The Alfol process, as it is known, allows the same fatty alcohols to be synthesized from ethylene as arise from natural products. The Alfol process proceeds in four steps.

First, the reactant triethylaluminum is produced. Then, a very finely divided Al powder and triethylaluminum are hydrogenated with hydrogen to diethylaluminum hydridc at 110-140°C and 50-200 bar:

Next, tricthylaluminum is obtained from the reaction with ethylene at about 100°C and 25 bar:

In the second step, the strongly exothermic chain-growth reaction takes place in a flow tube at about 120°C and an ethylene pressure of 100- 140 bar. This conversion is known as the insertion reaction:

If necessary, this growth reaction can be coupled with a transalkylation step in which the trialkylaluminum compounds react attained. In this way, a substantially narrower chain distribution can be obtained in the alcohol mixture (Epal process of Ethyl with a-olefins in the C₁₂-C₁₆ range until equilibration is Corporation, now Albemarle).

At the same time, the higher trialkylaluminum compounds are also suitable feedstocks for the manufacture of straight-chain α-olefins.

In the third step of the Alfol synthesis, the rialkylaluminum compounds are oxidized at 50- 100°C in an exothermic reaction with extremely dry air to thc corresponding alkoxides:

Small amounts of byproducts such as esters, ethers, acids, and aldehydes result from this reaction. In the final step, the Al-alkoxides are saponified - with dilute H₂SO₄ or water - to the alcohols and a pure Al₂(SO₄)₃ solution or to extremely pure aluminum hydroxide:



The alcohol selectivity reaches 85 -91 Ole. After separation of the alcohol and water phases, the organic phase is fractionally distilled.