Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP

Novvi LLC

Chevron U.s.a. Inc.

Chevron Chemical Company LLC

Other

Chevron Philips Chemical Company, LP

Energy & Environmental International, L.c.

Eduardo J Baralt

Brooke L Small

Bruce E Kreischer

Ronald D Knudsen

Ronald G Abbott

Hu Yang

Jason Wells

Liwenny Ho

Benton Thomas

Jason Charles Rosalli

Max P McDaniel

Qing R Yang

Kenneth D Hope

Orson L Sydora

Steven D Bridges

Albert P Masino

Richard M Buck

Eric J Netemeyer

William B Beaulieu

Ajit Ramachandra Pradhan

Yalin Hao

Willie J Isom

Wui Sum Willbe Ho

Willbe Ho

Cong-Yan Chen

Uriah J Kilgore

Saleh Ali Elomari

Michael John Carney

Gerald Bruce Eaton

Alan Ebert

Michael J Monahan

Richard N Reynolds, Jr

Robert J Tipton

Ajit Ramchandra Pradhan

Steven J Herron

Russell J Bak

Ron D Knudsen

Cong Yan Chen

A J Marcucci

Carol E King

Amy C King

Jana B Cole

Steven Hutchinson

Max P Mcdaniel

Qing Yang

Jason R Wells

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a process for producing synthetic hydrocarbon base oils having advantageous properties for formulation of engine oils, and the base oils obtained by such processes, involving the production of branched alkenes from the oligomerization of C14-C18 olefins. According to one embodiment, the base oils are obtained by first forming a mixture of two or more olefins ranging from C14-C18, where one of the olefins is an alpha olefin and the other has an average double bond position between 1.5-5.0, and oligomerizing this mixture in the presence of a catalyst to form one or more branched alkenes, hydrogenating the branched alkenes, and fractionating to form base oils. According to one aspect, advantageous properties can be obtained by controlling one or more of the degree of branching, branch length, branching positions, selection of the C14-C18 olefins, and catalytic isomerization, during or after the oligomerization process.

Base oils and methods of making the same

A process for the preparation of saturated hydrocarbon base oils is provided, comprising oligomerization of a feed mixture that has an average carbon number in the range of 14 to 18 to produce an oligomer product comprising dimers, trimers, and higher oligomers, where the dimer has a branching proximity (BP) of 20 or greater, isomerization of at least the dimer portion, and hydrogenation of the isomerized product. The dimer portion is separated from the oligomer product, and a saturated hydrocarbon base oil is obtained comprising greater than 90% dimers having an average carbon number in the range of from 29 to 36, and the dimer portion having a weight average molecular weight in the range of 422 to 510, where the dimers have an average Branching Index (BI) in a range of 22 to 26 and an average paraffin branching proximity (BP) in a range of from 18 to 26.

Provided herein is a unique process that prepares a saturated hydrocarbon mixture with well-controlled structural characteristics that address the performance requirements driven by the stricter environmental and fuel economy regulations for automotive engine oils. The process allows for the branching characteristics of the hydrocarbon molecules to be controlled so as to consistently provide a composition that has a surprising CCS viscosity at &#x2212;35&#xb0; C. (ASTM D5329) and Noack volatility (ASTM D5800) relationship. The process comprises providing a specific olefinic feedstock, oligomerizing in the presence of a BFcatalyst, and hydroisomerizing in the presence of a noble-metal impregnated, 10-member ring zeolite catalyst.

Process for preparing hydrocarbon mixture exhibiting unique branching structure

A polyalphaolefin composition is provided comprising trimers of C12 alpha-olefins and dimers of C14 alpha-olefins, where the ratio by weight of C12 trimer to C14 dimer is within a range of 4:1 by weight to 1:4 by weight, where the C12 trimer enriched polyalphaolefin has an average branching ratio &#x3c;0.2 and the C14 dimer has an average branching ratio of &#x3e;0.20, and where the average branching ratio for all C12 trimers and C14 dimers is between 0.19 and 0.26. The composition has a boiling point distribution where less than 30% by weight of the composition has a boiling point between 420&#xb0; C. and 455&#xb0; C., and the resulting base oil has a kinematic viscosity of about 3.3 to 4.7 cSt at 100&#xb0; C.

Synthetic oligomer compositions and methods of manufacture

Provided herein are hydrocarbon mixtures with controlled structure characteristics that address the performance requirements for finished lubricants driven by the stricter environmental and fuel economy regulations. The branching characteristics of the hydrocarbon molecules are controlled to provide a composition that has a unique and superior viscosity-temperature relationship and Noack volatility. An important aspect of the present invention relates to a saturated hydrocarbon mixture with at least 80% of the molecules having an even carbon number, with the branching characteristic of BP/BI in the range&#x2265;&#x2212;0.6037 (Internal alkyl branching)+2.0, where on average at least 0.3 to 1.5 of the internal methyl branches are located more than 4 carbons away from the terminal carbon when analyzed by carbon NMR. The saturated hydrocarbon mixture with such unique branching structure consistently exhibits a stand out performance in the cold crank simulated viscosity (CCS) vs Noack volatility relationship, which allows for the formulation of lower viscosity engine oils with improved fuel economies.

Hydrocarbon mixture exhibiting unique branching structure

The present invention discloses processes for oligomerizing a monomer containing Cto Colefins using a chemically-treated solid oxide, such as fluorided silica-coated alumina and fluorided-chlorided silica-coated alumina.

Olefin oligomerizations using chemically-treated solid oxides

This disclosure provides for new catalyst systems and new methods for preparing and using the catalyst systems for generating a trimerization product. In an aspect, the new catalyst systems comprise a chromium carboxylate that is prepared by anhydrous metathesis. In another aspect, the catalyst system comprise a chromium carboxylate that is prepared by anhydrous metathesis and a metal pyrrolide compound. The catalyst systems imparts improved performance and/or reduced catalyst system cost to an olefin trimerization process.

Preparation of an olefin oligomerization catalyst

Oligomerization processes include the steps of introducing a monomer containing a Cto Colefin and a chemically-treated solid oxide into a reaction zone, and oligomerizing the monomer to form an oligomer product in the reaction zone. Fluorided silica-coated alumina and fluorided-chlorided silica-coated alumina are illustrative chemically-treated solid oxides that can be used in the oligomerization processes.

Methods for making alpha olefin oligomers and polyalphaolefins include a step of contacting a Cto Calpha olefin monomer and a catalyst system containing a metallocene, a first activator comprising a solid oxide chemically-treated with an electron withdrawing anion, and a second activator comprising an organoaluminum compound. The alpha olefin oligomers and polyalphaolefins prepared with these catalyst systems can have a high viscosity index combined with a low pour point, making them particularly useful in lubricant compositions and as viscosity modifiers.

Oligomerization of alpha olefins using metallocene-SSA catalyst systems and use of the resultant polyalphaolefins to prepare lubricant blends

This disclosure provides a process for making transition metal carboxylate compositions by combining in an polar aprotic first solvent a transition metal precursor and a Group 1 or Group 2 metal carboxylate under substantially acid-free and substantially anhydrous conditions, to generate a mixture comprising the transition metal carboxylate composition. Optionally, the transition metal carboxylate composition can be purified, for example, by substantially removing the first solvent provide a residue comprising the transition metal carboxylate composition, and also optionally, further by extracting the transition metal carboxylate composition from the residue with a non-coordinating second solvent to provide an extract comprising the transition metal carboxylate composition.

Preparation of transition metal carboxylates

A method of making a catalyst for use in oligomerizing an olefin comprising a chromium-containing compound, a pyrrole-containing compound, a metal alkyl, a halide-containing compound, and optionally a solvent, the method comprising contacting a composition comprising the chromium-containing compound and a composition comprising the metal alkyl, wherein the composition comprising the chromium-containing compound is added to the composition comprising the metal alkyl.

Methods of preparation of an olefin oligomerization catalyst

This disclosure provides for alpha olefin oligomers and polyalphaolefins (or PAOs) and methods of making the alpha olefin oligomers and PAOs. This disclosure encompasses metallocene-based alpha olefin oligomerization catalyst systems, including those that include at least one metallocene and an activator comprising a solid oxide chemically-treated with an electron withdrawing anion. The alpha olefin oligomers and PAOs prepared with these catalyst systems can have a high viscosity index combined with a low pour point, making them particularly useful in lubricant compositions and as viscosity modifiers.

Growing community of inventors

Kingwood, TX, United States of America

Eduardo J Baralt