Processes and systems for making cyclopentadiene and/or dicyclopentadiene include converting acyclic C5 hydrocarbon(s) into CPD in a first reactor in the presence of a C1-C4 co-feedstock to obtain a product mixture, separating the product mixture in a separation sub-system such as compression train to obtain a C5-rich fraction comprising CPD and essentially depleted of hydrogen and C1-C4 hydrocarbons, dimerizing the C5-rich fraction in a dimerization reactor to obtain a product effluent comprising DCPD, followed by separating the product effluent to obtain a DCPD-rich fraction. Multiple-stage of dimerization and separation steps can be optionally used to obtain multiple DCPD-rich fractions of various degrees of purity and quantity. C5-rich fractions from various stages of the process may be recycled to the first reactor, or converted into mogas components after selective hydrogenation. C5-rich fractions and mogas components may be optionally separated to produce value-adding chemicals.

Catalyst compositions are prepared by contacting a palladium source and 1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-6-(2,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-2,4,8-trioxa-6-phosphaadamantane and a methoxyocta-diene compound, in a primary aliphatic alcohol, under suitable conditions including a ratio of equivalents of palladium to equivalents of 1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-6-(2,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-2,4,8-trioxa-6-phosphaadamantane ranging from greater than 1:1 to 1:1.3. The result is a complex of palladium, a 1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-6-(2,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-2,4,8-trioxa-6-phosphaada-mantane ligand, and a ligand selected from a methoxyoctadiene ligand, an octadienyl ligand, or a protonated octadienyl. Such complexes may, in solution, exhibit surprising solubility and storage stability and are useful in the telomerization of butadiene, which is a step in the production of 1-octene.

Processes and systems for making cyclopentadiene and/or dicyclopentadiene include converting acyclic C5 hydrocarbon(s) into CPD in a first reactor to obtain a product mixture, washing the product mixture with a wash oil, separating the washed product mixture in a separation sub-system such as compression train to obtain a C5-rich fraction comprising CPD, dimerizing the C5-rich fraction in a dimerization reactor to obtain a product effluent, followed by separating the product effluent to obtain a DCPD-rich fraction. Wash oil can be recovered and recycled. Multiple-stage of dimerization and separation steps can be used to obtain multiple DCPD-rich fractions of various purity and quantity. C5-rich fractions from various stages of the process may be recycled to the first reactor, or converted into mogas components after selective hydrogenation. C5-rich fractions and mogas components may be optionally separated to produce value-adding chemicals.

Processes and systems for making cyclopentadiene and/or dicyclopentadiene include converting acyclic C5 hydrocarbon(s) into CPD in a first reactor to obtain a first reactor hydrocarbon effluent, which is processed in an eductor to obtain an eductor effluent at higher total pressure than atmospheric pressure, separating the eductor effluent in a separator such as compression train to obtain a C5-rich fraction comprising CPD, dimerizing the C5-rich fraction in a second reactor to obtain a product effluent comprising DCPD, which is separated to obtain a DCPD-rich fraction. Multiple-stage of dimerization and separation steps can be optionally used to obtain multiple DCPD-rich fractions of various degrees of purity and quantity. C5-rich fractions from various stages of the process may be recycled to the first reactor, or converted into mogas components after selective hydrogenation. C5-rich fractions and mogas components may be optionally separated to produce value-adding chemicals.