Albemarle Corporation

John K Roberg

Edward A Burt

Robert E Farritor

William L Cox

Armen N Abazajian

Water, hydrocarbylaluminum such as trimethylaluminum, and organic solvent such as toluene are fed to a reactor in controlled proportions and under temperature control to form a dilute reaction product mixture of specified composition and concentration. This solution is then processed so as to form at least two product mixtures, one of which is essentially aluminoxane-free hydrocarbylaluminum dissolved in organic solvent, and another of which is a concentrated solution of organoaluminum compounds composed in essence of hydrocarbylaluminum (e.g. trimethylaluminum) and hydrocarbylaluminoxane (e.g., methylaluminoxane) in organic solvent in which the amount aluminoxane far exceeds the amount of hydrocarbylaluminum. The process fulfills the need for practical, commercially-feasible process technology capable of producing concentrated aluminoxane solutions with no significant yield losses, and by process technology that can be applied both to batch and to continuous modes of operation.

High yield aluminoxane synthesis process

An improved process for making aluminoxanes by the addition of water to a solvent solution of a hydrocarbylaluminum compound and/or an aluminoxane feeds the water through an orifice which is surrounded by a flow of solvent which carries the water into the solvent solution of hydrocarbylaluminum compound and/or aluminoxane.

Process for making aluminoxanes

Aluminoxane is made by feeding water, hydrocarbylaluminum and organic solvent to a loop recycle reactor under conditions so as to react the water and hydrocarbylaluminum to form a hydrocarbylaluminoxane, removing a portion of the solvent and hydrocarbylaluminoxane from said reactor and recirculating the remaining portion of the reactor contents through a reaction zone where the water initially contacts the hydrocarbylaluminum. The feed rates of water, hydrocarbylaluminum and solvent to the reactor and the withdrawal rate of solvent and hydrocarbylaluminoxane from the reactor can be adjusted to produce a substantially steady state reaction.

Continuous process for preparing hydrocarbylaluminoxanes

Aluminum alkyls are oxidized to aluminum alkoxides using a cobalt catalyst to increase the rate of oxidation. Alcohols can be prepared by hydrolysis of the aluminum alkoxides.

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Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America

John K Roberg