Patent ID: 8198497
Filing Date: 2012-06-12
Classification: B01J,C07C,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A process for the oligomerization of ethylene to produce prevalently linear α-olefins having 4, 6 and 8 carbon atoms, comprising contacting ethylene, or a gas comprising ethylene, with a catalytic composition comprising the following components: (A) a compound of zirconium having the following formula (Ia): wherein M is zirconium in oxidation state +4; wherein X wherein each Y represents a neutral organic ligand coordinated to the metal M by means of a heteroatom selected from non-metallic atoms of groups 15 or 16 of the periodic table; wherein “m” represents the number of neutral Y ligands, optionally coordinated to M and can have any integer or decimal value ranging from >0 to ≦3; and wherein each Y represents a sulfonic compound having the following formula (II): wherein R 3 and R 4 , the same or different, each independently represent a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated, cycloaliphatic or aromatic C 1 -C 20 hydrocarbyl group, a C 1 -C 20 hydrocarbyl group substituted with one or more halogen atoms, or a C 1 -C 20 hydrocarbyl group comprising one or more heteroatoms of Groups 14 to 16 of the periodic table of elements, and furthermore, R 3 and R 4 can be joined to each other to form a saturated or unsaturated, C 4 -C 20 cyclic structure, comprising the sulfur atom of the sulfonic group, said structure optionally containing one or more of the heteroatoms; wherein “s” has integer values ranging from 1 to 6; (B) an organic compound of formula (II) comprising at least one sulfonic group (>SO (C) a hydrocarbyl organometallic compound of a metal M′ selected from the group consisting of boron, aluminum, zinc, lithium, sodium, magnesium, gallium and tin; the components (A), (B) and (C) being in such a quantity that the atomic ratios respectively of the metal M in (A), of the sulfur S in the sulfonic group of (B) and of the metal M′ in (C), respect the following proportions: wherein an oligomerization product is obtained, consisting of over 50% by weight of 1-hexene and 1-octene.