HOUSTON, December 3, 2004 - Lyondell Chemical Company (NYSE:LYO) today announced that its Equistar Chemicals business has entered into a licensing agreement to use Univation Technologies' XCATtm metallocene polyethylene (PE) technology for the production of certain polyethylene resins in its UNIPOLtm gas-phase PE reactors.
Under the agreement, Univation's metallocene catalysts will be used to produce new grades of PE resins. These next-generation resins will feature enhanced properties such as impact strength, tensile and heat-seal characteristics which are valuable to Equistar's customers and their customers in the flexible and rigid packaging market.
"This licensing agreement with Univation is one more step forward in our business strategy to continually provide value-added, cost-effective products and services to our customers," says Edward J. Dineen, senior vice president, chemicals & polymers, Lyondell Chemical Company.
"Metallocene catalysts using the UNIPOL gas-phase PE process platform are redefining the performance limits of polyethylene and will provide Equistar the ability to deliver precision-tailored resins, thereby opening the door to new, differentiated markets," reports Univation President John Verity.
Lyondell Chemical Company, headquartered in Houston, Texas, is North America's third-largest independent, publicly traded chemical company. Lyondell is a major global manufacturer of basic chemicals and derivatives including ethylene, propylene, titanium dioxide, styrene, polyethylene, propylene oxide and acetyls. It also is a significant producer of gasoline blending components. The company has a 58.75 percent interest in LYONDELL-CITGO Refining LP, a refiner of heavy, high-sulfur crude oil. Lyondell is a global company operating on five continents and employs approximately 10,000 people worldwide. Equistar Chemicals is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lyondell.
Univation Technologies, headquartered in Houston, Texas, is a joint venture between ExxonMobil Chemical Company and The Dow Chemical Company. Univation has comprehensive technology programs focused on the UNIPOLtm polyethylene gas-phase process, XCATtm Metallocene Catalyst, PRODIGYtm Bimodal Catalysts as well as conventional Ziegler-Natta and chrome-based catalysts trade named UCATtm Conventional Catalysts.
CONTACT: Eric Stebel, Lyondell
713-309-3987
eric.stebel@lyondell.com
SOURCE: Lyondell Chemical Company
