2056.     ---------------.  [LANE, J. C. AND WEIL, B. H.]  Synthine Process.  III.  Products, Byproducts, and Special Topics.  Petrol. Refiner, vol. 25, 1946, pp. 493-504; Chem. Abs., vol. 42, 1948, p. 9119.

        Primary products are almost entirely straight-chain paraffinic and monoölefinic hydrocarbons.  Aromatic compounds and naphthenes are present in only negligible amounts.  The yield of oxygenated compounds ranges from almost zero to several %.  The hydrocarbons produced range from CH₄ to hard waxes.  CH₄ yield is 10-15%.  Medium pressure (150 p.s.i.) yields liquefied petroleum gases, 7; gasoline, 38; diesel oil, 30; and wax, 25%.  None of the processes gives any oils with lubricant properties.  Light products are recovered by adsorption on charcoal or absorption in oil.  Residual gas consists of:  CH₄, 30.9; H₂, 18.0; CO, 10.5; CO₂, 20.3; N₂, 18.5; and C₂H₄-C₂H₆, 1.6%.  The heating value of this gas is about 395-425 B.t.u. per cu. ft. and is mostly burned as fuel.  The C₃-C₄ fraction is used in the synthesis of polymer or alkylate gasolines, synthetic alcohols by sulfonation and hydrolysis, or is burned as fuel.  Since gasoline from the Synthine process is low in octane number owing to its straight-chain paraffinic structure, it is upgraded by cracking before use.  Diesel-oil fractions have a very high cetane number, but are improved by mixing with petroleum oils.  Some of this fraction was used for Mersolate detergents.  The paraffin waxes, consisting of a mixture of normal and isoparaffins with no cyclic hydrocarbons, were separated into soft, slab, and hard paraffins by distillation, pressing and sweating.  Lubricants have been made by polymerization of the olefins, alkylation, and condensation.  Fatty acids are produced by oxidation of paraffin waxes, and esterification with glycerol gives some edible fats.  Heavy synthine oils were sulfochlorinated and saponified to give detergents.  Greases were made from oxidized paraffin waxes.  Treatment of the Synthine olefins with H₂ and CO gives alcohols and aldehydes, and a small amount occurs as byproducts directly from the process.  Miscellaneous chemicals produced in small quantity as byproducts are listed.