Patent ID: 6410812
Filing Date: 2002-06-25
Classification: B01J,C07C,Y02P,Y10S

Abstract:
A process scheme for the oligomerization of an alpha-olefin in the presence of boron trifluoride catalyst which comprises:(a) contacting in an oligomerization zone an alpha olefin feed with a catalytic mixture comprising an effective catalytic amount of a catalyst complex consisting of boron trifluoride and a protic promoter under conditions and for a time sufficient to oligomerize the alpha olefins in the feed whereby a liquid organic mixture is formed comprising a polyalphaolefin product and the catalytic mixture; (b) recovering the liquid organic mixture from the oligomerization zone; (c) reducing the pressure of the liquid organic mixture recovered in step (b) sufficiently to separately recover (i) a gas comprising at least a portion of the boron trifluoride present in the catalytic mixture and at least a portion of inert gas present in the liquid organic mixture, and (ii) a liquid product stream comprising the polyalphaolefin product and residual catalyst complex; (d) mixing the gaseous boron trifluoride recovered from step (c) with fresh protic promoter to form fresh catalyst and promoter mixture, wherein the catalyst and promoter mixture is substantially free of the inert gas; (e) introducing the fresh catalyst and promoter mixture from step (d) into the oligomerization zone of step (a); and (f) recovering the polyalphaolefin product from the liquid product stream of step (c).