p>Saudi Basic Industries (SABIC) and CB&I's Lummus Technology have signed an agreement to jointly develop and commercialize toluene methylation technology to produce paraxylene, SABIC said late Tuesday.
The technology was developed around a proprietary SABIC catalyst and process, and will provide an improved process solution for polyester producers, the statement said.
The technology "provides a unique debottlenecking solution for aromatic complexes," said Dan McCarthy, president of Lummus Technology, in a separate statement from CB&I.
"This project is aligned with SABIC's strategy to be a technology provider and licensor," said SABIC's executive vice president for technology and innovation, Abdulrahman Al-Ubaid.
Toluene methylation is a process in which toluene and methanol is mixed under high temperatures to make paraxylene.
