Patent ID: 8742186

Claim:
A process for producing an alpha olefin comprising: obtaining a feed stream comprising an internal olefin having a first carbon number and an alpha olefin having a first carbon number, isomerizing the feed stream in a first isomerization reactor to increase the quantity of the alpha olefin having the first carbon number, forming a first isomerization effluent, fractionating the first isomerization effluent in a first fractionator to obtain a bottoms stream comprising the internal olefin having the first carbon number and an overhead stream comprising the alpha olefin having the first carbon number, subjecting the overhead stream to catalytic metathesis in a metathesis reactor under conditions and in the presence of a first metathesis catalyst to produce a mixed olefin effluent comprising an internal olefin having a second carbon number and other hydrocarbons, fractionating the mixed olefin effluent in a second fractionator to remove at least a portion of the other hydrocarbons and obtain an internal olefin intermediate, preparing the first isomerization reactor to receive the internal olefin intermediate, isomerizing the internal olefin intermediate in the prepared first isomerization reactor to form a second isomerization effluent comprising an increased quantity of alpha olefins having the second carbon number, preparing the first fractionator to receive the second isomerization effluent, and fractionating the second isomerization effluent in the prepared first fractionator to separate the alpha olefin having the second carbon number from the internal olefin having the second carbon number.