Refinement of C4 Fraction of Linear alpha-Olefins

Abstract

The paper describes the genesis of a typical industrial investment motivated by process improvement. Traces of butadiene were reduced by selective hydrogenation and further quality improvement was achieved by subsequent rectification. The catalytic process reactor was designed on the basis of bench-scale experiments. There was a setback in obtaining relevant liquid-vapor equilibrium data for the rectification design. This story with a happy ending is a typical example of the decision making based on limited information and accepting a reasonable risk.