Applications of light olefin oligomerization to the production of fuels and chemicals

The oligomerization of the light olefins ethene, propene, and butenes into fuels and chemicals has been investigated and commercially practiced for many years. While the area appears on the surface to be mature, many advances have been made in recent years. In this feature article, I discuss the mechanisms of reaction and showcase catalysts and processes useful for oligomerization from both the open and patent literature. Commercially practiced processes are spotlighted. Among the catalysts utilized in the art are acidic catalysts such as solid phosphoric acid and zeolites, as well as metal based catalysts including aluminum alkyls, and nickel and zirconium based complexes and solids. A short section on catalysts and processes which utilize a metallacycle mechanism in order to achieve high selectivity to 1-hexene or 1-octene is followed by a discussion of multifunctional materials possessing both acid and metal active sites. Finally, processes where oligomerization is a key step in a multi-step or multi-reaction process are discussed.