News Release

HighChem Co., Ltd. (HighChem), The University of Toyama and Chiyoda Corporation (Chiyoda) are pleased to announce the first successful production and purification of p-Xylene from CO2.*1

The University of Toyama, Chiyoda, HighChem, Nippon Steel Engineering Co., Ltd., Nippon Steel Corporation and Mitsubishi Corporation have been collaborating on producing p-Xylene from CO2 following selection for the NEDO*2 project, "Development of Technologies for Carbon Recycling and Next-Generation Thermal Power Generation", including reduction of CO2 emissions and utilizing CO2 for chemical materials.

Since March 2022, Chiyoda’s pilot plant in Koyasu Research Park (Figure 1) has used HighChem’s industrial catalyst (Figure 2) based on achievements of research by the University of Toyama to produce p-Xylene compounds utilizing CO2 as feedstock, and purified p-Xylene (Figure 3) in external facilities using conventional methods. This achievement accelerates the commercialization of the technology.

Reducing CO2 emitted from factories, power plants etc using technological options, including carbon recycling technologies, is essential to combat climate change. The ‘Roadmap for Carbon Recycling Technologies’ formulated by METI*3 in June 2019 (revised in July 2021), establishes guidelines for utilizing carbon recycling technologies to separate and collect CO2 as a resource, and reuse it in the form of diverse carbon compounds for chemical materials and fuels.

NEDO therefore supports an advanced technology development project to produce industrial p-Xylene from CO2 to substitute existing fossil fuel-derived chemicals.

Figure 1: Pilot plant in the Chiyoda Koyasu Research Park

Figure 2: HighChem's industrial catalyst

Figure 3: First purified p-Xylene produced from CO2

P-Xylene produced from CO2, as with conventional p-Xylene, is applicable to many types of resins and relevant chemicals via Purified Terephthalic Acid*4 (PTA). However, resins and chemicals produced from CO2 benefit the environment by enabling carbon recycling and reducing CO2 emissions (Figure 4).

Commercializing with the Mass Balance Approach*5 (as one potential procedure) enables p-Xylene produced from CO2 to be incorporated into the conventional p-Xylene supply chain, delivering the advantages of CO2 emission reduction to the market.

Key themes: Climate change measures, carbon recycling, reducing GHG emissions, CCUS
Figure 4: p-Xylene Supply Chain from CO2

*1 Isolation: Separation of a specific component from a mixture
*2 The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization
*3 Para-Xylene - an aromatic hydrocarbon; one of three isomers of dimethyl-benzene known as Xylenes with the chemical formula C8H10 and a precursor of Terephthalic Acid.
*4 Purified Terephthalic Acid (C8H6O4), produced by catalytic oxidization of p-Xylene. PTA is important to various kinds of resins as monomers and precursors of functional chemicals such as plasticizers.
*5 Sustainability product certification scheme allowing sustainable value attribution to certified products within the rate of sustainable feedstock use.

Contact information regarding this matter

HighChem Co., Ltd. Public Relations Kuroiwa
Tel: +81-3-5251-8580
E-mail: kuroiwa@highchem.co.jp

University of Toyama, General Affairs Division, Public Relations and Fund Office
Tel: +81-76-445-6028 FAX: +81-76-445-6063
E-mail: kouhou@u-toyama.ac.jp

Chiyoda Corporation IR, Public Relations, and Sustainability Promotion Section Ikejiri/Tsugawa
E-mail: irpr@chiyodacorp.com
URL: https://www.chiyodacorp.com/jp/contact/index.php