Alkylate

Name:
Alkylate
Detailed information:
(1) A product of alkylation. (2) A term used in the petroleum industry to designate a branched-chain paraffin derived from an isoparaffin and an olefin, e.g., isobutane reacts with ethylene (with catalyst) to form 2,2-dimethylbutane (neohexane). The product is used as a high-octane blending component of aviation and civilian gasolines. (3) In the detergent industry, the term is applied to the reaction product of benzene or its homologs with a long-chain olefin to form an intermediate, e.g., dodecylbenzene, used in the manufacture of detergents. It also designates a product made from a long-chain normal paraffin that is chlorinated to permit combination with benzene to yield a biodegradable alkylate. The adjectives hard and soft applied to detergents refer to their ease of decomposition by microorganisms.See Biodegradability; Detergent.