Midland, MI - November 09, 2007
Dow Polyurethanes, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, will conduct a scheduled turnaround at its toluene diisocyanate (TDI) production plant in Freeport, Texas, for routine maintenance. The eighteen-day turnaround is scheduled to begin on November 9th and will involve equipment inspections, repairs and replacements.
“Dow has been running its operation at capacity since our last turnaround was completed in October of 2006. This maintenance work will continue to promote a consistent and reliable source of TDI from Dow in the long term,” states Tom Feige, North American product manager for Dow Polyurethanes. “While periodic turnarounds are anticipated across the industry, they put additional pressure on an already tight supply. As we do with every planned shutdown, Dow has been working with our TDI customers to minimize the potential for disruption.”
Global demand for TDI is growing at an annual rate of four percent, driven primarily by demand for polyurethane flexible foams in a diverse range of applications including automotive seating, mattresses and furniture cushioning. While there had been an excess of TDI supply over the past several years, recent industry consolidations have resulted in a tight supply situation. As a market leader in the polyurethanes industry, Dow continues to evaluate additional production capabilities and improvements to provide customers with a consistent supply of TDI to meet growing demand in the global marketplace. Dow recently announced that it is conducting a joint feasibility study with BASF to determine the construction of a state-of-the-art TDI production plant at one of its integrated sites in Europe.
About Dow Polyurethanes
Dow is the world's largest producer of polyether polyols, a leading producer of quality aromatic isocyanates, such as MDI and TDI, and a major supplier of propylene oxide, an essential component of polyether polyols. Dow's polyurethanes products and formulated systems are used in rigid foams, flexible foams, adhesives, sealants, coatings, and elastomers, as well as many other applications. Dow also offers the latest in polyol technology with its VORANOL™ VORACTIV™ polyols, part of an ongoing initiative by Dow to lead the industry in providing high-performance products with reduced VOC-emissions. For more information, visit www.dowpolyurethanes.com, www.pusystems.com and www.voractiv.com.
About Dow
®™* Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company ("Dow") or an affiliated company of Dow
For Editorial Information:
Jessica Dub
The Dow Chemical Company
1-989-638-0550
Urszula Murphy
Gibbs & Soell, Inc.
1-212-697-2600 ext. 1296
umurphy@gibbs-soell.com
