To meet growing demand, US chemicals and plastics producer Huntsman (The Woodlands, Texas; www.huntsman.com) plans to further expand its production of polyurethane catalysts and speciality amines at Petfurdo / Hungary up to mid-2023. The company said the “multi-million USD project”, which is receiving a USD 3.8m investment grant from the Hungarian government, will not only increase its global capacity but also provide more flexibility and innovative technologies for the polyurethane, coatings, metalworking and electronics industries.

Huntsman, which regards itself as one of the world’s leading amine catalyst producers, said it has seen demand for its “Jeffcat” amine catalysts accelerate globally in recent years – the speciality amines are used to manufacture foam for automobile seats, mattresses and energy-efficient spray foam insulation for buildings. In addition, the company said its latest generation innovative portfolio supports industry efforts to lower emissions and odours of consumer products and contributes to global sustainability efforts.

“This additional capacity builds upon our previous expansions to further improve our capability and expand our product range of polyurethane catalysts and speciality amines,” said Chuck Hirsch, senior vice president of Huntsman’s Performance Products segment. With consumers increasingly demanding cleaner, eco-friendly solutions, he said the capacity build-up will position the company well for significant growth with these global sustainability trends.