The present invention relates to the field of gas/liquid reactors making possible the oligomerization of ethylene to give linear olefins by homogeneous catalysis with a reaction chamber comprising transverse internals capable of slowing down the ascent of the gaseous ethylene in the said reactor.

The present invention relates to the field of gas/liquid reactors making possible the oligomerization of ethylene to give linear olefins by homogeneous catalysis with a reaction chamber comprising transverse internals capable of slowing down the ascent of the gaseous ethylene in the said reactor.

The present invention relates to a gas/liquid oligomerization reactor with successive zones of variable diameter. The invention also relates to a process for the oligomerization of ethylene using a gas/liquid oligomerization reactor with successive zones of variable diameter.

The present invention relates to a gas/liquid oligomerization reactor with successive zones of variable diameter. The invention also relates to a process for the oligomerization of ethylene using a gas/liquid oligomerization reactor with successive zones of variable diameter.

The invention is concerned with the production of 1-hexene and octenes from ethene. 1-Butene is optionally also to be produced. The problem addressed by the present invention is that of developing a process for producing 1-hexene from ethene by MTHxE etherification to achieve better chemical utilization of the employed carbon atoms. This problem is solved by catalytic retrocleavage of MTHxE into the C.sub.6 olefins and the alcohol, reuse of the alcohol in the etherification and reaction of the obtained C.sub.6 olefins with ethene to afford C.sub.8 olefins. In this way the alcohol is not lost from the process but rather is internally recirculated as a derivatizing agent. The less attractive C.sub.6 olefins from the cleavage product are upgraded to octene with further ethene in order to provide a further commercial product.

The invention is concerned with the production of 1-hexene and octenes from ethene. 1-Butene is optionally also to be produced. The problem addressed by the present invention is that of developing a process for producing 1-hexene from ethene by MTHxE etherification to achieve better chemical utilization of the employed carbon atoms. This problem is solved by catalytic retrocleavage of MTHxE into the C.sub.6 olefins and the alcohol, reuse of the alcohol in the etherification and reaction of the obtained C.sub.6 olefins with ethene to afford C.sub.8 olefins. In this way the alcohol is not lost from the process but rather is internally recirculated as a derivatizing agent. The less attractive C.sub.6 olefins from the cleavage product are upgraded to octene with further ethene in order to provide a further commercial product.

A catalyst containing, as an essential component, molybdenum; bismuth; and cobalt, in which a sum (S) of ratios of peak intensities expressed by the following formula in an X-ray diffraction pattern obtained by using CuKα rays as an X-ray source is 42 or more and 113 or less.

S={(peak intensity at 2θ=14.1°±0.1°+(peak intensity at 2θ=25.4°±0.1°)+(peak intensity at 2θ=28.5°±0.1°)}/(peak intensity at 2θ=26.5°±0.1°)×100

A catalyst containing, as an essential component, molybdenum; bismuth; and cobalt, in which a sum (S) of ratios of peak intensities expressed by the following formula in an X-ray diffraction pattern obtained by using CuKα rays as an X-ray source is 42 or more and 113 or less.

S={(peak intensity at 2θ=14.1°±0.1°+(peak intensity at 2θ=25.4°±0.1°)+(peak intensity at 2θ=28.5°±0.1°)}/(peak intensity at 2θ=26.5°±0.1°)×100

A catalyst containing, as an essential component, molybdenum; bismuth; and cobalt, in which a sum (S) of ratios of peak intensities expressed by the following formula in an X-ray diffraction pattern obtained by using CuKα rays as an X-ray source is 42 or more and 113 or less.

S={(peak intensity at 2θ=14.1°±0.1°+(peak intensity at 2θ=25.4°±0.1°)+(peak intensity at 2θ=28.5°±0.1°)}/(peak intensity at 2θ=26.5°±0.1°)×100

A catalyst containing, as an essential component, molybdenum; bismuth; and cobalt, in which, with respect to a peak intensity at 2θ=25.3°±0.2° in an X-ray diffraction pattern obtained by using CuKα rays as an X-ray source, a changing rate (Q1) per 1000 hours of reaction time represented by the following formulae (1) to (4) is 16 or less.

Q1={(U1/F1−1)×100}/T×1000  (1)

F1=(peak intensity of catalyst before oxidation reaction at 2θ=25.3°±)0.2°/(peak intensity of catalyst before oxidation reaction at 2θ=26.5°±0.2°)×100  (2)

U1=(peak intensity of catalyst after oxidation reaction at 2θ=25.3°±0.2°)/(peak intensity of catalyst after oxidation reaction at 2θ=26.5°±0.2°)×100  (3)

T=time (hr) during which oxidation reaction is carried out  (4)