China’s Wanhua Chemical Group has successfully started up its new aliphatic diisocyanate (ADI) plant in Yantai Industrial Park. The facility produces isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), which will be marketed under the brand name Wannate. Capacity details were not disclosed.

Wanhua said it is the first company in Asia to manufacture the complete chain from isophorone through to IPDI. It also lays claim to being China’s sole ADI producer.

Steven Sun, general manager of Wanhua’s ADI business unit, said IPDI now completes the company’s “very competitive” ADI portfolio and will satisfy the global market’s need for high-performance products.

Due to its primary and secondary isocyanate groups, the compound allows controlled poly-addition with polyol co-reactants, providing the possibility to design molecular structures for specific materials.

IPDI’s major applications are waterborne PU dispersions, adhesives and UV resins. The IPDI trimer can be used in non-yellowing, high-performance PU coatings for various end-uses such as automotive refinish.