La. 230 Bayer, New Martinsville, W.Va. 40 DuPont, Beaumont, Tex. 280 First Chemical, Baytown, Tex.
Most aniline is produced through the hydrogenation of nitrobenzene.
In Bayer's process for producing iron oxide pigments, the reduction of nitrobenzene with iron filings yields aniline as a coproduct. BASF will addd 120,000 metric tons of aniline and 160,000 tons of nitrobenzene at its Geismar complex in the second quarter of 2000. Initial aniline capacity during the first phase of the project, which came on line in May 1998, is 250 million pounds. A second phase in the project, doubling that capacity, is scheduled to be completed at the end of 2001 and brought on stream in 2002, subject to market conditions. Rubicon plans to increase its MDI capacity of 440 million pounds by 50 percent, with proportionate increases in feedstock nitrobenzene and aniline.