Alcohol Conoco

Alfol Also called the Conoco process and the Muhlheim process. The same name is used for the products as well. A process for making linear primary alcohols, from C2 to C28, from ethylene. The ethylene is reacted with triethyl aluminum, yielding higher alkyl aluminums These are oxidized with atmospheric oxygen under mild conditions to aluminum alkoxides, which are then hydrolyzed by water to the corresponding alcohols ... 

A few LNG spill tests on organic liquids carried out at Conoco by Yang (1973) led to reproducible explosions. When saturated hydrocarbons from Cj through Cg (including many isomers) were used, immediate explosions were noted. Delays of 5 sec or longer were recorded before they occurred on methanol, acetone, or methyl ethyl ketone. Few or none were recorded for higher alcohols or for hydrocarbons above Cg (or benzene). 

In the mid 1950 s, Dr. Karl Ziegler (4) and his associates at the Max Planck Institute carried out fundamental research which provided the basis for schemes to synthesize even carbon-numbered, linear alcohols similar to natural alcohols. Commercial plants were built by Conoco in 1962, Condea in 1964, and Ethyl in 1965. The Conoco and Condea processes are virtually identical and different from the Ethyl process. 

The ALFOL alcohol process is described in Figure 2. Conoco uses a two-step process for the synthesis of triethyl-aluminum—hydrogenation followed by ethylation. Triethyl-... 

Powdered aluminum containing the patented (5) activators is available in railcar quantities. This powder is slurried with a dry solvent. Conoco uses a highly paraffinic solvent to ensure that product alcohols will meet FDA standards. 

Alcohols are dried and sent to a distillation train where they are separated by conventional fractional distillation. Crude alcohols are separated into C2-C%, C6-C10, C12-Cu, C16-C18, and C20 + fractions. High purity, individual homologs are prepared by redistillation of the appropriate mixture. The product alcohols are marketed as ALFOL alcohols by Conoco Chemicals. 

Ethyl s version of the Ziegler alcohol process has been modified in order to control the product alcohol distribution. Whereas the Conoco ALFOL alcohol process affords the full range of alcohols, C2-C3o, in a Poisson distribution, Ethyl s product distribution can be modified, for example, as shown in Figure 3 to give carbon number distributions to fit the needs of the market. 

Since the Conoco ALFOL alcohol process has already been described in detail, only those areas where the two processes are different will be covered. Preparation of triethylaluminum appears similar in both processes. Ethyl s scheme is believed to use a ballmilling procedure to obtain an active aluminum... 

The Ethyl EPAL process is more complex than the Conoco ALFOL alcohol process. This complexity permits the flexibility of producing both a-olefins and alcohols from the same processing unit as well as having considerable control over the product homolog distributions. Penalties paid for this flexibility are increased capital cost for a more complex process and production of some branched alcohols. 

The following fatty alcohols were used as received from Conoco Chemical Company n-decanol [C q], lauryl alcohol, LA [Cp2l tetra-decanol [C14], cetyl alcohol, CA [C g], and octadecanol [C g]. 

Hydrolysis is carried out with 98 per cent sulfuric add and yields very pure alumina as a by-product Conoco employs a technique enabling it to prevent corrosion of the equipment The residual sulfuric add is neutralized by a dilute sodium hydroxide solution. The alcohols are then washed with water to remove sodium sulfate. 

Two processes have been commerdalized on the basis of the oligomerization of ethylene, one by Conoco Chemical and the second by Ethyl Corporation. They differ in the distribution curve of the different alcohols formed. Whereas Conoco s Alfol alcohols range from C2 to C22 with about 55 per cent C12 or above (Fig. 9.S), the alcohol distribution of the Ethyl process is narrower and comprises 85 par cent C 2 - Tins change in the distribution curve results from the insertion of an additional stage of transalkylation by triisobutyUluminum. 

The Alfol technology is commercialized in the United States by Conoco (110.000 t/year of C to C22 alcohols at Lake Charles, Louisiana) and Ethyl Corporation (115,000 t/year of C6 to C20 alcohols in Pasadena, Texas). In Western Europe, Condea Chemie has a 50,000 t/year capacity plant in Brunsbuettel (West Germany). These alcohols are essentially used to manufacture detergents. 

Ziegler Alcohol Processes. Two processes for the production of synthetic fatty alcohols are based on the work of Ziegler on organic aluminum compounds the Alfol process, developed by Conoco and Ethyl Corporation s Epal process. Fatty alcohols synthesized by these processes are structurally similar to natural fatty alcohols and are thus ideal substitutes for natural products. 

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