Selective separation of naphthenes for production of enhanced viscosity index lube base stocks

A method of upgrading a Group II base stock to a Group II+, Group III or Group III+ base stock, wherein the Group II base stock comprises at least normal paraffins, isoparaffins, 1-ring naphthenes attached to a paraffinic alkyl chain, and multi-ring naphthenes, said method comprising

• passing a combined feed comprising the Group II base stock and a solvent having a boiling point of less than 300° C., at a temperature and pressure through a bed of an adsorbent comprising a metal-organic framework adsorbent, to adsorb the multi-ring naphthenes from the Group II base stock, thereby producing a Group II+, Group III or Group III+ base stock that is depleted in multi-ring naphthenes, a weight ratio of the solvent to the Group II base stock being from 1:1 to 50:1, and
• after passing the combined feed, desorbing at least a portion of the multi-ring naphthenes from the metal-organic framework adsorbent to regenerate the metal-organic framework adsorbent,
• wherein the metal-organic framework adsorbent is a porous crystalline material comprised of metal functionalities connected by organic linkers to form a repeating 2-D or 3-D lattice.

A method of upgrading a Group II+ base stock to Group III or Group III+ base stock, wherein the Group II+ base stock comprises at least normal paraffins, isoparaffins, 1-ring naphthenes attached to a paraffinic alkyl chain, and multi-ring naphthenes, said method comprising

• passing a combined feed comprising the Group II+ base stock and a solvent having a boiling point of less than 300° C., at a temperature and pressure through a bed of an adsorbent comprising a metal-organic framework adsorbent, to adsorb the multi-ring naphthenes from the Group II+ base stock, thereby producing a Group III or Group III+ base stock that is depleted in multi-ring naphthenes, a weight ratio of the solvent to the Group II+ base stock being from 1:1 to 50:1, and
• after passing the combined feed, desorbing at least a portion of the multi-ring naphthenes from the metal-organic framework adsorbent to regenerate the metal-organic framework adsorbent,
• wherein the metal-organic framework adsorbent is a porous crystalline material comprised of metal functionalities connected by organic linkers to form a repeating 2-D or 3-D lattice.

A method of upgrading a Group III base stock to a Group III+ base stock, wherein the Group III base stock comprises at least normal paraffins, isoparaffins, 1-ring naphthenes attached to a paraffinic alkyl chain, and multi-ring naphthenes, said method comprising

• passing a combined feed comprising the Group III base stock and a solvent having a boiling point of less than 300° C., at a temperature and pressure through a bed of an adsorbent comprising a metal-organic framework adsorbent, to adsorb the multi-ring naphthenes from the Group III base stock, thereby producing the Group III+ base stock that is depleted in multi-ring naphthenes, a weight ratio of the solvent to the Group III base stock being from 1:1 to 50:1, and
• after passing the combined feed, desorbing at least a portion of the multi-ring naphthenes from the metal-organic framework adsorbent to regenerate the metal-organic framework adsorbent,
• wherein the metal-organic framework adsorbent is a porous crystalline material comprised of metal functionalities connected by organic linkers to form a repeating 2-D or 3-D lattice.