PRODUCTION OF DIMERS

摘要

The invention provides a process for the production of dimers from an olefinic feedstock containing alpha -olefins, by contacting the feedstock with a metallocene/aluminoxane catalyst, thereby selectively to dimerize alpha -olefins in the feedstock by means of a metallocene-catalyzed dimerization reaction. The feedstock is in the form of a Fischer-Tropsch-derived olefinic feedstock comprising a mixture of Fischer-Tropsch-derived hydrocarbons made up of at most 90 % by mass of alpha -olefins, at least 5 % by mass of olefins, other than alpha -olefins, selected from linear internal olefins, branched internal olefins, cyclic olefins, dienes, trienes and mixtures thereof, and at least 5 % by mass of constituents, other than olefins, selected from paraffins, oxygenated hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons and mixtures thereof. The metallocene-catalyzed dimerization reaction takes place while the olefins which are dimerized form part of the mixture constituted by the feedstock.