Alpha olefins are olefins or alkenes are with the chemical formula cxh2x. One of the major feedstocks used for producing alpha olefins is ethylene, which is produced by using naphtha and gas-based oil. In recent years, the demand for the compound has increased massively, primarily because of the soaring use of specialty chemicals in various industries. The compound is extensively used as a raw material in the production of several specialty chemicals, such as oilfield chemicals, plasticizers, lubricants, plastomers, and surfactants.
For instance, ethylene alpha-olefin copolymers are also called plastomers and they are made from the polymerization process. Plastomers exhibit the hybrid characteristics of plastics and elastomers and because of these traits, these materials are extensively used in packaging and polymer modification applications. In addition, they provide good foaming, low-cost benefits in surfactant production, and excellent compatibility with hard water. Because of these factors, the material is being increasingly used in surfactant production, which is supporting the growth of the alpha olefins market.
Surfactants and intermediates, petroleum additives, polyolefin comonomers, plasticizers, synthetic lubricants, and oilfield chemicals are the major application areas of alpha olefins. Synthetic acid production, production of paper-sizing chemicals, and property-enhancement of waxes are some other applications of these materials. Out of these, the sales of polyolefin comonomers were observed to be the highest in the years gone by. This was because of the mushrooming adoption of polyolefin comonomers in several industries, such as plastics, construction, and automotive.
Geographically, the demand for these materials was found to be the highest in North America in 2017. This is credited to the growing consumption of these products in various industries, such as plastics, automotive, and construction, ballooning consumption of plastics, and the surging production capacity of the regional countries. Moreover, some of the major producers of alpha olefins, such as Royal Dutch Shell PLC and Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC, are based in the U.S., which is also pushing up the demand for the compound in the region.
Hence, it can be said confidently that owing to the growing requirement for alpha olefins in the production of specialty chemicals and in various industries, their sales will continue booming across the world in the coming years.
