Isooctyl aldehyde

Chemical Designations - Synonyms Dimethylhexanals Isooctyl aldehyde 6-Methyl-1-heptanal Chemical Formula (CH3)3CH(CH2)4CHO. 

M4 Thickener. A standard incendiary oil thickener. It is a diacid A soap of isooctanoic acids derived from isooctyl ale or isooctyl aldehyde obtd from the oxidn of petroleum. It contains 2% Santocel C or Attaclay SF which serves as an antiagglorherant. About 1/2 the amt of M4 and about 1/10 mixing time is reqd for M4 Thickener as compared to Ml for thickened fuels of comparable consistency. Fuels prepd with M4 are superior in flame throwing performance with respect to range, burning and target effects, as compared with fuels prepd with other thickeners... 

The demands for new alcohols were to a considerable extent satisfied by the commercialization of the oxo synthesis in the United States (1). The synthesis involves reaction of an olefin with carbon monoxide and hydrogen to produce an aldehyde, which is reduced subsequently to a primary alcohol. From branched chain feeds such as pentene, heptene, nonene, and tetrapropylene-hexyl, isooctyl, isodecyl, and tridecyl alcohols have been made available to the plasticizer industry in large volume. These alcohols are mixtures of branched chain isomers owing to the branched nature of the olefin feed. (Oxo hexyl alcohol contains about H 1-hexanol). 

The discovery of the oxo (or more accurately, hydroformylation) process was by Ruhrchemie s Roelen who applied for a German patent in 1938. This turned out to be a breakthrough method for both higher and lower alcohols production from the aldehydes. Exploitation of the process, however, was delayed by World War II. It was not until 19 8 that commercialization occurred with the manufacture of isooctyl alcohol by Enjay Chemical Company (1 ). 

American companies became interested in the process during the war and initiated a substantial research program. Since production of specific alcohols was desired, more attention was focused on the use of narrow cuts of individual olefins in contrast to the mixed feeds employed by the Germans. The first commercial plant in the United States was constructed by the Standard Oil Company at Baton Rouge, La., in 1949. The main product from this plant is isooctyl alcohol produced from a heptene feed. As shown in Table 11-9, additional plants have been constructed by other large petrochemical companies, and the combined annual capacity at the end of 1956 exceeded 100 million lb of alcohols. In addition to isooctyl alcohol, the American plants produce normal and isobutyl aldehydes and alcohols, decyl and tridecyl alcohol. ... 

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