Specialty Chemicals

Epoxides

Treatment of alpha olefins with peracids forms epoxides, which find use as modifiers for epoxy resins. Epoxides may also serve as polyether ingredients in polyurethanes. Almost all carbon number fractions of our alpha olefins find some application in the epoxide market.

Halogenated Normal Alpha Olefins

Chlorinated normal alpha olefin 20-24 (C₂₀-C₂₄ alpha olefin) may be used as a secondary plasticizer in PVC formulations.  Chlorinated alpha olefin (40 wt. % chlorine) based plasticizer formulations have been evaluated against chlorinated paraffins (42 wt % chlorine) and alkyl-aryl hydrocarbon plasticizer formulations.  The evaluation of the mechanical properties of these formulations shows that the chlorinated alpha olefin is equivalent in plasticizing efficiency to the two other secondary plasticizers, while having adequate heat stability and volatility properties.  Polychlorinated 1-dodecene, 1-tetradecene, and 1-hexadecene perform well as stable high temperature metalworking fluid additives.

Additional Applications

Chevron Phillips Chemical's alpha olefins are used in many other applications including the production of mercaptans, ketones, ester, pyrazines, alkylphosphines, alkyl silanes, and as a substitute for paraffins and paraffin waxes.

Sulfur-hydrogen bond containing compounds may be added to alpha olefins, under the proper conditions, to form sulfur-containing hydrocarbons.  Mercaptans, produced from the reaction between alpha olefin and hydrogen sulfide, are successfully used in rubber additives, ore flotation, and specialty chemical applications.

Alpha olefins may be converted to internal olefins through olefin isomerization or higher carbon number internal olefins by metathesis or dimerization reactions.  Chevron Phillips Chemical's blend of isomerized C₁₆ and C₁₈ alpha olefins is an excellent synthetic fluid for use in offshore drilling muds.  The blend has outstanding physical and ecotoxicological properties for this application.  In fact, the EPA has selected this product as an ecotox standard for fluids used in offshore drilling muds.

Trialkylphosphine and trialkylphosphine oxides, silylhydrocarbons, alkyl silanes, and some organometallic compounds are produced commercially from normal alpha olefins for a wide variety of end products.

Derivatives of Chevron Phillips Chemical's alpha olefins with carbon numbers above C₂₀ find uses in lube oils, transmission fluids, and as pour-point depressants in lube and crude oil. These wax fractions may also be chemically modified to simulate more expensive carnauba or Montan waxes used to make polishes and candles.