Base oil synthesis via ionic catalyst oligomerization and waterless separation of the oligomerization catalyst
AssigneeChevron U.S.A. Inc.
InventorsHoward Steven Lacheen, Hye-Kyung Cho Timken
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Abstract
Described herein is a base oil synthesis via ionic catalyst oligomerization further utilizing a hydrophobic process for removing an ionic catalyst from a reaction mixture with a silica gel composition, specifically a reaction mixture comprising an oligomerization reaction to produce PAO utilizing an ionic catalyst wherein the ionic catalyst is removed post reaction.
Claims24
A hydrophobic process for separating hydrocarbon stream containing oligomerization products from an liquid catalyst post oligomerization reaction comprising (a) reacting a olefin monomer and liquid catalyst in a reactor to form an oligomer, (b) contacting the mixture comprising liquid catalyst and formed oligomer with a silica gel wherein the silica gel is 1-20 wt % of the combination of said mixture and silica gel and a has mean mesopore diameter of 30 Å to 1000 Å (c) producing a hydrocarbon stream containing oligomer product with some residual liquid catalyst and the silica gel retaining the rest of liquid catalyst.
A process for the production of a base oil comprising
- (a) reacting a normal alpha olefin comprising C14-C24 NAO in the presence of an ionic catalyst at a temperature equal to or greater than 130° C. to produce a reaction mixture containing oligomers;
- (b) contacting the reaction mixture produced in (a) with a silica gel wherein the silica gel is 1-20 by wt % of the combination of said mixture and silica gel to produce a hydrocarbon phase containing oligomer product with less than 50 ppm residual ionic catalyst and the silica gel retaining the rest of the ionic catalyst;
- (c) separating the hydrocarbon phase in (b) to a light fraction containing unconverted NAO and organic chloride and the other fraction containing the oligomer product;
- recycling the light fraction containing unconverted NAO and organic chloride to the conversion reaction step of (a);
- (d) hydroisomerizing the fraction containing oligomer product produced in (c) under H2 atmosphere with a catalyst containing metal and either a medium pore zeolite or silica-alumina;
- (e) distilling and fractionating the hydroisomerized product of (d) to produce a light fraction up to 371° C., low-viscosity base oil in the 371-488° C. distillate, and high-viscosity base oil above 488° C., wherein the low viscosity base oil distillate has 3.5-4.6 cSt viscosity at 100° C., >130 Viscosity Index, <15% Noack volatility, <−20° C. pour and cloud points and cold crank simulator viscosity of <2500 cP at −35° C., where in the high viscosity base oil distillate has 4.7 cSt viscosity or higher at 100° C., >130 Viscosity Index, and <−10° C. pour point.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.