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Published on: June 20, 2014
Ethylene tetramerization: a new route to produce 1-octene in exceptionally high selectivities
Annette Bollmann1, Kevin Blann, John T Dixon
1R & D Division, Sasol Technology (Pty) Ltd., 1 Klasie Havenga Road, Sasolburg 1947, South Africa.
Abstract:
Linear alpha-olefins, such as 1-hexene and 1-octene, are important comonomers in the production of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE). The conventional method of producing 1-hexene and 1-octene is by oligomerization of ethylene, which yields a wide spectrum of linear alpha-olefins (LAOs). While there exists several processes for producing 1-hexene via ethylene trimerization, a similar route for the selective production of 1-octene has so far been elusive. We now, for the first time, report an unprecedented ethylene tetramerization reaction that produces 1-octene in selectivities exceeding 70%, using an aluminoxane-activated chromium/((R2)2P)2NR1 catalyst system.
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