Process for heterogeneous isomerization of alpha-olefins

An isomerized product of at least one alpha-olefin comprising 10 to 20 carbon atoms, or a mixture thereof, prepared by a method comprising:

• (a) providing a catalyst in a reaction zone of a reactor;
• (b) inerting and tempering the reactor to a reaction temperature;
• (c) continuously feeding the at least one alpha-olefin first through a preheating zone and then through the reaction zone to a reaction mixture, by controlling temperature, pressure and weight hour space velocity (WHSV);
• (d) optionally, if the reactor is a slurry reactor, removing the catalyst from the reaction mixture at a reaction outlet;
• (e) cooling the reaction mixture after the reaction zone to a temperature for further processing;
• and
• (f) optionally, collecting the isomerized product;
• and/or
• (g) optionally, removing undesired by-products.

A method, comprising:

• reacting, by isomerization, at least one alpha-olefin comprising 10 to 20 carbon atoms with a silicon-aluminum mixed oxide composition as a catalyst, to obtain an internal olefin;
• wherein the silicon-aluminum mixed oxide composition consists of:
• 75 to 99.99% by weight of silicon dioxide (calculated as SiO2);
• 0.01 to 25% by weight of aluminum oxide (calculated as Al2O3);
• and
• wherein the silicon-aluminum mixed oxide composition has a BET surface area from 50 to 250 m2/g.