Aramco & Sumitomo Chemical Sign Licensing Agreement For Axens’ AFA Technology

Saudi Aramco Technologies Company and Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited, have formed a technology partnership with Axens in support of Axens’ AlphaButol® licensed process to enhance 1-butene production by using the AFA™ (Anti-Fouling Agent) technology.

The AFA™ technology, jointly developed by Aramco and Sumitomo Chemical, works in conjunction with Axens’ catalyst system to substantially reduce undesired polymeric fouling in 1-butene units. Aramco and Sumitomo Chemical have granted Axens the right to sublicense this beneficial technology to existing and prospective licensed units of AlphaButol®.

Rabigh Refining & Petrochemical Company, an affiliate of Aramco and Sumitomo Chemical, and a licensee of AlphaButol®, is the first to benefit from this technology. The AFA™ technology was effective in broad ranges of industrially relevant operating windows and duration in its 1-butene production units.

The AFA™ has demonstrated a real breakthrough in unit operation profitability, via higher production rates and reduced maintenance costs, due to lower levels of fouling. Removability of the fouling has also been improved with a substantially easier way to clean the unit, leading to shorter maintenance periods. Mohammed A. Basaffar, - Section Head of Polymer section of the Process Engineering Department in Rabigh Refining & Petrochemical Company

We are very pleased that Aramco and Sumitomo Chemical have selected Axens as their partner, and we are looking forward to contributing to the success of AFA™ technology with our expertise in this area. We are glad to assist in achieving this milestone, which is a stepping stone to further commercialization of the AlphaButol® technology in the coming years. Jean Sentenac, Axens Chairman and CEO