Pasadena man claims patent for improvement to chemical process

A Pasadena man has received a U.S. Patent for an improvement to a process important to the petrochemical industry.

The patent describes a way of improving the production of ethylbenzene to make it more efficient and to reduce impurities. Ethylbenzene is needed for the production of styrene, which is crucial for the making of plastics. The inventors also suggest that their improvements could prove useful in other related chemical processes.

Michael C. Clark of Pasadena shared the patent with Brian Maerz of Chelmsford, Massachusetts. The official patent number is 7,868,218 and was originally filed on June 9, 2010. The patent is co-owned by Badger Licensing LLC of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.

ExxonMobil is a major multinational oil and gas company and one of the world's largest publicly traded corporations. The offices of its chemical division are located in the Memorial area at 13501 Katy Freeway.