Abstract: The invention is concerned with the production of 1-hexene and octenes from ethene. 1-Butene is optionally also to be produced. The problem addressed by the present invention is that of developing a process for producing 1-hexene from ethene by MTHxE etherification to achieve better chemical utilization of the employed carbon atoms. This problem is solved by catalytic retrocleavage of MTHxE into the C6 olefins and the alcohol, reuse of the alcohol in the etherification and reaction of the obtained C6 olefins with ethene to afford C8 olefins. In this way the alcohol is not lost from the process but rather is internally recirculated as a derivatizing agent. The less attractive C6 olefins from the cleavage product are upgraded to octene with further ethene in order to provide a further commercial product.

Abstract: The invention relates to the in situ regeneration of heterogeneous oligomerization catalysts which are used in the liquid phase oligomerization of ethene.

Abstract: The invention is concerned with the oligomerization of supercritical ethene. An essential aspect of the invention is that of mixing ethene with an inert medium and setting the conditions in the reaction such that both ethene and inert medium are supercritical. This is because the solubility for ethene in the inert medium is greater in the supercritical state, such that more ethene is dissolved in the supercritical inert medium than in a liquid solvent. The process regime in the supercritical state therefore enables the use of a much higher proportion of ethene in a homogeneous mixture of ethene and inert medium than is possible on the basis of the thermodynamic solubility restriction in a purely liquid hydrocarbon stream. In this way, the space-time yield is distinctly enhanced. Since a greater amount of ethene can be passed into the reactor, it is possible as a result to better exploit the apparatus volume compared to a liquid phase process. The inert medium used may, for example, be isobutane.

Abstract: An OCTOL process is disclosed which by limitation of the conversion in its individual oligomerization steps is set up particularly for the productive utilization of C4 feedstock mixtures with a low 1-butene content and which nevertheless yields a C8 product mixture having an Iso index suitable for the preparation of plasticizer alcohols.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing an ester mixture, in which an n-butene-containing feed mixture having a composition which changes over time is first oligomerized and then converted by hydroformylation, hydrogenation and esterification to an ester mixture. In this process, an approximation of the actual viscosity of the ester mixture is determined. The problem that it addresses is that of specifying a comparatively simple process which enables conversion of an n-butene with a variable composition over time to an ester mixture having a viscosity which can be kept very substantially constant over a long period even when an inconstant C4 source which delivers fluctuating qualities over this period is utilized. This is achieved through controlled use of a second raw material, namely ethene. It has been found that the viscosity of n-butene-based ester mixtures can be influenced by controlled use of ethene in the preparation of the ester precursors.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for purifying hydrocarbon mixtures, in which a contaminated hydrocarbon mixture comprising olefins having three to eight carbon atoms is at least partly freed of sulphur-containing contaminants by contacting it with a solid sorbent, the hydrocarbon mixture being exclusively in the liquid state during the contact with the sorbent. The problem that it addressed was that of virtually completely removing sulphur compounds present in the mixture without forming new sulphur compounds again at the same time. At the same time, 1-butene present therein was not to be lost in the purification of the mixture. Finally, the sorbent used was to have a high sorption capacity, be very substantially free of carcinogenic constituents and be readily available. This problem is solved by using a sorbent based on copper oxide, zinc oxide and aluminium oxide in a particular composition, and by conducting the purification in the presence of a small amount of hydrogen.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for cleaning hydrocarbon mixtures, in which a contaminated hydrocarbon mixture comprising hydrocarbons having three to eight carbon atoms is at least partly freed of impurities by contacting with a solid sorbent, wherein the hydrocarbon mixture is exclusively in the liquid state during contact with the sorbent. The object of the invention is to specify a process for cleaning liquid C3 to C8 hydrocarbon mixtures, which is based on a readily available but non-carcinogenic sorbent and which achieves better purities compared to traditional molecular sieves. This object is achieved by using, as sorbents, solid materials of the following composition: copper oxide: 10% to 60% by weight (calculated as CuO); zinc oxide: 10% to 60% by weight (calculated as ZnO); aluminum oxide: 10% to 30% by weight (calculated as Al2O3); other substances: 0% to 5% by weight. Materials of this kind are otherwise used as catalysts in methanol synthesis.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing 1,3-butadiene by heterogeneously catalysed oxidative dehydrogenation of n-butene, in which a butene mixture comprising at least 2-butene is provided. The problem that it addresses is that of specifying a process for economically viable preparation of 1,3-butadiene on the industrial scale, which is provided with a butene mixture as raw material, wherein the 1-butene content is comparatively low compared to the 2-butene content thereof, and in which the ratio of 1-butene to 2-butene is subject to variation. This problem is solved by a two-stage process in which, in a first stage, the butene mixture provided is subjected to a heterogeneously catalysed isomerization to obtain an at least partly isomerized butene mixture, and in which the at least partly isomerized butene mixture obtained in the first stage is then subjected, in a second stage, to oxidative dehydrogenation. The two-stage process leads to higher butadiene yields compared to the one-stage process.

Abstract: The invention relates to the in situ regeneration of heterogeneous oligomerization catalysts which are used in the liquid phase oligomerization of ethene.

Abstract: A process for the combined preparation of a butene and an octene from ethene, proceeds by: a) providing a solvent having a boiling point or boiling range above the boiling points of the butenes and below the boiling points of the octenes and wherein the solvent is an inert solvent or is hexene alone or is hexene admixed with pentane or hexane or heptane or is a mixture of pentane, hexane, and heptane; b) providing a first feed mixture containing at least the solvent and ethene dissolved therein; c) providing a second feed mixture containing at least hexene, the solvent and also ethene dissolved in the solvent and/or in the hexene; d) transferring the first feed mixture into a first synthesis and the second feed mixture into a second synthesis, wherein the first and second syntheses are physically separated from one another; e) oligomerising of at least part of the ethene present in the first feed mixture in the presence of a first heterogeneous catalyst and in the presence of the solvent in the first synthesi

Abstract: A process for the combined preparation of at least butene and octene from ethane, proceeds by a) providing an inert solvent having a boiling point or boiling range below the boiling point of butene; b) providing a first feed mixture comprising at least the inert solvent and ethene dissolved therein; c) converting the first feed mixture in a first synthesis; d) in the first synthesis, oligomerizing at least a portion of the ethene present in the first feed mixture in the presence of a first heterogeneous catalyst and in the presence of the inert solvent to obtain a first reaction mixture comprising at least the inert solvent, butene, hexene and octene; e) working-up of the first reaction mixture and/or a substance stream based thereon into a low boiler fraction comprising the inert solvent, at least one C4-fraction comprising butenes, a C6-fraction comprising hexenes, a C8-fraction comprising octenes and into a C8+-fraction comprising hydrocarbons having more than eight carbon atoms; f) using at least a portio

Abstract: An OCTOL process is disclosed which by limitation of the conversion in its individual oligomerization steps is set up particularly for the productive utilization of C4 feedstock mixtures with a low 1-butene content and which nevertheless yields a C8 product mixture having an Iso index suitable for the preparation of plasticizer alcohols.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the thioetherification of mercaptanes with polyunsaturated hydrocarbons, carried out in a reactor with the addition of hydrogen, using a heterogenic catalyst and in the presence of 1-butene. The aim of the invention is to develop such a method to the extent that the creation of value from the C4 raw material stream is increased. Said aim is achieved in that the hydrogen is added to the reaction in such a manner that the molar ratio of hydrogen to polyunsaturated hydrocarbons is no more than one.

Abstract: The preparation of high-quality oxo process alcohols from inconstant raw material sources is the technically demanding problem which is addressed by a process for continuously preparing an alcohol mixture, in which an input mixture which contains an olefin and has a composition that changes over time is subjected to an oligomerization to obtain an oligomerizate and at least a portion of the olefin oligomers present in the oligomerizate are hydroformylated with carbon monoxide and hydrogen in a hydroformylation in the presence of a homogeneous catalyst system to give aldehydes, at least some of which are converted to the alcohol mixture by subsequent hydrogenation. The process provides a constant plasticizer quality to be produced over a long production period and, optionally, a higher throughput with the same product quality.

Abstract: The process described here has made it possible to obtain boron-containing silicates having a zeolitic structure which display negligible DME and C8 selectivities combined with high activities when used as catalysts for the dissociation of MTBE.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the thioetherification of mercaptanes with polyunsaturated hydrocarbons, carried out in a reactor with the addition of hydrogen, using a heterogenic catalyst and in the presence of 1-butene. The aim of the invention is to develop such a method to the extent that the creation of value from the C4 raw material stream is increased. Said aim is achieved in that the hydrogen is added to the reaction in such a manner that the molar ratio of hydrogen to polyunsaturated hydrocarbons is no more than one.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a catalyst composition for oligomerization of ethylene, comprising a chromium compound; a ligand of the general structure R1R2P—N(R3)—P(R4)—N(R5)—H, wherein R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5 are independently selected from halogen, amino, trimethylsilyl, C1-C10-alkyl, aryl and substituted aryl; a modifier containing organic or inorganic halide; and an activator or co-catalyst; and a process for oligomerization utilizing that catalyst.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for preparing linear alpha-olefins (LAO) by oligomerization of ethylene in the presence of a solvent and homogeneous catalyst, comprising the steps of: (i) feeding ethylene, solvent and catalyst into an oligomerization reactor, (ii) oligomerizing the ethylene in the reactor, (iii) removing a reactor outlet stream comprising solvent, linear alpha-olefins, optionally unreacted ethylene and catalyst from the reactor via a reactor outlet piping system, (iv) dosing at least one additive selected from the group consisting of alcohols, poly-ethylene glycols, polyethylene glycol monoethers, polyethylene glycol diethers, polyamines, amines, amino alcohols and surfactants, (v) transferring the reactor outlet stream containing the additive to a catalyst deactivation and removal section, and (vi) deactivating the catalyst with caustic and removing the deactivated catalyst from the reactor outlet stream, wherein the residence time of the additive in the reactor outlet stream pri

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for preparing a catalyst composition for the oligomerization of ethylene and a respective catalyst composition pre-formation unit.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for preparing linear alpha-olefins (LAO) by oligomerization of ethylene in the presence of a solvent and homogeneous catalyst, comprising the steps of: (i) feeding ethylene, solvent and catalyst into an oligomerization reactor, (ii) oligomerizing the ethylene in the reactor, (iii) removing a reactor outlet stream comprising solvent, linear alpha-olefins, optionally unreacted ethylene and catalyst from the reactor via a reactor outlet piping system, (iv) dosing at least one additive selected from the group consisting of alcohols, poly-ethylene glycols, polyethylene glycol monoethers, polyethylene glycol diethers, polyamines, amines, amino alcohols and surfactants, (v) transferring the reactor outlet stre con the additive to a catalyst deactivation and removal section, and (vi) deactivating the catalyst with caustic and removing the deactivated catalyst from the reactor outlet stream, wherein the residence time of the additive in the reactor outlet stream prior to m