Oligomerization of Ethylene to Linear α-Olefins Using Complex Catalytic Systems of Zirconium Carboxylate

Abstract The oligomerization of ethylene in aliphatic and aromatic solvents on complex zirconium carboxylate catalytic systems obtained from naphthenic acid fractions isolated from Baku oils is studied for the first time. Comparative studies are performed using complex zirconium carboxylate catalytic systems obtained from individual carboxylic acids CH3(CH2)2COOH and CH3(CH2)8COOH. It is found that the activity of a catalyst and the molecular weight distribution (MWD) of oligomeric products depend mainly on the solvent and the composition of the zirconium complex. It is shown that the rate of ethylene oligomerization when using zirconium carboxylate catalytic systems in aliphatic solvents is 2–3 times lower than in aromatic solvents. The resulting product has a narrow MWD and consists mainly of C4–C10 fractions. The oligomeric products obtained in aromatic solvents have wide MWDs and consist mainly of C4–C18 in the presence of zirconium carboxylates and of C12–C18 and C20 fractions with zirconium naphthenates.