Exxon Research and Engineering Company

Rich A McEvoy

Guang Cao

Jack Wayne Johnson

Bruce R Cook

Richard Harry Ernst

A process for dewaxing waxy hydrocarbonaceous materials, such as hydrocarbon fuel and lubricating oil fractions to reduce their cloud and pour points comprises reacting the material with hydrogen in the presence of a dewaxing catalyst comprising at least one metal catalytic component and ferrierite in which at least a portion of its cation exchange positions are occupied by one or more trivalent rare earth metal cations. The rare earth ion exchanged ferrierite catalyst has good selectivity for lubricating oil production, particularly when dewaxing a Fischer-Tropsch wax hydroisomerate. Preferably at least 10% and more preferably at least 15% of the ferreirite cation exchange capacity is occupied by one or more trivalent rare earth metal cations.

Catalytic dewaxing with trivalent rare earth metal ion exchanged ferrierite

Catalytic dewaxing with trivalent rare earth metal ion exchanged

Ferrierite is ion exchanged with trivalent rare earth metals by a hydrothermal ion exchange method. The ion exchange is carried out by contacting ferrierite, in which its cation exchange positions are occupied by hydrogen or a hydrogen precursor, with an aqueous solution of one or more rare earth metal cations at a temperature above the boiling point of the solution. After the ion exchange, preferably at least 10% and more preferably at least 15% of the ferrierite cation exchange capacity is occupied by a trivalent rare earth metal cation. When combined with a catalytic metal, such as a Group VIII noble metal, the trivalent rare earth metal ion exchanged ferrierite is useful as a dewaxing catalyst having good selectivity for lubricating oil fractions, particularly when dewaxing a Fischer-Tropsch wax hydroisomerate.

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Upper Black Eddy, PA, United States of America

Rich A McEvoy