Processes for producing lubricant base oils with optimized branching
AssigneeChevron U.S.A. Inc.
InventorsStephen J. Miller, Dennis J. O'Rear, John Rosenbaum
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Abstract
This invention relates to processes of producing lubricant base oils comprising paraffinic hydrocarbon components that have optimized branching. The lubricant base oils comprising paraffinic hydrocarbon components with optimized branching have low amounts of branching with the branching concentrated toward the center of the lubricant base oil molecules. The lubricant base oils comprising paraffinic hydrocarbon components with optimized branching have low pour points and extremely high viscosity indexes. The invention further relates to processes of producing commercial lubricants comprising the lubricant base oils comprising paraffinic hydrocarbon components with optimized branching from waxy feeds.
Claims32
A process of making a lubricant base oil comprising the steps of:
- a) hydroisomerization dewaxing a waxy feed using a shape selective intermediate pore size molecular sieve to produce an intermediate oil isomerate, wherein the intermediate oil isomerate comprises paraffinic hydrocarbon components in which the extent of branching is less than 7 alkyl branches per 100 carbons;
- b) analyzing the intermediate oil isomerate to determine that the intermediate oil isomerate comprises paraffinic hydrocarbon components in which the extent of branching is less than 7 alkyl branches per 100 carbons;
- and
- c) solvent dewaxing the intermediate oil isomerate to produce a lubricant base oil wherein the lubricant base oil comprises paraffinic hydrocarbon components in which the extent of branching is less than 8 alkyl branches per 100 carbons and less than 20 wt % of the alkyl branches are at the 2 position;
- the lubricant base oil having a pour point of less than −8° C.;
- a kinematic viscosity at 100° C. of about 3.2 cSt or greater;
- and a Viscosity Index greater than a Target Viscosity Index as calculated by the following equation:
- Target Viscosity Index=22×ln(Kinematic Viscosity at 100° C.)+132.
A process of making a lubricant base oil comprising:
- a) performing Fischer-Tropsch synthesis on syngas to provide a product stream;
- b) isolating a waxy hydrocarbon feed stream;
- c) subjecting the waxy hydrocarbon feed stream to hydroisomerization dewaxing using a shape selective intermediate pore size molecular sieve to form an intermediate oil isomerate, wherein the intermediate oil isomerate comprises paraffinic hydrocarbon components in which the extent of branching is less than 7 alkyl branches per 100 carbons;
- d) analyzing the intermediate oil isomerate to determine that the intermediate oil isomerate comprises paraffinic hydrocarbon components in which the extent of branching is less than 7 alkyl branches per 100 carbons;
- and
- e) solvent dewaxing the intermediate oil isomerate to produce a lubricant base oil wherein the lubricant base oil comprises paraffinic hydrocarbon components in which the extent of branching is less than 8 alkyl branches per 100 carbons and less than 20 wt % of the alkyl branches are at the 2 position;
- the lubricant base oil having a pour point of less than −8° C.;
- a kinematic viscosity at 100° C. of about 3.2 cSt or greater;
- and a Viscosity Index greater than a Target Viscosity Index as calculated by the following equation:
- Target Viscosity Index=22×ln(Kinematic Viscosity at 100° C.)+132.
A process for manufacturing a finished lubricant comprising:
- a) hydroisomerization dewaxing a waxy feed using a shape selective intermediate pore size molecular sieve to produce an intermediate oil isomerate, wherein the intermediate oil isomerate comprises paraffinic hydrocarbon components in which the extent of branching is less than 7 alkyl branches per 100 carbons;
- b) analyzing the intermediate oil isomerate to determine that the intermediate oil isomerate comprises paraffinic hydrocarbon components in which the extent of branching is less than 7 alkyl branches per 100 carbons;
- c) solvent dewaxing the intermediate oil isomerate to produce a lubricant base oil wherein the lubricant base oil comprises paraffinic hydrocarbon components in which the extent of branching is less than 8 alkyl branches per 100 carbons and less than 20 wt % of the alkyl branches are at the 2 position;
- the lubricant base oil having a pour point of less than −8° C.;
- a kinematic viscosity at 100° C. of about 3.2 cSt or greater;
- and a Viscosity Index greater than a Target Viscosity Index as calculated by the following equation:
- Target Viscosity Index=22×ln(Kinematic Viscosity at 100° C.)+132;
- and
- d) blending the lubricant base oil with one or more lubricant additives to provide a finished lubricant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.