Sabic (Riyadh / Saudi Arabia; www.sabic.com) and Lummus Technology have agreed to jointly develop and commercialise toluene methylation technology. Toluene methylation is used to selectively produce PX within an aromatics complex. The technology was developed around a Sabic catalyst and process, and will provide an improved process solution for polyester producers, the Saudi company said.

The agreement with Lummus Technology, a CB&I company (The Hague / The Netherlands; www.cbi.com), was signed through Sabic’s Houston-based subsidiary, Sabic Americas Inc. “This agreement expands our PX technologies within the polyester chain and complements our existing portfolio," commented Dan McCarthy, president of Lummus Technology. "It also provides a unique debottlenecking solution for aromatic complexes."

Abdulrahman Al-Ubaid, Sabic’s executive vice president for technology and innovation, said: “This project is aligned with Sabic’s strategy to be a technology provider and licensor.”