Sasol Technology (pty) Limited

Sasol Technology Proprietary Limited

Martin John Hanton

William Fullard Gabrielli

David Matthew Smith

Stephen John Evans

Sean W Ewart

John Thomas Dixon

David Hedley Morgan

Mark William Kelly

Brian William Stirling Kolthammer

Henriette De Bod

A process for oligomerization of an olefinic compound for producing an oligomeric product is carried out in the presence of an activated catalyst, a non-metal oxygen containing additive and optionally a zinc compound. The oligomerization catalyst is an activated catalyst, which is provided by combining a source of chromium, a ligating compound, and a catalyst activator or combination of catalyst activators. The non-metal oxygen containing additive is present in an amount such that the ratio of the molar amount of the non-metal oxygen containing additive to the molar amount of chromium in the source of chromium per 10g/g Cr productivity is between 0.01 and 400.

Oligomerisation of olefinic compounds with reduced polymer formation

This invention relates to the oligomerization of olefinic compounds in the presence of an activated oligomerization catalyst. The invention also extends to a particular manner for providing an activated oligomerization catalyst. According to the present invention, there is provided a process for producing an oligomeric product by the oligomerization of at least one olefinic compound, the process including (a) providing an activated oligomerization catalyst by combining, in any order, iii) a source of chromium, &#x3b9;v) a ligating compound of the formula (R)mX(Y)X(R)n wherein Xand Xare independently an atom selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, bismuth, oxygen, sulphur and selenium or said atom oxidized by S, Se, N or O where the valence of Xand/or Xallows for such oxidation, Y is a linking group between Xand Xwhich linking group contains at least one nitrogen atom which is directly bonded to Xor X, m and n are independently 0, 1 or a larger integer, and Rand Rare independently hydrogen, a hydrocarbyl group, an organoheteryl group or a heterohydrocarbyl group, and the respective Rgroups are the same or different when m&#x3e;1, and the respective Rgroups are the same or different when n&#x3e;1, in) a catalyst activator which is an organoboron compound including a cation and a non-coordinating anion of the general formula [(R)xL*-H]+[B(R)4]wherein L* is an atom selected from the group consisting of N, S and P, the cation [(R)x L*-H]* is a Bronsted acid, x is an integer 1, 2 or 3, each Ris the same or different when x is 2 or 3 and each is a &#x2014;H, hydrocarbyl group or a heterohydrocarbyl group, provided that at least one of Rcomprises at least 6 carbon atoms and provided further that the total number of carbon atoms in (R)x collectively is greater than 12, Rindependently at each occurrence is selected from the group consisting of hydride, dialkylamido, halide, alkoxide, aryloxide, hydrocarbyl, halosubstituted-hydrocarbyl radicals, halosubstituted-alkoxide, halosubstituted-aryloxide and a halosubstituted aromatic ring moiety with at least one halide substituent on the aromatic ring, and vi) an aliphatic solvent, and (b) contacting the at least one olefinic compound with the activated oligomerization catalyst to produce an oligomeric product.

Oligomerisation of olefinic compounds in the presence of an activated oligomerisation catalyst

A process for producing an oligomeric product by oligomerization of at least one olefinic compound, the process including a) providing an activated oligomerization catalyst, by combining, in any order, i) a source of chromium, ii) a ligating compound, iii) a catalyst activator or combination of catalyst activators, b) providing a zinc compound, and c) contacting the at least one olefinic compound with a composition containing the activated oligomerization catalyst and the zinc compound, the zinc compound being present in a sufficient quantity such that the ratio of the molar amount of zinc in the zinc compound to the molar amount of chromium in the source of chromium is between 1 and 10,000. The invention also provides a process of activating an oligomerization catalyst to be used to produce an oligomeric product from at least one olefinic compound.

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Fife, United Kingdom

Martin John Hanton