A flexible manufacturing system for selectively producing different alpha-olefins from ethylene includes: (a) a reaction section 18 with ethylene feed operative to oligomerize ethylene; (b) a catalyst feed system 12, 14, 16 comprising a plurality of independent homogeneous catalyst feeders connected with the reaction section for alternatively providing different selective homogeneous catalyst compositions to the reaction section; (c) an ethylene recycle column 22 coupled to the reaction section and adapted to receive crude product and unreacted ethylene therefrom, the recycle column being operative to separate ethylene and optionally lower oligomers from the crude product which are recycled to the ethylene feed to the reaction section, the ethylene recycle column being further operative to provide a crude product bottoms stream; (d) a catalyst removal section 20 coupled to the reaction section adapted to remove spent catalyst from the system; and (e) a first product separation column 24 connected to the recycle column receiving the crude product stream therefrom, the product separation column being operative to separate purified oligomer from the crude product stream. Optionally provided is a second product separation column 26.

The present invention relates to a chrome compound composed of non-coordinating anions and a trivalent chrome cation, a reactant of the chrome compound and a bidentate ligand, an ethylene oligomerization reaction catalyst system using the chrome compound and the reactant, and a method for preparing an ethylene oligomer using the catalyst system. Through the above conformation, the present invention can selectively produce 1-hexene and 1-octene with high activity while omitting the use of methylaluminoxane (MAO), and can provide an ethylene oligomerization process more suitable for mass production.

The invention relates to oligomerization of olefins, such as ethylene, to higher olefins, such as a mixture of 1-hexene and 1-octene, using a catalyst system that comprises a) a source of chromium b) one or more activators and c) a phosphacycle-containing ligating compound. Additionally, the invention relates to a phosphacycle-containing ligating compound and a process for making said compound.

This invention relates generally to olefin metathesis catalyst compounds, to the preparation of such compounds, compositions comprising such compounds, methods of using such compounds, articles of manufacture comprising such compounds, and the use of such compounds in the metathesis of olefins and olefin compounds. The invention has utility in the fields of catalysts, organic synthesis, polymer chemistry, and industrial and fine chemicals industry.

The present invention relates to a method of preparing -olefins by oligomerization of C.sub.2-C.sub.4 olefins. The method is carried out by oligomerization of C.sub.2-C.sub.4 olefins in the presence of a catalyst system comprising a transition metal source, an activator, which is an alkylaluminoxane, and a compound of formula (I), Ar.sup.1Ar.sup.2PN(R)PAr.sup.3Ar.sup.4 [formula I], wherein Ar.sup.1-4 are the same or different and are selected from substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.6-C.sub.10 aryl, R is selected from linear or branched C.sub.1-C.sub.4 alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.6-C.sub.10 aryl, and substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.3-C.sub.10 cycloalkyl, wherein the oligomerization is carried out in a solvent, which is a bicyclic compound or a mixture of bicyclic compounds, preferably decalin. The claimed method provides a significant increase in the activity of the catalyst during the oligomerization process and, as a consequence, a reduction in the catalyst unit consumption, as well a reduction in the formation of polymer by-product.

This invention relates generally to olefin metathesis catalyst compounds, to the preparation of such compounds, compositions comprising such compounds, methods of using such compounds, articles of manufacture comprising such compounds, and the use of such compounds in the metathesis of olefins and olefin compounds. The invention has utility in the fields of catalysts, organic synthesis, polymer chemistry, and industrial and fine chemicals industry.

A flexible manufacturing system for selectively producing different alpha-olefins from ethylene includes: (a) a reaction section 18 with ethylene feed operative to oligomerize ethylene; (b) a catalyst feed system 12, 14, 16 comprising a plurality of independent homogeneous catalyst feeders connected with the reaction section for alternatively providing different selective homogeneous catalyst compositions to the reaction section; (c) an ethylene recycle column 22 coupled to the reaction section and adapted to receive crude product and unreacted ethylene therefrom, the recycle column being operative to separate ethylene and optionally lower oligomers from the crude product which are recycled to the ethylene feed to the reaction section, the ethylene recycle column being further operative to provide a crude product bottoms stream; (d) a catalyst removal section 20 coupled to the reaction section adapted to remove spent catalyst from the system; and (e) a first product separation column 24 connected to the recycle column receiving the crude product stream therefrom, the product separation column being operative to separate purified oligomer from the crude product stream. Optionally provided is a second product separation column 26.

The invention relates to oligomerization of olefins, such as ethylene, to higher olefins, such as a mixture of 1-hexene and 1-octene, using a catalyst system that comprises a) a source of chromium b) one or more activators and c) a phosphacycle-containing ligating compound. Additionally, the invention relates to a phosphacycle-containing ligating compound and a process for making said compound.

A method of producing linear alpha olefins includes: preparing a solution A, comprising: introducing an organometallic compound and an organic ligand to a first vessel, wherein the first vessel is in fluid communication with a Schlenk line; and introducing a solvent to the first vessel via the Schlenk line; preparing a solution B separately from solution A, comprising: introducing an ammonium salt to a second vessel, wherein the second vessel is in fluid communication with a Schlenk line; and introducing an organoaluminum compound and a solvent to the second vessel via the Schlenk line; producing the linear alpha olefins by introducing solution A and solution B to an ethylene oligomerization reactor.

This invention relates generally to olefin metathesis catalyst compounds, to the preparation of such compounds, compositions comprising such compounds, methods of using such compounds, articles of manufacture comprising such compounds, and the use of such compounds in the metathesis of olefins and olefin compounds. The invention has utility in the fields of catalysts, organic synthesis, polymer chemistry, and industrial and fine chemicals industry.