Dusseldorf, 28 October 2001 - A new technology for the production of Linear Alpha Olefins (LAO) has been developed by Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) and leading German engineering company, LINDE AG.

The trade name of a - SABLIN has been selected for the technology by both partners. The process uses ethylene as feedstock for a one-stage homogenous reaction for the production of C4-C20 + LAO.

The LAOs produced in the a - SABLIN reactor are fed to a series of conventional separation columns to obtain the desired cuts with the required quality specifications. For this new process, the high selectivity one-stage reactor produces high purity products that do not require the installation of any product polishing steps such as super-fractionation distillation towers for removal of side products.

The development of a - SABLIN was achieved through an extensive joint research and development program launched in 1994 by the two technology partners using different bench scale reactors as well as pilot plants built at SABIC's R&T site in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to demonstrate and optimize the technology.

Announcing the new technology at the K2001 Plastics Show in Dsseldorf, Germany, Mohammad Al-Mady, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of SABIC, said: "This technology is the latest breakthrough for our R&T arm which has produced over half a dozen developments over the last five years. The investment we are making in this area is starting to pay dividends and follows hot on the heels of the pioneering acetic acid technology announced last year."

He continued "By exploring these new technologies and carrying them into commercial production, SABIC is fulfilling its role in boosting the Saudi economy. LAO production will provide a good opportunity for development of the downstream detergent and additive industries, so diversifying the economy further."

Dr Abdulrahman Al-Ubaid, Executive Vice President, SABIC R&T added: "a - SABLIN technology possesses many features such as a low investment and production costs in addition to product distribution flexibility. Based on market demands, the process parameters can be adjusted to maximize the production of light or heavy LAOs."

SABIC will build the first plant of its kind using the technology to produce 150,000 mt/y of LAO at its new wholly owned affiliate - UNITED (The United Petrochemical Company) in Al-Jubail on the Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia. The company is the 17th SABIC affiliate in the Kingdom and is expected to come on stream in the first half of 2004.

Besides LAO production, it will accommodate major ethylene and ethylene glycol (EG) plants. A new 800,000 mt/y polyethylene plant is also being built at its neighbour, PETROKEMYA (Al-Jubail Petrochemical Company), another wholly owned SABIC affiliate. The new technology will be licensed to potential producers by both partners.

LAOs have a variety of applications. Light cuts such as Butene-1, Hexane-1 and Octene-1 are used as comonomers in the production of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE). Medium cuts such as Decene-1, Dodecene-1 and Tetradecene-1 are used for synthetic oil, detergents and shampoos. Heavy cuts, Hexadecene-1, Octadecene-1 and Eicosene-1 are used in lube oil additives, surfactants, oil field chemicals and wax product applications.

-Ends-

Mohammad Al-Motawa
Vice President, Public Relations

© Press Release 2005