Start-up Of PxMax Technology by ExxonMobil in South Korea

25-Jun-07

ExxonMobil Chemical Technology Licensing LLC and South Korea's S-Oil Corporation have successfully started-up ExxonMobil's PxMax technology at S-Oil's Onsan refinery and chemical complex in South Korea, to increase overall paraxylene production by almost 8% and improve the cost-competitiveness of the Onsan refinery. The PxMax process licensed by ExxonMobil and implemented at the Onsan refinery replaced a non-selective toluene disproportionation (TDP) process that produced equilibrium mixed xylenes. This is part of S-Oil's profit improvement activities focused on increasing paraxylene production capacity without modifying the paraxylene separation process facilities. The selective nature of the PxMax process provides S-Oil with a paraxylene-enriched mixture that is further processed into sales grade paraxylene product at S-Oil's facility.