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US 4,413,156 AGranted
Manufacture of synthetic lubricant additives from low molecular weight olefins using boron trifluoride catalysts
AssigneeTexaco Inc.
InventorsLewis W. Watts, Jr., Edward T. Marquis
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Abstract
An improved process for the manufacture of synthetic lubricant additives from olefins having two or three carbon atoms is described. The low molecular weight olefins are converted to internal olefins having 9 to 24 carbon atoms via isomerization and disproportionation. The process utilizes boron trifluoride catalysis with a promoter to produce from the C.sub.9 -C.sub.24 internal olefins oligomer mixtures that have surprisingly low viscosities at low temperatures and surprisingly high viscosity indexes as compared with the oligomers found in other methods. It is important that internal olefins be used almost exclusively in the second step of the method of this invention.
Claims17
A process for converting C.sub.3 -C.sub.4 linear olefins to a synthetic lubricant component comprising
- a. isomerizing a linear olefin feedstock selected from the group of olefins consisting of propylene, butene-1, butene-2 and mixtures thereof, over a heterogeneous isomerization catalyst selected from the group of catalysts consisting of cobalt oxide, iron oxide and manganese oxide, each of which is supported on alumina, and sodium and potassium carbonate supported on gamma alumina, at a temperature of about 70.degree. C.,
- b. disproportionating the mixture resulting from the isomerization step by passing the mixture over a heterogeneous disproportionation catalyst selected from the group of catalysts consisting of molybdenum, tungsten and rhenium, each of which is supported on alumina, and a mixture of molybdenum and cobalt supported on alumina, at a temperature in the range of about 100.degree. to 175.degree. C. and at a pressure of greater than 200 psig,
- c. separating from the mixture resulting from the disproportionation step a mixture of olefins having carbon numbers ranging from 9 to 24, and being comprised of 99 weight percent or more internal olefins,
- d. oligomerizing the mixture of internal olefins separated in the previous step by contacting the mixture with a catalyst comprising boron trifluoride and a protonic promoter being selected from the group of promoters consisting of alcohols, carboxylic acids and water, at a temperature between about 25.degree. and about 150.degree. C.,
- e. mildly stripping off any unreacted olefin monomers from the mixture of oligomerized olefins resulting from the oligomerization step, and
- f. hydrogenating the oligomerized olefins from the previous step in the presence of hydrogen and a hydrogenation catalyst to produce a synthetic lubricant component.
3 more elements
A process for converting C.sub.3 -C.sub.4 linear olefins to a synthetic lubricant component comprising
- a. isomerizing a linear olefin feedstock selected from the group of olefins consisting of propylene, butene-1, butene-2 and mixtures thereof, over a heterogeneous isomerization catalyst selected from the group of catalysts consisting of cobalt oxide, iron oxide and manganese oxide, each of which is supported on alumina and sodium and potassium carbonate supported on gamma alumina, at a temperature of about 70.degree. C.,
- b. disproportionating the mixture resulting from the isomerization step by passing the mixture over a heterogeneous disproportionation catalyst selected from the group of catalysts consisting of molybdenum, tungsten and rhenium, each of which is supported on alumina and a mixture of molybdenum and cobalt supported on alumina, at a temperature in the range of about 100.degree. to 175.degree. C. and at a pressure of greater than 200 psig,
- c. separating from the mixture resulting from the disproportionation step a mixture of olefins having carbon numbers ranging from 9 to 24, and being comprised of 99 weight percent or more internal olefins,
- d. oligomerizing the mixture of internal olefins separated in the previous step by contacting the mixture with a catalyst system comprising boron trifluoride and a protonic promoter being selected from the group of promoters consisting of alcohols, carboxylic acids and water, at a temperature between about 25.degree. and about 150.degree. C.,
- e. mildly stripping off any unreacted olefin monomers from the mixture of oligomerized olefins resulting from the oligomerization step, at a temperature between 160.degree. and 180.degree. C. and recycling the monomers to the oligomerization step as the only separation step, and
- f. hydrogenating the oligomerized olefins from the previous step in the presence of hydrogen and a hydrogenation catalyst to produce a synthetic lubricant component having a viscosity at 210.degree. F. of between 3.5 and 5.0 centistokes, a viscosity at 25.degree. C. of between 25 and 40 centistokes, a viscosity index of greater than 100 and a thermogravimetric analysis value of greater than 80 weight percent.
3 more elements
A process of converting C.sub.3 -C.sub.4 linear olefins to a synthetic lubricant component comprising
- a. isomerizing a linear olefin feedstock selected from the group of olefins consisting of propylene, butene-1, butene-2 and mixtures thereof, over a heterogeneous isomerization catalyst selected from the group of catalysts consisting of cobalt oxide, iron oxide and manganese oxide, each of which is supported on alumina and sodium and potassium carbonate supported on gamma alumina, at a temperature of about 70.degree. C.,
- b. disproportionating the mixture resulting from the isomerization step by passing the mixture over a heterogeneous disproportionation catalyst selected from the group of catalysts consisting of molybdenum, tungsten and rhenium, each of which is supported on alumina and a mixture of molybdenum and cobalt supported on alumina, at a temperature in the range of about 100.degree. to 175.degree. C. and at a pressure of greater than 200 psig,
- c. separating from the mixture resulting from the disproportionation step a mixture of olefins having carbon numbers ranging from 9 to 24, and being comprised of 99 weight percent or more internal olefins and having the double bond randomly distributed throughout the carbon chain, the remainder being recycled to the disproportionation step,
- d. oligomerizing the mixture of internal olefins separated in the previous step by contacting the mixture with a catalyst system comprising boron trifluoride and a protonic promoter being selected from the group of promoters consisting of alcohols, carboxylic acids and water, at a temperature between about 25.degree. and about 150.degree. C.,
- e. neutralizing the crude oligomer product from the previous step,
- f. removing the organic layer from the neutralized crude product,
- g. mildly stripping off any unreacted olefin monomers from the mixture of oligomerized olefins in the organic layer from the previous step, at a temperature between 160.degree. and 180.degree. C. and recycling the monomers to the oligomerization step, as the only separation step, and
- h. hydrogenating the oligomerized olefins from the previous step in the presence of hydrogen and a hydrogenation catalyst to produce a synthetic lubricant component having a viscosity at 210.degree. F. of between 3.5 and 5.0 centistokes, a viscosity at 25.degree. C. of between 25 and 40 centistokes, a viscosity index of greater than 100 and a thermogravimetric analysis value of greater than 80 weight percent.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.