Two firms expand
m-xylene capacity

Cepsa will expand its m-xylene plant in San Roque, Spain, by 70,000 metric tons per year. The project will serve Indorama, a maker of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) that purchased Cepsa’s purified isophthalic acid, purified terephthalic acid, and PET business earlier this year. m-Xylene is used to produce isophthalic acid, which in turn can be used in PET manufacture to improve barrier and other properties. Separately, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical will expand its m-xylene plant in Mizushima, Japan, also by 70,000 metric tons. MGC says isophthalic acid demand is growing by 4–5% per year.