# Linear alkylbenzene: Production route

From kerosene to a detergent's straight-chain tail

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/lab/routes/

From kerosene to a detergent's straight-chain tail What this tab covers How it is made: the main production routes or, for product families, the main product types and technologies, compared on share of supply, inputs per tonne, plant scale, yield, co-products and unit cost.

All commercial LAB is made by alkylating benzene with linear olefins. The olefins come mostly from n-paraffins extracted from kerosene and dehydrogenated; a small share comes from ethylene-based or Fischer-Tropsch linear olefins (Sasol). Plants differ mainly in the alkylation catalyst. The older hydrofluoric acid (HF) process is being displaced by the solid-acid Detal process, which avoids handling HF and gives a higher 2-phenyl isomer content that improves solubility. Aluminium chloride alkylation survives in a few plants.

#### Routes compared

| Route | Share of supply | Inputs per tonne | Typical scale | Yield | Co-products | Unit cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Kerosene to n-paraffins, dehydrogenation and solid-acid (Detal) alkylation** | a majority of newer capacity (indicative) | about 0.75 t n-paraffins and 0.34 t benzene per t LAB, plus hydrogen and fuel (indicative) | 80-200 kt/yr | about 90-95% on olefins (indicative) | heavy alkylate (about 5-8%), hydrogen from dehydrogenation (indicative) | feedstock (paraffins and benzene) is about 75-85% of cash cost (indicative) |
| **Kerosene route with HF alkylation** | a large share of older capacity (indicative) | similar to Detal | 80-150 kt/yr | similar | heavy alkylate, HF regeneration residues | similar feedstock cost |
| **Linear olefins from ethylene or Fischer-Tropsch** | small (indicative) | about 0.7 t olefins and 0.34 t benzene per t LAB (indicative) | single plants | high | heavy alkylate | depends on olefin source |

#### How each route works
**Kerosene to n-paraffins, dehydrogenation and solid-acid (Detal) alkylation**

n-Paraffins are dehydrogenated to olefins, diolefins are selectively hydrogenated, and olefins react with excess benzene over a fixed-bed solid acid. Benzene is recycled; heavy alkylate is a by-product.

no HF; better product quality; licensed by UOP and Moeve/Cepsa
 Procurement Resource 2026 (feedstock dependence); indicative **Kerosene route with HF alkylation**

Same front end, but liquid hydrofluoric acid catalyses alkylation. HF is highly toxic, and many plants have converted to Detal.

proven, cheap; HF safety risk
 indicative **Linear olefins from ethylene or Fischer-Tropsch**

Olefins from ethylene oligomerisation or coal/gas-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis are alkylated with benzene, avoiding kerosene.

no kerosene; tied to integrated olefin chains (Sasol)
 indicative Unit economics are indicative ranges from the sources named; costs move with feedstock and energy prices, plant size and region.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/lab/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/lab/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/lab/correlation/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/lab/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/lab/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/lab/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/lab/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/lab/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/lab/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/lab/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/lab/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/lab/links/index.md)