Selective catalytic production of linear alpha olefins from lactones and unsaturated carboxylic acids

A method to make linear alpha olefins comprising:

• a) contacting in a reactor a feedstock comprising a component selected from the group consisting of at least one lactone, at least one unsaturated carboxylic acid, at least one hydroxy carboxylic acid, and a combination thereof, with a solid acid catalyst having acidic catalytic sites, wherein the acidic catalytic sites include Lewis acid catalytic sites, for a time and a temperature wherein at least a fraction of the component is converted into linear alpha olefins;
• and
• b) removing the linear alpha olefins from the solid acid catalyst by flowing an inert gas through the reactor, thereby minimizing isomerization of the linear alpha olefins to internal olefins;
• wherein the solid acid catalyst is selected from the croup consisting of γ-Al2O3, ≤8 wt % WOx supported on γ-Al2O3 and MgO;
• and
• wherein the linear alpha olefins comprise at least 71.0 mol % of all olefins formed in the method.