Technical Research For Preparing Alpha Olefins By Ethylene Oligomerization

Alpha olefins is an important chemical raw materials, and is the best product in benefit in all ethylene deeply-processed products. It is widely applied in surfactant, plasticizer, poly alpha olefins, lubricating oil, additives and fine chemicals. The commonly used synthetic route of linear alpha olefins is ethylene oligomerization.This paper briefly expounded the international technology development situation of preparing alpha olefins by ethylene oligomerization, compared various alpha olefins oligomerization technology with ethylene, and expounded in detail the design basis and composition of the pilot unit, pilot test progress and test results. Soon after pilot test, it was happened that the reactor was blocked because of polymer fouling. So it was necessary to begin to choose new catalyst. We designed the STR short tubular reactor to simulate the Reynolds number of industrialized tubular reactor.The pilot test results showed that the ethylene conversion, product quality, solvent/LAO ratio, the consumption of the main catalyst and the cocatalyst all were accorded with or better than the contract index. But K value was lower, K value range was narrower.It was happened that the polymer fouling appeared in the test.During the pilot test, it was happened that the polymer fouling appeared in the reactor. W e think that polymer fouling is the main risk in technology industrialization amplification. According to the data of the STR reactor, We have been engaged in the concept design of tank reactor.