SYSTEM AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING LINEAR ALPHA OLEFINS

Processes and systems for producing linear alpha olefins are described herein. One embodiment is a process comprising: a) separating a mixed butene stream comprising 1-butene and 2-butene into an overhead 1-butene stream and a bottoms 2-butene stream in a butene distillation column, a portion of the bottoms 2-butene stream being separated to form a butene reboil-er stream that is heated and vaporized in a reboiler and returned to the butene distillation column, (b) subjecting at least a portion of the overhead 1-butene stream from (a) to catalytic metathesis to produce an effluent including 3-hexene, (c) isomerizing 3-hexene from (b) to produce a mixed hexene stream comprising 1-hexene, 2-hexene and 3-hexene, (d) separating the mixed hexene stream in a hexene fractionation tower to form a 1-hexene vapor overhead stream that is condensed in a cooler and a bottoms stream comprising 2-hexene and 3-hexene, and (e) using heat obtained by condensing the 1-hexene vapor overhead stream of (d) to heat the butene reboiler stream of (a). Another embodiment is a superfractionation process. Corresponding systems are also disclosed.