Exxonmobil Research and Engineering Company

Corry S Powers

Eric D Joseck

Liezhong Gong

Beatrice Marie Gooding

Kendall S Fruchey

Tahmid I Mizan

Steven Webster Levine

Nicole D Vaughn

Helen S Wellons

Marc Sonnentrucker

Methods are provided for upgrading disadvantaged feeds for use in lubricant base stock production. A disadvantaged feed can be upgraded by hydroprocessing the feed to form a hydroprocessed bottoms fraction. The hydroprocessed bottoms fraction can then be used as a feed for forming Group I and/or Group II lubricant base stocks, optionally in combination with a conventional feed for lubricant production. The remaining portions of the hydroprocessing effluent can optionally be used for FCC processing and/or for other conventional applications of naphtha and distillate fractions.

Lubricant base stock production from disadvantaged feeds

Methods are provided for rapidly characterizing a feedstock being considered for lubricant base oil production in order to determine the viscosity index potential of the feedstock. It has unexpectedly been discovered that the DDVI value for a feedstock at a specified pour point can be predicted based on a) the feed distillate residual wax content at a temperature as determined by Differential Scanning Calorimetry, such as the feed distillate residual wax content at a temperature corresponding to the specified pour point temperature; b) the feed distillate refractive index; c) the feed distillate kinematic viscosity at a temperature, such as kinematic viscosity at 100&#xb0; C.; and d) the distillate volume-averaged boiling point. Based on this unexpected correlation, the VI potential of a feedstock can be determined based on measurement of properties that can be performed on a time scale corresponding to one or a few days using a few milliliters of feedstock.

Rapid estimation of feed potential for base oil formation

Methods are provided for characterizing crude oils, crude fractions, or other potential feedstocks for forming lubricating base oils in order to determine the suitability of a feedstock for lubricating base oil production. One type of characterization is to determine the isoparaffin, naphthene, and/or aromatics contents of the distillate portion of a feedstock. A second characterization is to determine the viscosity index of a distillate portion of a feedstock after dewaxing the distillate portion to a target pour point.

Evaluation of distillate composition of a crude

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Spring, TX, United States of America

Corry S Powers