By Mathys van Es, Senior Business Development Manager, Lummus Technology


Para-xylene (PX) is an important petrochemical used for the production of purified terephthalic acid (PTA), which is used to manufacture a host of polyester consumer products such as fibers, bottles, films, etc. A growing market for these consumer products – particularly in Asia – has led to a sustained annual PX demand growth rate of about 5 – 6 %. Hence, optimizing the yield, separation, and purification of PX from mixed xylene containing streams are issues of global significance in the petrochemical industry.

Presentation file here