Paraxylene (PX) is a key intermediate raw material necessary to produce polyester in its various forms. PX is oxidized in the presence of a solvent, such as acetic acid, to manufacture purified terephthalic acid (PTA), which is a critical aromatics feedstock used in the downstream production of polyester, which is used extensively for the manufacture of fibers, films, and food/beverage packaging. All three xylene isomers are produced on a commercial scale by various refining processes including catalytic reforming of naphtha, toluene disproportionation, toluene transalkylation, and as a byproduct of ethylene steam crackers.. Alternatively, PX can be used to make dimethyl terephthalate (DMT), which can also be further reacted to make polyester melt resin, although this route to polyester is now used much less than the PTA route.