# US 8,772,555 B2 · Conversion of vegetable oils to base oils and transportation fuels > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,772,555 B2 - Document ID: US8772555B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/871,722 - Filed: 2010-08-30 - Published: 2011-05-12 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2008-07-24 - Assignees: Chevron U.S.A. Inc. - Applicants: Stephen J. Miller - Inventors: Stephen J. Miller - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8772555B2 ## CPC - C10G 3/50: {in the presence of hydrogen, hydrogen donors or hydrogen generating compounds} - C10G 3/46: {in combination with chromium, molybdenum, tungsten metals or compounds thereof} - C10G 45/58: to change the structural skeleton of some of the hydrocarbon content without cracking the other hydrocarbons present, e.g. lowering pour point; Selective hydrocracking of normal paraffins (C10G32/00 takes precedence; improving or increasing the octane number or aromatic content of naphtha C10G35/00) - C10G 50/00: Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from lower carbon number hydrocarbons, e.g. by oligomerisation - C10G 57/02: with polymerisation - C10G 65/043: {at least one step being a change in the structural skeleton} - C10G 69/126: {polymerisation, e.g. oligomerisation} - C10L 1/08: for compression ignition - C10L 1/1616: {fractions, e.g. lubricants, solvents, naphta, bitumen, tars, terpentine} - C10M 101/00: Lubricating compositions characterised by the base-material being a mineral or fatty oil (containing more than 10% water C10M173/00) - C10M 105/04: aliphatic - C10M 107/10: containing aliphatic monomer having more than 4 carbon atoms - C10G 2300/1014: of vegetal origin - C10G 2400/04: Diesel oil - C10G 2400/10: Lubricating oil - C10M 2203/1006: used as base material - C10M 2203/1025: used as base material - C10M 2205/0285: used as base material - C10N 2020/011: {Cloud point} - C10N 2020/02: Viscosity; Viscosity index - C10N 2020/04: Molecular weight; Molecular weight distribution - C10N 2020/069: {Linear chain compounds} - C10N 2020/071: {Branched chain compounds} - Y02E 50/10: Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel - Y02P 30/20: using bio-feedstock - C10G: CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION (cracking to hydrogen or synthesis gas C01B; cracking or pyrolysis of hydrocarbon gases to individual hydrocarbons or mixtures thereof of definite or specified constitution C07C; cracking to cokes C10B); RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES - C10L: FUELS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NATURAL GAS; SYNTHETIC NATURAL GAS OBTAINED BY PROCESSES NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C10G OR C10K; LIQUIFIED PETROLEUM GAS; USE OF ADDITIVES TO FUELS OR FIRES; FIRE-LIGHTERS - C10M: LUBRICATING COMPOSITIONS (well drilling compositions C09K8/02); USE OF CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES EITHER ALONE OR AS LUBRICATING INGREDIENTS IN A LUBRICATING COMPOSITION (mould release, i.e. separating, agents for metals B22C3/00, for plastics or substances in a plastic state, in general B29C33/56, for glass C03B40/02; textile lubricating compositions D06M11/00, D06M13/00, D06M15/00; immersion oils for microscopy G02B21/33) - C10N: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS C10M RELATING TO LUBRICATING COMPOSITIONS - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract The present invention is directed to methods (processes) and systems for processing triglyceride-containing, biologically-derived oils to provide for base oils and transportation fuels, wherein partial oligomerization of fatty acids contained therein provide for an oligomerized mixture from which the base oils and transportation fuels can be extracted. Such methods and systems can involve an initial hydrotreating step or a direct isomerization of the oligomerized mixture. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for co-producing base oil and diesel fuel from a vegetable oil, the method comprising the steps of: a) processing a triglyceride-containing vegetable oil to effect oligomerization and deoxygenation of unsaturated fatty acid components contained therein so as to provide for an oligomerized mixture comprising oligomers, wherein said processing comprises the following sub-steps: i) catalytically oligomerizing at least some of the unsaturated fatty acid components to provide for an initially oligomerized mixture comprising at least some of the oligomers contained within the oligomerized mixture; ii) hydrotreating the initially oligomerized mixture to provide for a hydrotreated oligomerized mixture; and iii) removing water from the hydrotreated oligomerized mixture to yield the oligomerized mixture; b) isomerizing the oligomerized mixture over an isomerization catalyst to yield an isomerized mixture, wherein the isomerized mixture comprises a base oil component and a diesel fuel component, and wherein the isomerized mixture comprises at least 10 wt. % alkanes having a carbon number of 30 or greater; and c) distilling the isomerized mixture to yield a base oil and a diesel fuel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of hydrofinishing the base oil. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of processing further comprises an initial substep of hydrolyzing the triglycerides contained within the vegetable oil so as to yield free fatty acids. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the vegetable oil comprises one or more biologically-derived oils selected from the group consisting of canola, soy, rapeseed, palm, peanut, jatropha, yellow grease, algae, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the oligomerized mixture comprises an oligomer component, said oligomer component comprising at least 50 wt. % dimer species. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the oligomerized mixture comprises an oligomer component, said oligomer component comprising at least 70 wt. % dimer species. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method claim 1, wherein the sub-step of catalytically oligomerizing employs a catalyst selected from the group consisting of clays, aluminosilicates, zeolites, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein oligomeric yield is enhanced by increasing concentration of unsaturated fatty acid components via fractional crystallization techniques. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrotreating utilizes a catalyst comprising nickel-molybdenum on a support selected from alumina or SiO2—Al2O3. ### Claim 10 A system for co-producing base oil and diesel fuel from a vegetable oil, the system comprising: a) a processing subsystem for processing a triglyceride-containing vegetable oil so as to effect oligomerization and deoxygenation of unsaturated fatty acid components contained therein, thereby providing for an oligomerized mixture, wherein said processing subsystem comprises the following components: i) an oligomerization reactor configured to catalytically oligomerize at least some of the unsaturated fatty acid components contained within the triglyceride-containing vegetable oil, so as to provide for an initially oligomerized mixture; ii) a hydrotreating reactor, in downstream fluid communication with the oligomerization reactor, configured to hydrotreat the initially oligomerized mixture so as to provide for a hydrotreated oligomerized mixture; and iii) a water removal subunit, in downstream fluid communication with the hydrotreating reactor, configured to remove water from the hydrotreated oligomerized mixture to yield the oligomerized mixture; b) an isomerization unit, in fluid communication with the processing subsystem, configured to isomerize the oligomerized mixture over an isomerization catalyst to yield an isomerized mixture, wherein the isomerized mixture comprises a base oil component and a diesel fuel component, and wherein the isomerized mixture comprises at least 10 wt. % alkanes having a carbon number of 30 or greater; and c) a distillation unit, in fluid communication with the isomerization unit, configured to distill the isomerized mixture so as to yield a base oil and a diesel fuel. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the oligomerization reactor employs a catalyst selected from the group consisting of clays, aluminosilicates, zeolites, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, further comprising a hydrofinishing unit configured to hydrofinish the base oil.