Production of olefin dimers and oligomers

Abstract

Disclosed is an olefin containing stream from an oxygenate to olefin process, and a process for making olefin dimer and oligomer product from the olefin containing stream using a nickel based oligomerization catalyst. The dimer/oligomer product is optionally converted to hydroformylated product. The olefin containing stream that is used to make the higher olefin product has low levels of impurities including nitrogen, sulfur and/or chlorine.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of converting an oxygenate to a dimerized or oligomerized olefin product, comprising: 
 contacting oxygenate with a silicoaluminophosphate molecular sieve catalyst to form an olefin product;    separating a propylene, butylene or pentylene containing olefin stream from the olefin product, wherein the separated olefin stream comprises at least 50 wt. % propylene, butylene, pentylene, or a combination thereof, and the separated olefin stream contains not greater than 1 ppm by weight sulfur calculated on an atomic basis, and 0.5 to 10 wt. % isoolefin; and    contacting the separated olefin stream with a nickel based oligomerization catalyst to form a dimer or oligomer product.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the separated olefin stream comprises not greater than 1 ppm by weight nitrogen.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the separated olefin stream comprises not greater than 0.5 ppm by weight chlorine.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the separated olefin stream comprises from 1 to 8 wt. % isoolefin.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the separated olefin stream comprises from 2 to 6 wt. % isoolefin.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 ,  4  or  5 , wherein the isoolefin is isobutylene.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the silicoaluminophosphate is SAPO-34, SAPO-18, or a combination thereof.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the silicoaluminophosphate is an intergrowth of SAPO-34 and SAPO-18 or ALPO-18.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising recovering the dimer or oligomer product and contacting the product with a hydroformylating catalyst to form a hydroformylated product.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising converting the hydroformylated product to an acid or alcohol.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising converting the acid or alcohol to an ester.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising adding the ester to a polymer composition.  
     
     
         13 . A method of converting an oxygenate to a dimerized or oligomerized olefin product, comprising: 
 contacting oxygenate with a SAPO-34 molecular sieve catalyst to form an olefin product;    separating a propylene, butylene, or pentylene containing olefin stream from the olefin product, wherein the separated olefin stream comprises at least 50 wt. % propylene, butylene, pentylene, or a combination thereof, and the separated olefin stream contains not greater than 1 ppm by weight sulfur, not greater than 1 ppm by weight nitrogen, and not greater than 0.5 ppm by weight chlorine, each calculated on an atomic basis, and 0.5 to 10 wt. % isoolefin; and    contacting the separated olefin stream with a nickel based oligomerization catalyst to form a dimer or oligomer product.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the SAPO-34 catalyst further comprises SAPO-18 or ALPO-18.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the SAPO-34 catalyst is an intergrowth of SAPO-34 and SAPO-18 ALPO-18.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the separated olefin stream comprises from 1 to 8 wt. % isoolefin.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the separated olefin stream comprises from 2 to 6 wt. % isoolefin.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 ,  16 , or  17 , wherein the isoolefin is isobutylene.  
     
     
         19 . An olefin composition, comprising at least 50 wt. % propylene, butylene, pentylene or a combination thereof, and containing not greater than 1 ppm by weight sulfur, not greater than 1 ppm by weight nitrogen, and not greater than 0.5 ppm by weight chlorine, each calculated on an atomic basis, and 0.5 to 10 wt. % isoolefin.  
     
     
         20 . The olefin composition of  claim 19 , wherein the olefin composition comprises from 1 to 8 wt. % isoolefin.  
     
     
         21 . The olefin composition of  claim 19 , wherein the olefin composition comprises from 2 to 6 wt. % isoolefin.  
     
     
         22 . The olefin composition of  claim 19 ,  20 , or  21 , wherein the isoolefin is isobutylene.  
     
     
         23 . A method of converting an oxygenate to a hydroformylated product, comprising: 
 contacting oxygenate with a silicoaluminophosphate molecular sieve catalyst to form an olefin product;    separating a propylene, butylene or pentylene containing olefin stream from the olefin product, wherein the separated olefin stream comprises at least 50 wt. % propylene, butylene, pentylene, or a combination thereof, and the separated olefin stream contains not greater than 1 ppm by weight sulfur calculated on an atomic basis, and 0.5 to 10 wt. % isoolefin;    contacting the separated olefin stream with a nickel based oligomerization catalyst to form a dimer or oligomer product; and    contacting the dimer or oligomer product with a hydroformylating catalyst to form a hydroformylated product.    
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising converting the hydroformylated product to an acid or alcohol.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising converting the acid or alcohol to an ester.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising adding the ester to a polymer composition.