News Room

MNB Technology Solidifies its Majority

July 7, 2023

Production at NORAM’s 21^st world-scale plant for mononitrobenzene (MNB) started on March 9, 2023 at BorsodChem’s flagship site in Kazincbarcika, Hungary.  This is NORAM’s 6^th reference plant in Europe and joins the ranks of plants across the USA, Europe, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and China. The total installed annual capacity of these 21 plants now exceeds 7 million metric tonnes, representing over 60% of global installed MNB capacity. Most of this capacity is used to produce aniline, and then methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), a chemical mainly used to make rigid polyurethane foams. Demand for polyurethane insulation in particular continues to grow in the global fight against climate change.

July marks another important milestone: 300 years of cumulative operating time across all NORAM MNB plants. The earliest reference plants for NORAM’s adiabatic technology have been in operation for over 30 years, and 7 of the 21 reference plants have been in operation for over 20 years – a testament to the safety, performance, and quality demanded by our customers and delivered by NORAM.

Plant numbers 22 through 25 are all under construction and expected to be operational before the end of 2025. Advances in the reaction process, acid concentration, washing and distillation, effluent treatment, and vent treatment continue to drive the technology forward. This, paired with an unmatched capability to tailor plant designs to specific customer requirements, secures NORAM’s place as the technology provider of choice  among the world’s leading aniline and MDI producers.

More News