Diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) - Polyurethanes

1 Eco-profiles of the European Plastics Industry Diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) A report by I Boustead for PlasticsEurope Data last calculated March 2005 1 IMPORTANT NOTE Before using the data contained in this report, you are strongly recommended to look at the following documents: 1. Methodology This provides information about the analysis technique used and gives advice on the meaning of the results. 2. Data sources This gives information about the number of plants examined, the date when the data were collected and information about up-stream operations. In addition, you can also download data sets for most of the upstream operations used in this report. All of these documents can be found at: PlasticsEurope may be contacted at Ave E van Nieuwenhuyse 4 Box 3 B-1160 Brussels Telephone: 32-2-672-8259 Fax: 32-2-675-3935 2 CONTENTS POLYURETHANE ..4 5 POLYOLS ..6 PROCESS ECO-PROFILE OF 3 POLYURETHANE Polyurethanes (PUR) were first produced in 1937 by Otto Bayer and his co-workers in Germany and represent a family of polymers rather than a single polymer.

2 Urethane polymers can be produced with a wide variety of properties, ranging from soft flexible foams and fibres through to hard solids so that they can be used in a diverse range of applications. There are five main areas of use for Polyurethanes : (1) the furniture and mattress sector, which uses almost exclusively flexible foams, (2) the automotive industry which provides a market for flexible foams, filling foams, rigid and flexible integral skin foams as well as elastomers for engineering components, (3) the consumer sector, which is diversified in a manner similar to the automotive industry, (4) the building industry, which is by far the largest consumer of rigid foams as insulation materials, and (5) refrigeration engineering, which represents the second largest area for use of rigid polyurethane foams as insulation materials. For further details on the applications of polyurethane materials, see, for example, Despite these differing properties, the polymers have one common characteristic in that they all incorporate the urethane group (-NH-CO-O-) into their structure.

3 However, the polymers differ from simple thermoplastic polymers, such as the polyolefins, in that they are not sold as ready-made polymers but as precursors that are mixed at the conversion stage. These precursors are commonly polyols (compounds containing multiple -OH groups) and diisocyanates (compounds containing -NCO groups). The primary reaction during the production of Polyurethanes is of the form: -NCO + HO- -NH-CO-O- 1 Oertel, G. (ed) Polyurethane Handbook. ISBN 3-446-17198-3. Hanser Publishers, Munich, Vienna, New York. (1993). 4 DIISOCYANATES The principal raw materials for polyurethane precursors are crude oil and natural gas. The diisocyanates having the greatest commercial importance originate from the aromatic content (benzene and toluene), while the polyols come almost exclusively from the aliphatic content.

4 Some renewable materials are also used as raw material sources for polyols. Diisocyanates are obtained by phosgenation of diamines which are produced, via a number of intermediate steps, from aromatic hydrocarbons. The diisocyanates with the greatest technical importance are tolylene diisocyanate (TDI) and Diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI). Commercial TDI is marketed as a mixture of the 2,4- and 2,6- isomers, predominantly at a ratio of 80:20 (See Figure 1) CH3 NCONCOCH3 NCONCO2,4-TDI2,6-TDIF igure 1. Isomers of tolylenediisocyanate. Figure 2 shows the structural formula of Diphenylmethane 4,4'- diisocyanate (MDI monomer) and the product derived from it with a functionality greater than 2 (MDI polymer). 5 OCNCH2 NCOOCNNCONCOCH2CH2nFigure 2. Structures of (a) MDI monomer and (b) MDI polymer.(a)(b) POLYOLS The polyols used in polyurethane production are predominantly hydroxy-polyethers, rather than hydroxy-polyesters.

5 They are produced by alkoxylation. Depending on the degree of cross-linking required, the starting alcohols used for hydroxy-polyethers may be divalent glycols (ethylene, propylene and other glycols) or multivalent alcohols ( glycerol, sucrose). The epoxides used are generally propylene oxide and ethylene oxide. The typical reaction for the production of polyether-polyols is shown in Figure 3. R-OH + n CH2-CH OR R-O-(CH2-CH-O)nHR Figure 3. Formation of polyether polyols. 6 Process routes The process routes for the production of polyurethane precursors are considerably more complex than for the tonnage thermoplastics described in earlier reports. The principal steps in the production of MDI and TDI are shown in Figures 4 and 5 respectively. In the diagrams, the operations TDI production and MDI production include all distillation steps carried out to produce saleable products. The MDI data given in this report are applicable to both MDI monomer and polymer; differences between the two have been found to be insignificant.

6 A variety of different polyols are used in the production of different specifications of polyurethane and the principal operations are shown schematically in Figure 6. In these figures, ancillary operations have been omitted as have some of the minor additions to the process chemistry. Note however, that in Figure 6, propylene oxide may be produced by three different routes. These are: Route 1 From ethylbenzene and propylene according to the reaction + O2 + C3H6 C3H6O + (OH).CH3 ethylbenzene propylene propylene phenyl ethanol oxide In practice, this reaction is taken further so that phenyl ethanol is converted to styrene and polystyrene. Route 2 From iso-butane and propylene according to the reaction C4H10 + O2 + C3H6 C3H6O + (CH3) iso-butane propylene propylene t-butyl alcohol oxide In some instances this reaction is taken further so that the t-butyl alcohol is converted to iso-butene or methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) Route 3 Via the chlorohydrin process when the overall reaction is of the form C3H6 + Cl2 + CaO C3H6O + CaCl2 propylene propylene oxide In practice, sodium hydroxide is frequently used instead of calcium oxide.

7 In the calculations, all process streams have been traced back to the extraction of raw materials from the earth. Transport of intermediates between sites has 7been included but on-site transport is assumed to be included in the data provided by the site operator. Services such as cooling water, steam, compressed air and nitrogen and oxygen gases have been included. Catalysts have been excluded from the system. SulphurproductionSulphuric acid productionMethanolproductionFormaldehyde production BenzeneproductionNitrobenzene productionMDAproductionMDIproduction AnilineproductionPhosgeneproductionOilre finingCrude oilSulphur CarbonmonoxideproductionCoke/natural gasChlorineproductionSodiumchlorideNitri c acidproductionAmmoniaproductionNaturalga sNaturalgasFigure 4 Schematic diagram showing the principal operations leading to the production of MDI.* Note that hydrogen can be produced by a variety of different methods; from theelectrolysis of sodium chloride, as a by-product in hydrocarbon cracking, * 8 OilrefiningCrude oilNitric acidproductionAmmoniaproductionNaturalga sFigure 5 Schematic diagram showing the principal operations leading to the production of TDI.

8 * Note that hydrogen can be produced by a variety of processes; during the electrolysisof sodium hydroxide, as a by-product in hydrocarbon cracking, CarbonmonoxideproductionCoke/natural gasChlorineproductionSodiumchlorideTDIpr oduction Toluene production TDAproductionDinitrotoluene productionTDIS ulphuric acidproductionSulphurproductionSulphurHy drogenproduction*Natural gas 9 ECO-PROFILE OF MDI Table 1 shows the gross or cumulative energy to produce 1 kg of MDI and Table 2 gives this same data expressed in terms of primary fuels. Table 3 shows the energy data expressed as masses of fuels. Table 4 shows the raw materials requirements and Table 5 shows the demand for water. Table 6 shows the gross air emissions and Table 7 shows the corresponding carbon dioxide equivalents of these air emissions. Table 8 shows the emissions to water. Table 9 shows the solid waste generated and Table 10 gives the solid waste in EU format.

9 Table 1 Gross energy required to produce 1 kg of MDI. (Totals may not agree because of rounding) Fuel type Fuel prod'n Energy contentEnergy useFeedstock Total & delivery of deliveredinenergy energy energy fueltransport (MJ) (MJ)(MJ)(MJ) (MJ) Electricity Oil fuels Other fuels Totals 10 Table 2 Gross primary fuels required to produce 1 kg of MDI. (Totals may not agree because of rounding) Fuel type Fuel prod'n Energy contentFuel useFeedstock Total & delivery of deliveredinenergy energy energy fueltransport (MJ) (MJ)(MJ)(MJ) (MJ) Coal Oil Gas Hydro Nuclear

10 Lignite < Wood < < < Sulphur < < < Biomass (solid) < < Hydrogen < < Recovered energy < < Unspecified < < < < Peat < < < < Geothermal < Solar < < < < Wave/tidal