Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 28
By Fatih Karimov – Trend:
Iran has commenced exports of petrochemical products to Peru, Kazem Bostakian, the commercial director of Karoon Petrochemical Company, said.
Iran has begun to ship Methylene diphenyl diisocyanate(MDI) consignments to the South American country, Bostakian said, Mehr news agency reported Jan. 28.
The company has so far exported various petrochemical products, in particular, toluene diisocyanate (TDI) consignments to various countries in Europe, Asia and America following the removal of international sanctions last year, Bostakian added.
Karoon Petrochemical Company, located in Iran’s southwestern port city of Mahshahr, is the first producer of isocyanates in the Middle East, according to the company’s managing director, Alireza Sediqizadeh.
Isocyanates are a family of highly reactive, low molecular weight chemicals widely used in the manufacture of flexible and rigid foams, fibers, and coatings. They are increasingly used in the automobile industry and building insulation materials.
Karoon Company has two phases of production conducted through joint venture with Chematur Engineering AB (CEAB) of Sweden and at the cost of €350 million..
The first phase produces 40,000 tons of toluene diisocyanate (TDI) per annum, of which 70 percent is domestically consumed and the rest 30 percent is exported to other countries including Iraq, Turkey, India, Russia, Azerbaijan, Albania, Greece, Sweden, Peru, Kenya and Nigeria, with Iraq standing on top of them.
The second production phase, which is currently working with 50 percent of its capacity, is to produce 40,000 tons of MDI per year.