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| September 12, 1996 |
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| Business Tie-up Between Mitsubishi Chemical
and BASF in Korea for Specialty Chemical Product (1, 4 BG) |
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| Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation |
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Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, President: Akira
Miura)and BASF (Head Office: Ludwigshafen, Germany) have signed a letter of intent
regarding the joint production of 1, 4 butanediol (1, 4 BG = 1, 4 BD) and tetrahydrofuran
(THF) in Ulsan, Korea, and have also agreed to start a feasibility study (FS).
This project has been formulated in order to respond to the high demand for 1,
4 BG-related products in Asia. It licenses Mitsubishi Chemical's unique butadiene-method
technology to BASF. Under the agreement, BASF will build a 1, 4BG/THF production
facility (Yearly production capacity: 50,000 tons) on the site of its plant in
Ulsan, with operations lated to commence at the beginning of 1999.
Mitsubishi Chemical will retain the right to purchase and independently sell a
portion of the products manufactured at the plant over the long term. BASF already
has plans to start production of P-THF at facilities on the same plant site with
a yearly capacity of 20,000 tons. This project will secure a supply of raw material
for this facility.
Mitsubishi Chemical currently produces 1, 4BG/THF at its Yokkaiichi Plant (Yearly
production capacity: 40,000 tons), as well as a number of downstream products
such as PTMG (Polytetra-methylene-ethyl-glycol) and PBT (Polybutylene-terephthalate).
In addition, it has embarked on a program to strengthen the production of the
Gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) and N-methyl-2-pyrolidone (NMP), derivatives of the
anhydrous maleic acid produced at the Mizushima Plant, as well as production of
C4 derivatives, made from butadiene and butane.
BASF produces 1, 4BD at its plants in Ludwigshafen (Germany) and Geysmer (U.S.).
(Total yearly production capacity of two plants: 255,000 tons.) In the Asia region,
Idemitsu BASF (Chiba), a joint venture with Idemitsu Petrochemical, produces 1,
4BD (Yearly production capacity: 25,000 tons), and BASF Japan (Yokkaiichi) produces
THF (Yearly production capacity: 16,000 tons).
 Note
Main applications (Name in [ ] is used by BASF) of the products covered by this
project
| Product Name |
Main Application |
| 1,4BG [ 1,4BD ] |
PBT (Polybutylene-terephthalate) = Engineering plastic
Polyurethane resin |
| THF [ THF ] |
Solvent  Raw material
for PTMG |
| PTMG [ P-THF ] |
Spandex (elastic fiber) Polyurethane
resin |
| For further information, please contact |
| Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, |
| Public Relations Dept., |
| Tel: [+81] 3-3283-6274 |
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