ExxonMobil Chemical is a leader in the development and use of proprietary, leading-edge technologies for the production of olefins, aromatics, and polymers.

ExxonMobil Chemical commercialized steam cracking in the early 1940’s, and today is the only major olefins producer with proprietary pyrolysis-reactor technology. This technology delivers the highest olefin yields in the industry and enables a broad slate of advantaged feedstocks to be processed.

Our XyMax and PxMax technologies for the production of aromatics use ExxonMobil’s proprietary zeolite shape-selective catalyst technology to increase conversion and reduce losses versus other technologies. Zeolite catalyst technology is also employed for the production of higher olefins.

ExxonMobil pioneered metallocene single-site polyolefin catalyst technology in the 1980’s and remains a leader in this technology field. Metallocene catalysts allow polymer structure to be precisely tailored to improve performance. These catalysts also reduce operating costs and by-product production versus traditional polyolefin catalysts.

Creating Better Products for Consumers

ExxonMobil has developed a new polypropylene product for automotive bumpers that provides excellent appearance, is scratch resistant, and can be used in both mold-in color and partial paint applications.

New grades and densities of Exceed metallocene-based polyethylene offer exceptional toughness and strength for high-performance films.

Our new Label-Lyte oriented polypropylene film replaces metallized paper in water-based, glue-labeling applications. The film is the first of its kind to run on most existing paper-labeling equipment without machinery or adhesive modifications.

Value of Technology Leveraged Through Licensing

In some cases, the value of our technology is enhanced through joint ventures and industry licensing.

Univation Technologies LLC, the polyethylene technology and licensing joint venture owned by ExxonMobil Chemical and Dow Chemical Company, successfully demonstrated production of bimodal high-density polyethylene (HDPE) in a single gas-phase polyethylene reactor. The new Prodigy catalyst technology allows the production of HDPE resins at substantially lower costs than traditional staged processes. Bimodal polyethylenes combine superior processing characteristics with unique physical properties, and are used in a broad range of applications such as pipe, films, and blow molding. The Prodigy technology is expected to be available for licensing in 2003.

Work continues on a project to increase production capacity for Exxpol metallocene catalysts at the Univation Mont Belvieu, Texas, manufacturing site. The project, scheduled for completion in 2003, will increase catalyst manufacturing capacity to the equivalent of more than 2.5 million-tons-per-year of metallocene polyethylene.

Several additional licenses were signed for use of ExxonMobil’s tubular high-pressure, low-density polyethylene, steam cracking, and aromatics technologies.