HDI

• Coatings (e.g. paints, varnishes)
• Adhesives
• Sealants
• Elastomers (e.g. foams, seals)
• Fibres (e.g. for textiles, upholstery)
• Plastics (e.g. for moulded parts, insulation)

• Only about 10 % are used as monomers:

  • 86 % for coatings, 9 % for adhesives, 5 % for elastomers.
  • Note: If monomer content is below 0.1 %, products can be applied without special training.

• Coating applications: 50 % automotive, 30 % industrial protective coatings, 12 % marine coatings, 8 % wood varnishes.

• Key raw material for polyurethane coatings: Nearly all consumption in Germany is processed into coating precursors for the automotive and furniture industries.

• Applications of aliphatic and cycloaliphatic isocyanates:
  • Primarily used in coatings due to their UV resistance.
  • Known for their high hardness but can become brittle under mechanical stress.
  • Flexibility can be adjusted using other amino alcohols.
  • Key representatives: IPDI (Isophorone Diisocyanate) and HDI (Hexamethylene Diisocyanate).

• Production of polyisocyanates and polyurethanes:
  • Via polyaddition reactions of polyisocyanates.
  • Only a few isocyanate components are used:
    • HDI: Hexamethylene Diisocyanate
    • TDI: Toluene Diisocyanate
    • MDI: Methylene Diphenyl Diisocyanate
    • PMDI: Polymeric Diphenylmethane Diisocyanate
    • NDI: Naphthalene Diisocyanate
    • IPDI: Isophorone Diisocyanate
    • H12MDI: 4,4-Diisocyanato-dicyclohexylmethane

Colorless to yellowish liquid with a pungent, unpleasant odor.