Published October 1971
This report focuses on a modified ethylene polymerization process, which produces a narrower range of alpha olefin products than other commercial processes. In addition, two processes that produce linear internal olefins have emerged, and their evaluation is warranted because these internal olefins are currently competing for many of the same applications as alpha olefins.
Significant process details have become apparent about the high temperature ethylene polymerization process since it was evaluated in the PEP Report 12, dated 1966. This report provided an opportunity to include these details and revise our original economics. Since no significant process developments or new process details have emerged concerning the wax cracking process, no modification of our original process evaluation was needed.
Appendix A contains a definition of terms, design conditions, and the cost basis used. Appendix B presents physical data on the heats of reactions, and Appendix C gives pertinent specifications for alpha olefins.
For the sake of uniformity and to allow true comparisons among various processes, a plant capacity of 100 million lb/yr of C6 to C20 alpha olefins was selected. Some processes also produced significant quantities of C4 and C20+ olefins; however, these olefins were not considered in the stated production capacity.
The selection of an optimum process is most complicated because it must be based on an evaluation of olefin product quality, the ability to sell the full range of olefin products and the uncertainty of prices of each carbon range as well as on inherent economics of the process.
Other PEP Related Reports:
