Diisocyanates Overview

Erin Dickison

Every day, we rely on products made possible from diisocyanates (DII) chemistry such as footwear, insulation for our homes, furniture, and the cars we drive, to name a few.

Diisocyanates are a family of versatile building blocks used to make a wide range of polyurethane products.

This website focuses on the two primary diisocyanates used in polyurethane production: toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and methylenediphenyl diisocyanate (MDI).

TDI

TDI is used to make flexible polyurethane foam that can be found in a wide range of everyday products including bedding and furniture, carpet underlay, and packaging.
TDI is also utilized to manufacture coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers (CASE). TDI is used to help make automobile parts lighter, leading to improvements in vehicle fuel efficiency and thus energy conservation.

MDI

MDI is primarily used to make rigid polyurethane foams such as insulation for your home or refrigerator. Insulation made with MDI can help conserve energy.
MDI is also utilized in the production of various coatings, adhesives, sealants, and elastomers (CASE) such as paints, glues, and weather resistant materials. It is used to make the foam in many types of footwear, sports and leisure products — and to a lesser extent — specialty flexible foams.
Furthermore, MDI is used as a binder for wood products, such as particle board, fiberboard and oriented strand board (OSB), among many other uses.

Visit Fast Facts and FAQs to learn more about the benefits of DII chemistry.