Chevron Chemical Company LLC

Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP

Ting C Ho

Kenneth D Hope

Barrett L Cupples

J Barry Collins

Russell J Bak

David L Archer

Doug W Burns

In a process for the oligomerization of alpha olefins using a boron trifluoride/alcohol catalyst complex a method for recovering the boron trifluoride from the product stream which comprises lowering the pressure of the product stream to flash off excess boron trifluoride, mixing the boron trifluoride with fresh alcohol to form fresh boron trifluoride/alcohol catalyst complex, and introducing the fresh catalyst back into the oligomerization reactor.

Process for recovering boron trifluoride from a catalyst complex

A dimer composition has an improved low temperature viscosity if it has less than a certain amount of normal paraffin. A 1-octene dimer should have less than 0.50 wt. % normal hexadecane, a 1-decene dimer should have less than 0.05 wt. % normal eicosane, a 1-dodecene dimer should have less than 0.60 wt. % normal tetracosane, and a 1-tetradecene dimer should have less than 0.10 wt. % normal octacosane.

Polyalphaolefin dimers having low kinematic viscosities

An oligomer is made by contacting an olefinic monomer with a catalyst comprising boron trifluoride, an alcohol alkoxylate, and a ketone. In one embodiment, the olefinic monomer is a straight-chain, .alpha.-olefinic monomer containing from 8 to 12 carbon atoms, the alcohol alkoxylate is 2-ethoxyethanol, the ketone is methyl ethyl ketone, and the oligomer product has a kinematic viscosity at 100.degree. C. of less than 1.7 cSt. Before removal of unreacted monomer, the oligomer product is at least 50 wt. % dimer, at least 80 wt. % dimer plus trimer, and less than 3.25 wt. % tetramer and greater.

Increased dimer yield of olefin oligomers through catalyst modifications

An oligomer is made by contacting a straight-chain, .alpha.-olefinic monomer with boron trifluoride and a hydroxy carbonyl promoter. The hydroxy carbonyl is preferably a .beta.-hydroxy-ketone, such as 4-hydroxy-4-methyl-2-pentanone. A second promoter can be used in conjunction with the boron trifluoride and the hydroxy carbonyl promoter. Possible secondary promoters include aldehydes, alcohols, alcohol alkoxylates, carboxylic acids, ethers, ketones, and their mixtures. Preferably the oligomer product has a kinematic viscosity at 100.degree. C. of less than 1.7 cSt; has a dimer to trimer and higher oligomer ratio of at least 1:1; and is at least 90 wt. % dimer and trimer of the monomer.

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Kingwood, TX, United States of America

Ting C Ho