the performance of its MDI products.
Overview of Kumho Mitsui Chemicals
1. Establishment
March 1989
2. Capital
35 billion won
3. Ownership
Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. : 50%
Kumho Petrochemical Co., Ltd. : 50%
4. HQ & plant location
Headquarters: Seoul, South Korea
Plant: Yeosu, Jeonnam, South Korea
5. Business
Production and sale of MDI
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Mitsui Chemicals Inc. published this content on December 15, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on December 15, 2025 at 02:05 UTC.
Mitsui Chemicals Inc is engaged in life and healthcare solutions, mobility solutions, information and communication technology (ICT) solutions, and basic and green materials business. The Company operates in four business segments. Life and Healthcare Solutions segment manufactures and sells vision materials, nonwoven fabrics, oral care materials, personal care materials and agricultural chemicals. The Mobility Solutions segment manufactures and sells elastomers, functional compounds and polypropylene compounds, and supports the development of new products for industrial products. The ICT Solutions segment manufactures and sells semiconductor and electronic component process materials, optical materials, lithium-ion battery materials, next-generation battery materials and others. The Basic and Green Materials segment manufactures and sells ethylene, propylene, polyethylene, polypropylene, catalysts, phenols, high-purity terephthalic acid, polyethylene terephthalate resin and others.
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