NEW YORK -- Exxon Mobil Chemical Co., said a federal appeals court had upheld its patent for a polyethylene manufacturing process, and announced a cross license deal with Chevron Phillips Chemical Co., a joint venture between Chevron Corp. and Phillips Petroleum Co.

The ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, confirming ExxonMobil's patent on metallocene catalysts used to manufacture polyethylene, overrules a previous ruling by the Houston U.S. District Court.

ExxonMobil and Chevron Phillips said the license deal settled all intellectual patent disputes between the two companies related to metallocene catalysts.

Under the license deal, Chevron Phillips obtained a license to use catalysts from Univation, a joint venture between ExxonMobil Chemical and Dow Chemical Co. (NYSE:DOW - news), for polyethylene manufacturing. Terms were not disclosed.

Metallocene catalysts are used to make products ranging from automotive parts to diaper components.