1-Octene is an organic compound with a formula CH2CHC6H13. The alkene is classified as a higher olefin and alpha-olefin, meaning that the double bond is located at the alpha (primary) position, endowing this compound with higher reactivity and thus useful chemical properties. 1-Octene is one of the important linear alpha olefins in industry. It is a colourless liquid.
There are five commercial processes that oligomerizeethylene to 1-octene. Four of these processes produce 1-octene as a part of a wide distribution of alpha-olefins. In typical circumstances, 1-hexene content of the entire distribution of alpha-olefins ranges from about 25% of the distribution in the Ethyl (Innovene) process to about 8% of distribution in some modes of the Gulf (CP Chemicals) and Idemitsu processes.
The only commercial process to isolate 1-octene from a wide mixture of C8 hydrocarbons is practiced by Sasol, a South African oil and gas and petrochemical company. For commercial purposes, Sasol employs Fischer–Tropsch synthesis to make fuels from synthesis gas derived from coal and recovers 1-octene from these fuel streams, where the initial 1-octene concentration in a narrow distillation cut may be 60%, with the remainder being vinylidenes, linear and branched internal olefins, linear and branched paraffins, alcohols, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, and aromatic hydrocarbons.
Another route to 1-octene involves butadiene telomerization of butadiene. This technology was commercialized by Dow in a facility in Tarragona. 1-Methoxy-
2,7-octadiene is an intermediate in this process.[2]
Yet another route converts 1-heptene to 1-octene plant based on a Fischer-Tropsch-derived C7 olefin stream (Sasol, Secunda).
Other 1-octene technologies exist based on selective tetramerisation of ethylene.[3]
^Bollmann, Annette; Blann, Kevin; Dixon, John T.; Hess, Fiona M.; Killian, Esna; Maumela, Hulisani; McGuinness, David S.; Morgan, David H.; Neveling, Arno; Otto, Stefanus; Overett, Matthew; Slawin, Alexandra M. Z.; Wasserscheid, Peter; Kuhlmann, Sven (2004). "Ethylene Tetramerization: A New Route to Produce 1-Octene in Exceptionally High Selectivities". J. Am. Chem. Soc. 126 (45): 14712–14713. doi:10.1021/ja045602n. PMID15535683.