Linear Alpha Olefins (LAO)
A family rather than a product. The double bond sits at the end of the chain in every one of them, and the length of that chain decides whether it becomes plastic film, engine oil or detergent.
Molecular Structure
What is Linear Alpha Olefins (LAO)?
Linear alpha olefins are straight-chain hydrocarbons with a double bond at the terminal position. That terminal placement is the whole point: an internal double bond is sterically hindered and far less reactive, whereas an alpha olefin inserts readily into a growing polymer chain, adds cleanly across in hydroformylation, and reacts predictably in almost everything else.
They are made by oligomerising ethylene. Full-range processes build chains statistically and produce the entire slate from C4 to C20 or beyond in a fixed distribution — a producer cannot make more 1-hexene without also making more of everything else. On-purpose processes selectively trimerise or tetramerise ethylene to make 1-hexene or 1-octene alone, which is why those two are available in volumes the statistical distribution would never supply.
Applications split cleanly by chain length. The short olefins are polyethylene comonomers. C10 goes almost entirely to synthetic lubricant base stock. C12 to C14 feed detergent alcohols and surfactants. The heavier cuts serve paper sizing, oilfield chemicals and lubricant additives.
There is no CAS number for linear alpha olefins as a category. Each chain length is a distinct substance with its own registry number — 1-butene is 106-98-9, 1-hexene 592-41-6, 1-octene 111-66-0, 1-decene 872-05-9 — and blends are registered separately again. Any enquiry, registration or customs declaration has to name the specific carbon number.
Quick Reference
Key Physical & Chemical Properties
Structure & Bonding
A straight hydrocarbon chain with the double bond at position one. Terminal placement leaves the double bond sterically unhindered and highly reactive, which is what allows it to insert into a polymerisation catalyst or add cleanly in hydroformylation.
Representative structure — double bond at the terminal position
Structural Identity
- Product familyLinear alpha olefins
- General formulaCₙH₂ₙ
- Double bondTerminal — position 1
- ChainLinear, unbranched
- Made byEthylene oligomerisation
- Full-range routeStatistical distribution, whole slate
- On-purpose routeSelective trimerisation or tetramerisation
- C₆ and C₈ rolePolyethylene comonomers
- C₁₀ rolePolyalphaolefin base stock
- CAS NumberOne per chain length
- Specified byCarbon number, alpha content, oxygenates
Product Specifications
Chelora supplies Linear Alpha Olefins (LAO) in standard and custom grades. Contact us for specification sheets tailored to your process.
| Product | Linear alpha olefins, individual chain lengths |
|---|---|
| CAS — 1-butene | 106-98-9 |
| CAS — 1-hexene | 592-41-6 |
| CAS — 1-octene | 111-66-0 |
| CAS — 1-decene | 872-05-9 |
| CAS — 1-dodecene | 112-41-4 |
| CAS — 1-tetradecene | 1120-36-1 |
| CAS — 1-hexadecene | 629-73-2 |
| CAS — 1-octadecene | 112-88-9 |
| Alpha olefin content (min) | ≥ 97.0 wt%; ≥ 99.0% for comonomer grades |
| Branched olefin (max) | ≤ 1.5 wt% |
| Internal olefin (max) | ≤ 1.0 wt% |
| Paraffin (max) | ≤ 1.0 wt% |
| Total oxygenates, comonomer grade (max) | ≤ 5 ppm wt |
| Water, comonomer grade (max) | ≤ 10 ppm wt |
| Sulphur (max) | ≤ 1.0 ppm wt |
| Peroxides as H₂O₂ (max) | ≤ 1.0 ppm wt |
| Colour (max) | ≤ 10 Pt-Co (Hazen) |
| Transport classification | Chain-length dependent — declare per product |
Downstream Applications & Derivatives
Key derivative chains and industrial uses of Linear Alpha Olefins (LAO).
Polyethylene Comonomers
1-Butene, 1-hexene and 1-octene copolymerised with ethylene to make LLDPE and HDPE. Comonomer choice sets film tear and dart performance more than any other variable.
PAO Synthetic Lubricants
1-Decene oligomerised to polyalphaolefin, the API Group IV base stock behind fully synthetic engine oils and high-performance industrial lubricants.
Detergent Alcohols
C₁₂ to C₁₄ hydroformylated to oxo alcohols and then ethoxylated or sulphated, giving the non-ionic and anionic surfactants that replaced alkylphenol ethoxylates.
Paper Sizing
C₁₆ and C₁₈ converted to alkyl ketene dimer and alkenyl succinic anhydride, the sizing agents that make paper water-resistant under alkaline conditions.
Oilfield Chemicals
Synthetic drilling fluid base, and feedstock for friction reducers and other production chemicals where a clean, low-toxicity hydrocarbon is required.
Lubricant Additives
Alkylation feedstock for alkylated naphthalene and alkyl salicylate additives, and a starting point for viscosity index improvers.
Why source Linear Alpha Olefins (LAO) through Chelora Petrochem?
Verified Origin
Full origin certification and asset-backed supply chain documentation, with the specific chain length and its CAS declared on every shipment.
Grade Flexibility
Individual chain lengths from C₄ to C₁₈ supplied, plus blended cuts. We certify oxygenates and moisture at comonomer-grade levels where the material is destined for polymerisation.
Full Documentation
CoA against the specific chain length, SDS, REACH registration confirmation for the exact substance, transport documentation matched to the product, and destination-market certificates.
Logistics Support
Experienced in olefin logistics across the volatility range — pressurised handling for the light cuts, ISO tanks and drums for the heavier ones, with nitrogen blanketing throughout, for Indian and international delivery.
Storage & Handling Guidelines
Always refer to the full SDS before handling. The following is a summary of key requirements.
- Name the carbon number on every document. There is no CAS for LAO as a family, so an enquiry, a REACH registration, a customs entry or a safety data sheet that refers only to linear alpha olefins is incomplete and will cause problems downstream.
- Blanket with dry nitrogen throughout. Alpha olefins oxidise on air contact, forming peroxides and carbonyl compounds that are catalyst poisons at parts-per-million level.
- Treat comonomer grades as a different product from general grades. Polymerisation catalysts are poisoned by oxygenates, water, sulphur and carbon monoxide at concentrations that would be irrelevant elsewhere — a few parts per million of alcohol or aldehyde will kill a metallocene.
- Use dedicated, dry storage for comonomer service, with moisture-tight transfer and no shared lines with general chemical service.
- Test peroxides on any material that has been stored long or exposed to air, particularly the heavier cuts, which are handled at ambient pressure and are easier to expose.
- Match handling to the chain length. C4 is a liquefied gas needing pressure vessels; C6 and C8 are volatile flammable liquids; C12 and above are combustible liquids handled like ordinary hydrocarbons. One family, three different handling regimes.
- Bond and earth all transfers for the light cuts, which have low conductivity and wide flammable ranges.
- Protect the heavier cuts from cold. C16 and C18 solidify near or above ambient in winter and need heated storage or lines.
- Keep away from oxidisers, strong acids and any source of free radicals, all of which will initiate oligomerisation.
Hazard Summary
Classification varies by chain length: there is no single hazard profile. 1-Butene is a flammable liquefied gas; 1-hexene and 1-octene are highly flammable liquids with aspiration hazard; the C12 and heavier cuts are combustible liquids classified mainly for aspiration and skin irritation. The safety data sheet must be for the specific product, not for the family.
Identity is the documentation risk: because each chain length is a separate registered substance, quoting a generic reference or another product's CAS on a shipping document, REACH dossier or customs declaration is a compliance failure rather than a clerical one.
Aspiration: the liquid olefins have low viscosity and present a serious aspiration hazard if swallowed and drawn into the lungs. Do not induce vomiting.
Peroxide formation: alpha olefins form peroxides on prolonged air contact. Beyond the process consequences, concentrated peroxides in a distillation residue are a genuine hazard. Nitrogen blanketing and stock rotation are the controls.
Catalyst poisoning is the commercial risk: for comonomer service, the practical exposure is economic. Oxygenates, water and sulphur at parts-per-million level poison polymerisation catalysts, and the loss shows up as a killed reactor rather than as anything visible in the olefin.
Flammability of the light cuts: 1-butene through 1-octene are all ignitable at ordinary ambient temperatures, with vapour heavier than air. Bonding, earthing and area classification apply as they would for any light hydrocarbon.
Environmental: harmful to aquatic life with long-lasting effects across most of the range. Contain releases and prevent discharge to water.
PPE minimum: chemical goggles, resistant gloves and antistatic clothing for the volatile cuts; standard hydrocarbon handling protection for the heavier ones. Cold-burn protection where liquefied gas is handled.
Consult the safety data sheet for the specific chain length being supplied — the family SDS does not exist and a generic one would be misleading.
Frequently Asked Questions
Technical and commercial questions about Linear Alpha Olefins (LAO) sourcing and specifications.
What are linear alpha olefins used for?
The answer depends entirely on chain length. C4, C6 and C8 are polyethylene comonomers, and 1-hexene and 1-octene between them account for most LLDPE production. C10 goes almost entirely into polyalphaolefin synthetic lubricant base stock. C12 to C14 feed detergent alcohols through hydroformylation, and from there the non-ionic and anionic surfactants used in cleaning products. C16 and C18 go into paper sizing agents, oilfield chemicals and lubricant additives.
Why is there no single CAS number for LAO?
Because it is not a substance. Each linear alpha olefin is a defined chemical compound with its own structure, its own properties and its own registry number — 1-butene is 106-98-9, 1-hexene 592-41-6, 1-octene 111-66-0, 1-decene 872-05-9, and so on. Linear alpha olefin is a category name describing a family, in the way that alcohol or ester does. Blended cuts sold as a mixed product are registered separately again as their own UVCB. The practical consequence is that any enquiry, quotation, REACH registration, safety data sheet or customs declaration has to name the carbon number, and a document that says only LAO is not usable for any regulatory purpose.
What is the difference between full-range and on-purpose production?
Full-range processes oligomerise ethylene through a chain-growth mechanism that produces a statistical distribution of chain lengths — a Schulz-Flory or Poisson distribution depending on the technology. The producer sets the average by adjusting conditions, but they get the entire slate from C4 upwards whether the market wants it or not, and the economics depend on placing all of it. On-purpose processes use catalysts that selectively trimerise ethylene to 1-hexene or tetramerise it to 1-octene, producing one product with high selectivity. Those exist because polyethylene demand for C6 and C8 outgrew what the statistical distributions could supply, and they are why comonomer availability is no longer tied to the heavy-end market.
Why do comonomer grades need such tight oxygenate specifications?
Because polymerisation catalysts are extraordinarily sensitive. Ziegler-Natta and, more so, metallocene catalysts are poisoned by anything with a lone pair that can coordinate to the active metal centre — water, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, carbon monoxide, sulphur compounds. Concentrations of a few parts per million, entirely irrelevant for a solvent or a fuel, are enough to deactivate a significant fraction of the catalyst sites. The result is lost productivity, off-specification molecular weight and, at worst, a killed reactor. That is why comonomer-grade olefin is specified at 5 ppm total oxygenates and 10 ppm water, handled under nitrogen from the plant to the reactor, and never allowed to share lines with general chemical service.
Which comonomer should I use for which polyethylene?
Longer comonomer gives better film properties. 1-Butene leaves ethyl branches and is the value option, adequate for general purpose film and for HDPE where the comonomer is present only to control density. 1-Hexene leaves butyl branches and gives markedly better tear and dart impact, and it is the mainstream choice for LLDPE film. 1-Octene leaves hexyl branches and gives the best toughness of the three, which is what stretch and cling film and heavy duty applications need. The mechanism is tie-molecule formation between crystallites, and longer branches promote it more effectively. At identical melt index and density, the three are not interchangeable.
What documentation does Chelora provide?
Every shipment includes a Certificate of Analysis for the specific chain length covering alpha olefin content, branched and internal olefin, paraffin, total oxygenates, water, sulphur, peroxides and colour; a Safety Data Sheet for that exact substance; written confirmation of the CAS number and REACH registration applicable to the product supplied; transport documentation matched to the chain length; an origin certificate; and destination-market certificates where required.
Request a quote or specification sheet
Talk to Chelora's sourcing team about Linear Alpha Olefins (LAO) grade, volume, logistics, documentation, and lead times. We respond within one business day.
