Abstract
Linear alpha-Olefins (LAOs) are used in several applications in chemical industry. Together with SABIC (Saudi Basic Industries Corporation) Linde jointly developed the alpha-SABLIN (R) technology for a full range LAO plant as well as a 1-Hexene selective On Purpose technology (LAO OP) to cover the rapidly increasing demand for this specific comonomer.
The alpha-SABLIN (R) as well as the LAO OP technology are both homogenously catalyzed systems. This is raising special challenges concerning process and reactor design compared to much more established heterogeneous systems in chemical industry.
E. g., the reactor concept is a bubble-column which allows efficient mixing as well as cooling of the reaction mixture. The development of the process was based on laboratory experiments which - based on an initial conceptual design for a large scale technical process - were first trans:PE-tiled into a pilot device before the commercial plant was designed, engineered and successfully started up and declared as commercialized. Today the alpha-SABLIN (R) technology is the only LAO technology with a commercial reference which is free for licensing.
A lot of experience and knowledge from the alpha-SABLIN (R) development and commercial operation was gained. Although newly developed LAO OP technology is based on a different catalytic system, this experience is now utilized and transformed within the commercialization of this new technological development.