Kinetics of Selective Trimerization of Ethylene to 1-Hexene over Chromium-Based Catalysts

This review provides an analysis of prior research on the kinetics of the trimerization of ethylene to 1-hexene over existing chromium-based catalytic systems. It discusses the known mechanisms and reaction steps for the formation of 1-hexene as well as olefin by-products. The effects of catalytic system composition, temperature, pressure, reaction time, and the presence of hydrogen on the kinetics of 1-hexene formation are also touched upon. The kinetic models of ethylene trimerization to 1-hexene known from published literature are presented.