ExxonMobil licenses paraxylene technology to Nippon. (Breaking News Roundup).(ExxonMobil Chemical Co. and Nippon Petroleum Refining Company Ltd. licensing agreement)(Brief Article)

Chemical Market Reporter, June, 2002

ExxonMobil Chemical Company has signed a licensing agreement with Nippon Petroleum Refining Co. Ltd., allowing Nippon Petroleum to use ExxonMobil's selective toluene disproportionation to paraxylene (PxMaxSM) process at its Mizushima, Japan, facility. The process was successfully brought on stream in December last year. This is the first commercial license of PxMax technology in Japan and the first commercial unit to come on stream outside of ExxonMobil.

The PxMax technology uses a highly shape-selective proprietary zeolite catalyst to produce paraxylene-rich xylenes, as well as co-product benzene. The process can potentially eliminate up to 15 to 20 percent in capital and operating costs.