US 4,032,582 AGranted

Method of obtaining primary alcohols with straight chains from C.sub.4 hydrocarbon cuts

AssigneeRhone-Poulenc Industries

InventorEmile Trebillon

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Abstract

A method of preparing primary alcohols, virtually all with a straight chain, in which the molecular proportions are distributed on both sides of a maximum centered at 8 to 16 carbon atoms. It comprises: reaction between a C.sub.4 hydrocarbon cut and activated aluminum and hydrogen, during which the concentration of dibutylaluminum monohydride in the reaction medium is adjusted between 20 and 80 molar %, to form a mixture of butylaluminum isomers; then a reaction wherein the isobutyl and secondary butyl groups contained in the mixture of isomers are displaced by the 1-butene in a C.sub.4 hydrocarbon cut, in at least two reaction zones arranged in series and fed in counter-current flow with the said mixture of butylaluminum isomers and with the C.sub.4 hydrocarbon cut; fixing ethylene on the tri-n-butylaluminum thus obtained to a chain length of C.sub.8 to C.sub.16 ; then oxidation with a gas containing oxygen and hydrolysis in a mixture of aliphatic primary alcohols. Such alcohols find use in detergent compositions after alkoxylation and/or sulphation of such mixtures of primary alcohol.

A method of preparing primary alcohols virtually all with a straight chain in which the molecular proportions are distributed on both sides of a medium centered at 8 to 16 carbon atoms, comprising the stages in sequence of preparing tri-n-butylaluminum, fixing ethylene on the butylaluminum to an average chain length of C.sub.8 to C.sub.16, oxidizing with a gas containing oxygen, and hydrolyzing in a mixture of aliphatic primary alcohols, characterized in that a C.sub.4 hydrocarbon cut is reacted with activated aluminum and hydrogen at a temperature within the range of 80.degree.-220.degree. C. and at a pressure within the range of 20-250 bars, the cut containing 0 to 95% by weight of 1-butene, 0 to 75% by weight of 2-butene, with the proviso that the sum of 1-butene and 2-butene represents at least 15% by weight, 4 to 75% by weight of isobutene and 0 to 66% by weight of butene and isobutene, thus giving a mixed organic aluminum compound essentially comprising a mixture of butylaluminums:

______________________________________ normal al - CH.sub.2CH.sub.2CH.sub.2CH.sub.3 iso ##STR3## with or without secondary ##STR4## ______________________________________
wherein al represents 1/3 gram-atom of aluminum in the combined state, the dibutylaluminum monohydride concentration present in the organic aluminum compound of the reaction medium being adjusted during this operation to between 20 and 80 molar %, the organic aluminum compound is then submitted to a reaction in which the isobutyl and secondary butyl groups which may be present are displaced by reaction at a temperature within the range of 80.degree.-180.degree. C. and a pressure within the range of 1-50 bars absolute by the butene in a C.sub.4 hydrocarbon cut comprising 15 to 95% by weight of 1-butene, 0 to 75% by weight of 2-butene, 4 to 70% by weight of isobutene and 0 to 66% by weight of butane and isobutane, in at least two reaction zones arranged in series and fed in counter-current flow with the said mixture of butylaluminum isomers on the one hand and with the C.sub.4 hydrocarbon cut, on the other hand.

Abstract

Claims12