What is Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA)?

Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) is one of the essential raw materials used in manufacturing high-performance multipurpose plastics. These include polyethylene terephthalate (PET), poly-butyl terephthalate(PBT) and bioplastics. This material also has a high demand for manufacturing polyester fibers for clothes, polyester coating resins, and plastics bottles. PTA has many unique features and is mainly used for producing a wide range of thermoplastics.

Previously PTA was manufactured by bromine promoted catalytic oxidation of p-xylene, followed by purification by hydrogenation. But there have been a lot of advancements and improvements in the production process which has resulted in a new process called ‘X Technology’. This process was developed keeping sustainability in mind because ‘X Technology’ includes the recycling of water and better solid-liquid separation techniques. This process also reduced the operating cost of production.