Huntsman Corp.’s Performance Products division will expand its manufacturing facility in Petfurdo, Hungary, to meet growing demand for polyurethane catalysts and specialty amines – including amines used in metalworking fluids – the company announced today.
The multi-million U.S. dollar investment project is expected to be completed by mid-2023.
The brownfield project, which will also raise polyurethane catalyst capacity, will The Woodlands, Texas-based Huntsman’s global capacity and provide more flexibility and innovative technologies for the polyurethane, coatings, metalworking and electronics industries.
Huntsman’s Jeffadd metalworking products are low-foaming specialty amines used for pH buffering, alkalinity and corrosion control in metalworking fluids, which can affect the output of the metalworking process, according to Huntsman’s website. The company has a line of different specialty amines suited for different types of metalworking fluids, including synthetic and water-miscible types. They include performance amines, multifunctional amines and polyetheramines.
“The additional capacity builds upon our previous expansions to further improve our capability and expand our product range of polyurethane catalysts and specialty amines,” Chuck Hirsch, senior vice president for Huntsman Performance Products, said in a news release. “With consumers increasing demanding cleaner, eco-friendly solutions, this expansion will position us well for significant growth with these global sustainability trends.”
The company noted it received a $3.8 million investment grant from the Hungarian government in support of the expansion project.