ALFOL alcohol process

Aluminum Organic Synthesis of Alcohols (Ziegler-Alfol 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-... 

Oxidation of the trialkylaluminum mixture is carried out using dry air in agitated batch reactors in the ALFOL alcohol process. Reactor temperature is maintained at approximately 35°C by cooling and the oxidation is operated at about 50 psig. Approximately six hours is required for each batch of growth product to be completely oxidized. The oxidation reactors are operated in staggered fashion to minimize the maximum heat load. 

Stripped alkoxides are then sent to the hydrolysis reactor. In the current ALFOL alcohol process, hydrolysis is accomplished using water instead of dilute sulfuric acid which results in a mixture of alcohols and alumina slurry being formed in the hydrolysis reactor. This mixture is phase separated. 

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 final oxidation is a batch process as in the ALFOL alcohol process. A hydrocarbon solvent for viscosity control must be added prior to oxidation since none was introduced earlier. Based on patent literature (22), oxidation with dry air takes place in an agitated reactor at approximately 65 C and 50 psig in the presence of a titanium promoter which improves the oxidation selectivity. 

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 alkyl chain of a particular alkyl sulfate depends, of course, on the alcohol used in its synthesis. For technically relevant alkyl sulfates, such alcohols are available from the catalytic reduction of natural fatty acids and synthesized fatty acids or alcohols from the Oxo Process. Alcohols produced via the Ziegler process ( alfols ) contain mainly 10 to 22 carbon atoms in their main chains and are in accordance with fatty alcohols obtained from natural sources. 

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. 

Fig. 22,22, Alpha alcohols by Alfol process. (Reproduced from Hydrocarbon Processing, SO. no. 11. 126.

Alkamide DO-280 surfactant, industrial processes Alfol 68 Alcohol Alfol 68 HA Alcohol Alfol 610 BDE Alcohol Alfol 610 EBC Alcohol Alfol 1012 EE Alcohol Alfol 1216 CO-0 Alcohol Alfol 1216 D Alcohol Alfol 1216 SP Alcohol Alfol 1218 DBBC Alcohol Alfol 1218 EBAA Alcohol Alfol 1218 FBAA Alcohol Alfol 1618 Al Alcohol Alfol 1618 Alcohol Flaked Alfol 1618 E Alcohol Alfol 810 BH Alcohol Alfol 810 BP Alcohol l olaureth-3 Iso-laureth-6 lsolaureth-10 PPG-40 diethyl-monium chloride surfactant, industrial prods. Burcotetge PAO-35 Chemax E-600 MO Incromide CA Monateric ISA-35 Quickpeatl II Sodium C14-16 olefin sulfonate Zoharferic M-2 surfactant, industrial slurries PPG-9 diethylmonlum chloride surfactant, industrial soaps Syntergenl ODSLS surfactant, industrial specialties Sodium ceteth-13 carboxylate surfactant, industrial specialty cleansers Norfox Peart... 

The Alfol process (Figure 7-7) for producing linear primary alcohols is a four-step process. In the first step, triethylaluminum is produced by the reaction of ethylene with hydrogen and aluminum metal ... 

Higher molecular primary unbranched or low-branched alcohols are used not only for the synthesis of nonionic but also of anionic surfactants, like fatty alcohol sulfates or ether sulfates. These alcohols are produced by catalytic high-pressure hydrogenation of the methyl esters of fatty acids, obtained by a transesterification reaction of fats or fatty oils with methanol or by different procedures, like hydroformylation or the Alfol process, starting from petroleum chemical raw materials. 

Linear, even-numbered, primary alcohols—like the natural fatty alcohols—are produced by the aluminum organic alcohol synthesis after Ziegler, the so-called Alfol process. This alcohol synthesis proceeds in three steps ... 

For this alcohol synthesis stoichiometric amounts of aluminum alkyls are required. Beside the wanted fatty alcohols high-purity aluminum oxide is formed. This aluminum oxide is of high value, e.g., for the production of catalysts and improves the economy of the Alfol process. 

A further narrowing of the molecular weight distribution in the fatty alcohol mixture of the Alfol process was realized in the so-called Epal process of the Ethyl Corporation [38a,44]. In this process the reaction product of the growth reaction is in a first step transalkylated by a C4-C10 olefin mixture ... 

The olefins and aluminum alkyls are separated by distillation. The aluminum trialkyl obtained in the second transalkylation step contains predominantly C12-C18 alkyl groups and is subsequently treated in the same way as in the Alfol process. Table 10 shows the different alcohol mixtures of the Alfol and Epal process. A disadvantage of the Epal alcohols is their higher degree of branch-... 

TABLE 10 Typical Distribution of the Alcohols in the Alfol and Epal Processes... 

The Ziegler process produces linear alcohols with an even number of carbon atoms and is based on the polymerization of ethylene under catalytic conditions, generally with triethylaluminum as in the Alfol and the Ethyl processes. The distribution of alkyl chains depends on the version of the process employed but the alcohols obtained after fractionation can be equivalent to those obtained from fats and oils or have purpose-made distributions depending on the fractionation conditions. 

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 ... 

Epal A process for making linear aliphatic alcohols by reacting ethylene with triethyl aluminum and oxidizing the products. Similar to Alfol, but incorporating a trans-alkylation stage that permits a wider range of products to be made. Developed by Ethyl Corporation (now Albermarle Corporation) and operated in the United States since 1964. 

Higher alcohols are produced from three routes that involve H2. These three routes differ in feed stocks and the nature of the process, so alcohols can be produced for specific process needs. The three routes are hydrogenation of fatty acids or esters, hydroformylation, and the Alfol process [108,109]. 

Higher alcohols also can be formed from ethylene to form a primary alcohol with an even number of carbon atoms. This is called the Alfol process. The first two steps involve the catalyst regeneration. First aluminum powder and triethyl aluminum are hydrogenated to form diethyl aluminum hydride at 110— 140°C and 50—200 bar. H2 is used in this step ... 

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 CONDEA group operates two different types of processes for the manufacture of alkoxide derived alumians and related products, the Ziegler-ALFOL process and CONDEA s On-Purpose Process. The Ziegler process is a co-production process of linear fatty alcohols and alumina, using aluminum organic compounds as intermediates, CONDEA s own On-Purpose technology is based on the formation of aluminum alkoxide from aluminum metal and alcohol. In both processes the formation of alumina is achieved by hydrolysis of aluminum alcoholates with water. 

CIO-12 alcohols EINECS/ELINCS 288-117-5 Synonyms Alcohols, CIO-12 Uses Intermediate for surfactants lubricant in polymer processing, metal rolling rolls emollient, lubricant for cosmetics Trade Name Synonyms Alfol 1012 CDC [Sasol... 

In the Alfol process, the mixture of aluminium alkyls is converted into linear primary alcohols by controlled oxidation followed by hydrolysis. The main use of C -Cjo alcohols is to make plasticizers such as dialkylphthalates. alcohols... 

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