Disclosed herein are processes and reaction systems for controlling a temperature of an oligomerization reaction zone using a heat exchange system.

The present invention provides novel Ruthenium-based transition metal complex catalysts comprising specific ligands, their preparation and their use in hydrogenation processes. Such complex catalysts are inexpensive, thermally robust, and olefin selective.

The present invention relates to a ligand compound, a catalyst system for olefin oligomerization, and a method for olefin oligomerization using the same. The present ligand compound is a compound having a certain new structure and enables provision of a catalyst system for olefin oligomerization that can oligomerize ethylene with higher catalytic activity.

Process for producing alpha olefins comprising contacting ethylene, a zirconium based catalyst system comprising, a hydrocarbylmetal compound, a chain transfer agent, and optionally an organic reaction medium. Chain transfer agents which can be utilized include a) hydrogen, b) a compound comprising a hydrogen silicon bond, a compound having a hydrogen sulfur bond, a compound having a hydrogen phosphorus bond, or c) a transition metal compound chain transfer agent.

The present disclosure relates to processes to produce a poly alpha-olefin (PAO) composition. In some embodiments, a process includes introducing a first C6-C32 alpha-olefin, a second C6-C32 alpha-olefin different than the first C6-C32 alpha-olefin, and a first catalyst system comprising an activator and a metallocene compound into a first reactor, wherein a molar ratio of the first C6-C32 alpha-olefin to the second C6-C32 alpha-olefin is from about 1:5 to about 5:1, by total moles of the first and second C6-C32 alpha-olefin; obtaining a first effluent including a PAO dimer; introducing the first effluent, a third C6-C32 alpha-olefin, and a second catalyst system to an oligomerization unit, wherein the third C6-C32 alpha-olefin is the same or different than the first C6-C32 alpha-olefin and/or second C6-C32 alpha-olefin; obtaining a second effluent; and hydrogenating the second effluent to form the PAO composition.

The selective oligomerization of ethylene to produce a mixture comprising octene and hexene is conducted in the presence of a catalyst system comprising a source of chromium; two different P—N—P ligands and an activator. The phosphorus atoms of both ligands have ortho-fluoro phenyl substituents. The nitrogen atom of the first ligand has an isopropyl substituent. The nitrogen of the second ligand has a larger/bulkier hydrocarbyl substituent on the N atom. The hexene produced by the process of this invention has very high alpha selectivity.

Subject of the invention is a process for producing a biofuel from fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) obtained by transesterification of vegetable oils, comprising the steps of (a) ethenolysis of the fatty acid methyl esters in the presence of ethylene and an ethenolysis catalyst, and (b) isomerizing metathesis in the presence of an isomerization catalyst and a metathesis catalyst.

The invention also relates to biofuels obtainable by the inventive process and to uses of ethylene for adjusting and optimizing biofuels.

Disclosed herein is a method of preparing 1-octene at high activity and high selectivity while stably maintaining reaction activity by tetramerizing ethylene using a chromium-based catalyst system comprising a transition metal or a transition metal precursor, a cocatalyst, and a P—C—C—P backbone structure ligand represented by (R.sup.1)(R.sup.2)P—(R.sup.5)CHCH(R.sup.6)—P(R.sup.3)(R.sup.4).

The present invention provides novel ruthenium or osmium based complex structures with a unique combination of ligands comprising a Schiff-base type ligand, a N-heterocyclic carbene ligand and a CO ligand which can be prepared according to two different routes involving easily accessible starting materials and which represent excellent catalysts for hydrogenating unsaturated compounds, oligomers and polymers, in particular at unforeseeably low temperatures. ##STR00001##

A highly efficient method for the conversion of a natural product into the high density fuel RJ-4 with concomitant evolution of isobutylene for conversion to fuels and polymers, more specifically, embodiments of the invention relate to efficient methods for the conversion of the renewable, linear terpene alcohol, linalool into a drop-in, high density fuel suitable for ramjet or missile propulsion.