Nov 1 2004
DuPont Intellectual Assets & Licensing (IA&L), DuPont Chemical Solutions Enterprise, and Kellogg, Brown & Root (KBR) recently collaborated to successfully license DuPont Aniline technology to Fangyuan Chemical Industry Development Co., Ltd. of the Tianji Group. The license will allow them to produce 450 metric tons per day of high-quality Aniline product in Lucheng, Shanxi, China.
The selection of DuPont Aniline technology marks the first time Aniline technology from outside of China was licensed to a Chinese company. All existing Aniline plants in China are based on local Chinese-developed technology.
The DuPont technology was selected because of its lower cost of manufacturing, superior product purity, environmental controls and DuPont's highly regarded reputation for safely manufacturing this chemical for more than 50 years. "This arrangement confirms the superior technology offering of DuPont and will support continued utilization of DuPont's technology to support future Aniline growth," said Mac Guillory, business manager – DuPont Aniline.
Aniline is a chemical intermediate used to make MDI (methyl diphenyl diisocyanate), which is primarily used to create polyurethane foams. Rigid foams are used as insulation materials for construction, refrigeration and packing, while flexible foams are used as cushioning materials in furniture, bedding and transportation vehicles.
China's demand for aniline is expected to grow more than 10 percent annually over the next five years. "This team effort utilizing both internal and external resources has allowed DuPont to maximize value from its intellectual property", said Chip Murray, managing director – DuPont Intellectual Assets and Licensing.
For more information on polyurethane, click here.