Bayer Material Science has closed one of its polyurethane feedstock plants in New Martinsville, W.Va.
The plant, which closed May 24, produced 110 million pounds of toluene diisocyanate annually. Its 30 employees will be assigned to other jobs in New Martinsville. Pittsburgh-based Bayer also makes isocyanates, polyols, thermoplastic polyurethanes and other PU-related products at the site.
General plant manager Jim Newport said the TDI plant was closed because of Bayer's decision to consolidate TDI production into plants in Baytown, Texas; Dormagen, Germany; and Brunsbuettel, Germany. Bayer also is building a world-scale TDI plant in Caojing, China, that will open in 2009.
Bayer had produced TDI in New Martinsville since the mid-1950s.
