Conoco ALFOL alcohol 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-... 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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 ... 

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