Polybutenes manufacture

Hydrocarbons. Synthesized hydrocarbons are the most popular of the synthetic base stocks. These are pure hydrocarbons (qv) and are manufactured from raw materials derived from cmde oil. Three types are used olefin oligomers, alkylated aromatics, and polybutenes. Other types, such as cycloahphatics, are also used in small volumes in specialized apphcations. 

The low molecular weight materials produced by this process are used as lubricants, whereas the high molecular weight materials, the polyisobutylenes, are used as VI improvers and thickeners. Polybutenes that are used as lubricating oils have viscosity indexes of 70—110, fair lubricating properties, and can be manufactured to have excellent dielectric properties. Above their decomposition temperature (ca 288°C) the products decompose completely to gaseous materials. 

Butyl mbber, a copolymer of isobutjiene with 0.5—2.5% isoprene to make vulcanization possible, is the most important commercial polymer made by cationic polymerization (see Elastomers, synthetic-butyl rubber). The polymerization is initiated by water in conjunction with AlCl and carried out at low temperature (—90 to —100° C) to prevent chain transfer that limits the molecular weight (1). Another important commercial appHcation of cationic polymerization is the manufacture of polybutenes, low molecular weight copolymers of isobutylene and a smaller amount of other butenes (1) used in adhesives, sealants, lubricants, viscosity improvers, etc. 

Although synthetic lubrication oil production amounts to only about 2% of the total market, volume has been increasing rapidly (67). Growth rates of the order of 20% per year for poly( a-olefin)s, 10% for polybutenes, and 8% for esters (28) reflect increasing automotive use and these increases would accelerate if synthetics were adopted for factory fill of engines by automotive manufacturers. The estimated production of poly( a-olefin)s for lubricants appears to be approximately 100,000 m /yr, esters 75,000, poly(alkylene glycol)s 42,000, polybutenes 38,000, phosphates 20,000, and dialkyl benzene 18,000 (28,67). The higher costs reflected in Table 18 (18,28) have restricted the volume of siUcones, chlorotrifluoroethylene, perfluoroalkylpolyethers, and polyphenyl ethers. 

Polybutene can be cross-linked by irradiation at ambient temperature with y-rays or high energy electrons in the absence of air. The performance of articles manufactured from polybutene is only slightly affected by ionizing radiation at doses below 30 kGy (3 Mrad) (26). PMP is also relatively stable to P-and y-radiation employed in the sterilization of medical suppHes (27). 

Polybutene. The largest share of commercially produced crystalline PB is used for manufacturing pipe and tubing. 

Monomers for manufacture of butyl mbber are 2-methylpropene [115-11-7] (isobutylene) and 2-methyl-l.3-butadiene [78-79-5] (isoprene) (see Olefins). Polybutenes are copolymers of isobutylene and / -butenes from mixed-C olefin-containing streams. For the production of high mol wt butyl mbber, isobutylene must be of >99.5 wt % purity, and isoprene of >98 wt % purity is used. Water and oxygenated organic compounds iaterfere with the cationic polymerization mechanism, and are minimized by feed purification systems. 

Mixed C4 olefins (primarily iC4) are isolated from a mixed C olefin and paraffin stream. Two different liquid adsorption high-purity C olefin processes exist the C4 Olex process for producing isobutylene (iCf ) and the Sorbutene process for producing butene-1. Isobutylene has been used in alcohol synthesis and the production of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and isooctane, both of which improve octane of gasoHne. Commercial 1-butene is used in the manufacture of both hnear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE)., polypropylene, polybutene, butylene oxide and the C4 solvents secondary butyl alcohol (SBA) and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK). While the C4 Olex process has been commercially demonstrated, the Sorbutene process has only been demonstrated on a pilot scale. 

The manufacturing process and properties of polybutene-1 are comparable to PP. Compared to the aliphatic hydrocarbons, this material is not as inert as PE and PP. Its high burst strength and tear strength are very advantageous for the manufacture of hot water pipes (resistant up to 95 °C). 

Copolymers of isobutene with styrene (< 10 %) and isoprene (< 3 %) may be used for the manufacture of food contact materials. The following polymerizates and polymer mixes can be added to these polymerizates polyethylene, polypropylene, styrene-acrylonitrile mixed polymers, mixed polymers of ethylene, propylene, butylene, vinyl esters and unsaturated aliphatic acids as well as salts and esters and polybutene-1. 

A suspension polymerization process can be used to manufacture beads in polybutene-sulfone for use in the production of expanded cellular material. The solvent power of the reaction medium is important with respect to the homogeneity of the beads and to the diffusion of the blowing agent. Processing and properties of this new cellular material are examined briefly. 

Manufacture and "Properties of Cellular Materials from Polybutene Sulfone... 

The Polybutenes, random isobutene-butene copolymers predominantly composed of isobutene units, manufactured directly from the butanes-butenes C4 refinery stream, with low molar masses (MM) ranging from light to highly viscous liquids. 

Abstract The chemical nature and technology of the main synthetic lubricant base fluids is described, covering polyalphaolefins, alkylated aromatics, gas-to-liquid (GTL) base fluids, polybutenes, aliphatic diesters, polyolesters, polyalkylene glycols or PAGs and phosphate esters. Other synthetic lubricant base oils such as the silicones, borate esters, perfluoroethers and polyphenylene ethers are considered to have restricted applications due to either high cost or performance limitations and are not considered here. Each of the main synthetic base fluids is described for their chemical and physical properties, manufacture and production, their chemistry, key properties, applications and their implications when used in the environment. 

General Description Polybutene-1 (PB-1) is a polyolefin, or unsaturated polymer, that is expressed as C H2n- Basell Polyolefins series polybutene-1 resins are high-molecular-weight polyolefins manufactured from butene-1 monomer. Available as a homopolymer or a random copolymer.t Polybutene is a polymer of butylene and is also called polybutylene. 

Polybutene was available as Vestolen BT since 1964 from Chemische Werke Hills, who started the first industrial production in 1964 with a capacity of 3000 tpa. In 1973, Hills withdrew Vestolen BT from the market after some manufacturing issues in their polymerization plant. Independently, Mobil Oil in the US developed their own PB-1 process technology and built a small industrial plant in Taft, Lousiana, in 1968. In the early 1970 s, the plant was taken over and operated by Witco Chemical Corporation. 

Isotactic poly(butene-l) is produced commercially with three-component coordination-type catalysts. It is manufactured by a continuous process with simultaneous additions to the reacticMi vessel of the monomer solution, a suspension of Ti l2-Al l3, and a solution of diethyl aluminum chloride [84], The effluent containing the suspension of the product is continually removed from the reactor. Molecular weight control is achieved through regulating the reaction temperature. The effluent contains approximately 5-8% of atactic polybutene that is dissolved in the liquid carrier. The suspended isotactic fractions (92-98%) are isolated after catalyst decomposition and removal. The product has a density of 0.92 g/cnf and melts at 124—130° . 

Ternary blends contained 87-96 wt% LLDPE (with either butene-1, hexene-1, or octene-1), 1-10 wt% isotactic polybutene, 1-10 wt% PS, and 0.01-10 wt% color and anti-blocking agents. The blends exhibited improved process efficiency in terms of extruder amps/ rpm ratio, while the terpolymer substantially retained the inherent strength of the LLDPE. The compositions were used for blown films and for the manufacture of waste bags ... 

Polybutene (polybutylene) (PB) is manufactured by stereospecific Ziegler-Natta polymerization of 1-butene ... 

Such reactions permit the manufacture of liquid gasoline from gases and in special instances the production of tetramer (dodecene), nonene, polyethylene, and polybutenes. 

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