Preface

**Section 5 Polyolefins 119**

**VI** Contents

Chapter 5 **Poly(olefin sulfone)s 121**

Takeo Sasaki, Khoa Van Le and Yumiko Naka

Chapter 6 **Polyolefin Fibres for the Reinforcement of Concrete 145**

Marcos G. Alberti, Alejandro Enfedaque and Jaime C. Gálvez

Ethylene, the first stable member of the alpha- or 1-*olefin* family, was discovered in *1795* by four Dutch chemists: Deimann, Van Troostwick, Bondt, and Louwrenburgh. Since that time, ethylene was known as olefin gas. Other *olefins*, including propylene, isobutylene, and pen‐ tene, were gradually discovered and studied in the nineteenth century. Because C2H4 had one hydrogen less than C2H5 ethyl, the Greek suffix of "ene" was added to its sequel in the mid-nineteenth century, and olefin gas was known as ethylene till 1852. In 1866, German chemist, Huffman, established the hydrocarbon naming systems based on alkanes. In this system, each hydrocarbon with two hydrogen atoms less than the corresponding alkanes was named as "**Alkene.**"

About a century after the discovery of ethylene, alkenes, which are known as olefins too, gained attention. However, alkenes' markets rose significantly when the polyolefins (polyal‐ kenes) were developed after World War II. Today, more than 200 years after the discovery of ethylene, alkenes are used as intermediates and feedstock for manufacturing many industrial chemicals in large quantities, and polyolefin is the world's most widely used synthetic poly‐ mer. The global market for alpha-alkene is expected to reach USD 12.58 billion by 2025. The drivers for this market are the increasing demand for fuels, plastics, lubricants, and oilfield chemicals, as well as the recent discoveries of shale gas. In addition, the other driving force of this market is the growing applications of polyalpha-alkene–based lubricants as these com‐ pounds possess highly desirable characteristics such as high thermal stability, viscosity index, oxidative stability, low toxicity, and compatibility with mineral oils to the final product.

Due to the increasing quantity of alkenes produced worldwide and *the importance of these compounds* in the industry, it is therefore essential to have broadened knowledge on the tech‐ nology of alkene production and consumption and its corresponding reactions. These and the most recent advances in synthetic aspects of alkenes are covered in the current book *Al‐ kenes.* Emphasis is given to synthesis process, the efficient new catalysts for synthesis, reac‐ tions, and the most recent applications of alkenes. Furthermore, new developments in metathesis of alkenes ("metathesis" means "changes of position" in Greek) are covered. There are many other textbooks on the basic concepts related to alkenes or alkene-corre‐ sponded issues. We have omitted those repeating concepts and have just focused on the most recent advances; however, those aspects that are required to understand each chapter have been extensively explained. The book *Alkenes* includes five main chapters. The first chapter focuses on alkene synthesis through Wittig reaction, which allows the preparation of an alkene by the reaction of an aldehyde or a ketone. The second chapter covers the func‐ tionalization of alkenes by organoaluminum compounds with particular focus on modern concepts of the alkene hydro-, carbo-, and cycloalumination mechanisms. The third chapter explains the alkene metathesis that entails the redistribution of fragments of alkenes. Analy‐ sis of various routes of oxidation of the simplest conjugated diolefin, 1,3-butadiene (BD), is the main objective of the fourth chapter, followed by the *polyolefins in the fifth chapter. In this last chapter, two different types of polyolefins are considered, polyolefin fibers and* polyolefin sul‐ fone, along with their applications in photodegradable plastics and *reinforcement of concrete, respectively.* We hope that *Alkenes* will benefit the readers.
