Diolefins

Metathesis technology enables the synthesis of many other high-purity olefins for the speciality chemicals market. Phillips have produced multi-ton quantities of hexa-1,5-diene via ethenolysis of cyclooctadiene and cyclododecatriene over a W03/Si02 catalyst reaction (9). High yields of deca-1,9-diene can be obtained from ethenolysis of cyclooctene (obtained by partial hydrogenation of readily available cyclooctadiene), reaction (10). Similarly, tetradeca-1,13-diene can be obtained via ethenolysis of cyclododecene (obtained from cyclododecatriene) (Banks 1982, 1984a). 

Shell also developed a process for the manufacture of these a,(o-dienes by ethenolysis of cycloalkenes using a promoted Re207/Al203 catalyst (Chaumont 

The reaction takes place in the liquid phase under extremely mild conditions (0-20°C, 1-2 bar). A simplified flow scheme of the process for the production of hexa-1,5-diene is given in Fig. 17.5. 

There are many potential outlets for these kinds of product, viz. cross-linking agents, speciality (co)monomers, and starting materials in the preparation of various a,cu-disubstituted intermediates for the production of aroma chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural chemicals. The first commercial plant, operating under the name FEAST (Further Exploitation of Advanced Shell Technology), was opened in 1987 in Berre I Etang (France) and has a capacity of 3000 tons per year (Short 1987). 

Shell is also able to produce a branched diolefin, 7-methylocta-1,6-diene, with acceptable yields by reaction (11) (Schaper 1990). 

Provided the double bonds are not conjugated, cyclic dienes undergo ring opening polymerization [9]. The metathesis of cyclopentadiene, 1,3-cyc-looctadiene and 1,3,5-cycloheptatriene has not been achieved. 

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CH = CH — CH = CH — are said to have conjugated double bonds and react somewhat differently from the other diolefins. For instance, bromine or hydrogen is often added so that a product of the type -CHBr-CH=CH-CHBr- is formed. Also, these hydrocarbons participate in the Diels-Alder reaction see diene reactions). They show a tendency to form rubber-like polymers. Hydrocarbons not falling into these two classes are said to have isolated double... 

Normally absent or in trace amounts in crude oil, products of conversion processes such as diolefins, acetylenes, etc., are encountered. Table 1.4 gives the physical properties of some of them. Noteworthy is 1-3 butadienerC ( l)... 

For chemical processes, some examples are the elimination of aromatics by sulfonation, the elimination of olefins by bromine addition on the double bond (bromine number), the elimination of conjugated diolefins as in the case of the maleic anhydride value (MAV), and the extraction of bases or acids by contact with aqueous acidic or basic solutions. 

The noncondensable hydrocarbons comprise the hydrocarbons having less than five carbon atoms methane, ethane, propane and butanes encountered in production refining will add the olefins and diolefins ... 

It is clear that these gases have widely varying compositions according to the processes used, but refinery gas is distinguished from natural gases by the presence of hydrogen, mono- and diolefins, and even acetylenes. 

In the longer carbon chains, two double carbon-carbon bonds may exist. Such molecules are called diolefins (or dienes), such as butadiene CH2 = CH - CH = CHj. 

The reaction of OF2 and various unsaturated fluorocarbons has been examined (35,36) and it is claimed that OF2 can be used to chain-extend fluoropolyenes, convert functional perfluorovinyl groups to acyl fluorides and/or epoxide groups, and act as a monomer for an addition-type copolymerization with diolefins. 

In acetic acid solvent, ethylene gives 1,3-propanediol acetates (46) and propylene gives 1,3-butanediol acetates (47). A similar reaction readily occurs with olefinic alcohols and ethers, diolefins, and mercaptans (48). 

The feedstocks used ia the production of petroleum resias are obtaiaed mainly from the low pressure vapor-phase cracking (steam cracking) and subsequent fractionation of petroleum distillates ranging from light naphthas to gas oil fractions, which typically boil ia the 20—450°C range (16). Obtaiaed from this process are feedstreams composed of atiphatic, aromatic, and cycloatiphatic olefins and diolefins, which are subsequently polymerized to yield resias of various compositioas and physical properties. Typically, feedstocks are divided iato atiphatic, cycloatiphatic, and aromatic streams. Table 2 illustrates the predominant olefinic hydrocarbons obtained from steam cracking processes for petroleum resia synthesis (18). 

Cycloaliphatic diolefin dimers Vinyl aromatic hydrocarbons... 

Aliphatic C-5—C-6. Aliphatic feedstreams are typically composed of C-5 and C-6 paraffins, olefins, and diolefins, the main reactive components being piperylenes cis-[1574-41 -0] and /n j -l,3-pentadiene [2004-70-8f). Other main compounds iaclude substituted C-5 and C-6 olefins such as cyclopentene [142-29-OJ, 2-methyl-2-butene [513-35-9] and 2-methyl-2-pentene [625-27-4J. Isoprene and cyclopentadiene maybe present ia small to moderate quaatities (2—10%). Most steam cracking operatioas are desigaed to remove and purify isoprene from the C-5—C-6 fraction for applications ia mbbers and thermoplastic elastomers. Cyclopentadiene is typically dimerized to dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) and removed from C-5 olefin—diolefin feedstreams duriag fractionation (19). 

Blends of piperylenes and amylenes (mixed 2-methyl-1-butene and 2-methyl-2-butene) or UOP propylene dimers can be adjusted to produce softening points of 0—100°C and weight average molecular weights of <1200 (32,33). Careful control of the diolefin/branched olefin ratio is the key to consistent resin properties (34). 

Catalysts used in the polymerization of C-5 diolefins and olefins, and monovinyl aromatic monomers, foUow closely with the systems used in the synthesis of aHphatic resins. Typical catalyst systems are AlCl, AIBr., AlCl —HCl—o-xylene complexes and sludges obtained from the Friedel-Crafts alkylation of benzene. Boron trifluoride and its complexes, as weU as TiCl and SnCl, have been found to result in lower yields and higher oligomer content in C-5 and aromatic modified C-5 polymerizations. 

The conversion of aromatic monomers relative to C-5—C-6 linear diolefins and olefins in cationic polymerizations may not be proportional to the feedblend composition, resulting in higher resin aromaticity as determined by nmr and ir measurements (43). This can be attributed to the differing reactivity ratios of aromatic and aHphatic monomers under specific Lewis acid catalysis. Intentional blocking of hydrocarbon resins into aromatic and aHphatic regions may be accomplished by sequential cationic polymerization employing multiple reactors and standard polymerization conditions (45). 

Olefins, Diolefins, and Acetylenes. Members of this category having up to four carbon atoms are both asphyxiants and anesthetics, and potency for the latter effect increases with carbon chain length. Skin-contact effects are similar to those of paraffins. 

The reaction of dihalocarbenes with isoprene yields exclusively the 1,2- (or 3,4-) addition product, eg, dichlorocarbene CI2C and isoprene react to give l,l-dichloro-2-methyl-2-vinylcyclopropane (63). The evidence for the presence of any 1,4 or much 3,4 addition is inconclusive (64). The cycloaddition reaction of l,l-dichloro-2,2-difluoroethylene to isoprene yields 1,2- and 3,4-cycloaddition products in a ratio of 5.4 1 (65). The main product is l,l-dichloro-2,2-difluoro-3-isopropenylcyclobutane, and the side product is l,l-dichloro-2,2-difluoro-3-methyl-3-vinylcyclobutane. When the dichlorocarbene is generated from CHCl plus aqueous base with a tertiary amine as a phase-transfer catalyst, the addition has a high selectivity that increases (for a series of diolefins) with a decrease in activity (66) (see Catalysis, phase-TRANSFEr). For isoprene, both mono-(l,2-) and diadducts (1,2- and 3,4-) could be obtained in various ratios depending on which amine is used. 

Wax Cracking. One or more wax-cracked a-olefin plants were operated from 1962 to 1985 Chevron had two such plants at Richmond, California, and Shell had three in Europe. The wax-cracked olefins were of limited commercial value because they contained internal olefins, branched olefins, diolefins, aromatics, and paraffins. These were satisfactory for feed to alkyl benzene plants and for certain markets, but unsatisfactory for polyethylene comonomers and several other markets. Typical distributions were C 33% C q, 7% 25% and 35%. Since both odd and... 

Chlorination and Chlorination—Dehydrochlorination of Paraffins. Linear internal olefins were produced by Shell at Geismar from 1968 to 1988, using the dehydrochlorination of chlorinated linear paraffins, a process that also yields hydrogen chloride as a by-product. To avoid the production of dichloroparaffins, which are converted to diolefins by dehydrochlorination, chlorination of paraffins is typically limited to 10% conversion. 

HP Alkylation Process. The most widely used technology today is based on the HE catalyst system. AH industrial units built in the free world since 1970 employ this process (78). During the mid-1960s, commercial processes were developed to selectively dehydrogenate linear paraffins to linear internal olefins (79—81). Although these linear internal olefins are of lower purity than are a olefins, they are more cost-effective because they cost less to produce. Furthermore, with improvement over the years in dehydrogenation catalysts and processes, such as selective hydrogenation of diolefins to monoolefins (82,83), the quaUty of linear internal olefins has improved. 

The largest use of NMP is in extraction of aromatics from lube oils. In this appHcation, it has been replacing phenol and, to some extent, furfural. Other petrochemical uses involve separation and recovery of aromatics from mixed feedstocks recovery and purification of acetylenes, olefins, and diolefins removal of sulfur compounds from natural and refinery gases and dehydration of natural gas. 

The reactive species that iaitiate free-radical oxidatioa are preseat ia trace amouats. Exteasive studies (11) of the autoxidatioa mechanism have clearly estabUshed that the most reactive materials are thiols and disulfides, heterocycHc nitrogen compounds, diolefins, furans, and certain aromatic-olefin compounds. Because free-radical formation is accelerated by metal ions of copper, cobalt, and even iron (12), the presence of metals further compHcates the control of oxidation. It is difficult to avoid some metals, particularly iron, ia fuel systems. 

One of the butadiene dimeri2ation products, COD, is commercially manufactured and used as an intermediate in a process called FEAST to produce linear a,C0-dienes (153). COD or cyclooctene [931-87-3], obtained from partial hydrogenation, is metathesi2ed with ethylene to produce 1,5-hexadiene [592-42-7] or 1,9-decadiene [1647-16-1], respectively. Many variations to make other diolefins have been demonstrated. Huls AG also metathesi2ed cyclooctene with itself to produce an elastomer useful in mbber blending (154). The cycHc cis,trans,trans-tn.en.e described above can be hydrogenated and oxidi2ed to manufacture dodecanedioic acid [693-23-2]. The product was used in the past for the production of the specialty nylon-6,12, Qiana (155,156). 

The monomer, CPD, obtained via cracking of the dimer, DCPD, and the dimer both have extensive uses. Cyclopentadiene is probably the most widely studied conjugated, cycHc diolefin system. Eleven review articles dealing with the chemistry of cyclopentadiene have been pubHshed (1—11). An article dealing specifically with European uses of DCPD has also been pubHshed (12). The discovery ia 1951 of stable metal derivatives has given additional impetus to the study of the chemistry of cyclopentadiene. Eive review articles have been pubHshed on this subject (13—17). 

Hydrocarbon Resins. Dicyclopentadiene is widely used in both cmde and purified form as a monomer in hydrocarbon resin production (see Hydrocarbon resins). These resins, produced in both the United States and Europe, are polymerized from concentrated DCPD streams or from the previously mentioned resin oils. The DCPD-containing stream may be polymerized with Friedel-Crafts (qv) (53) catalysts either alone or in admixture with the resin oil (54—55), or with aUphatic olefins and diolefins (56) or by thermal polymerization (57—59). 

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