SABIC and Linde announce first successful commercialization of Linear Alpha Olefins

26-Nov-09

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC)Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) and German-based The Linde Group announced today the first successful commercialization of Linear Alpha Olefins (LAO), using a-SABLIN® technology developed jointly by SABICSABIC and Linde. Discussions began in 1998 between SABICSABIC and Linde for the development of technologies and plant capacity to produce LAO. In July 2004 SABICSABIC's manufacturing affiliate Jubail United Petrochemical Company (UNITED) awarded the contract to Linde for engineering, procurement and construction of the 150,000 tpa plant at Jubail on the Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia. The UNITED project was carried out by Linde's subsidiary, Linde-KCA-Dresden GmbH, Germany, in close cooperation with Linde Engineering in Pullach, Germany and SABICSABIC's Technology and Innovation organization. A performance test run proved the commercial capability of the facility in May 2009 and UNITED accepted the results in July 2009. The a SABLIN® manufacturing process uses ethylene as a feedstock for a one-stage homogeneous reaction that produces a full range of high-purity LAOs. LAOs have a large variety of applications, such as light-cut production of Butene-1, Hexene-1 and Octene-1 used in the growing polyethylene market. Medium cuts such as Decene-1, Dodecene-1 and Tetradecene-1 are used for synthetic oils, detergents and shampoos. Heavy cuts are used in lube oil additives, surfactants, oil field chemicals and wax product applications.