Production of synthetic hydrocarbon fluids, plasticizers and synthetic lubricant base stocks from renewable feedstocks

Abstract

This disclosure is directed to an integrated method for making synthetic hydrocarbon fluids, plasticizers and polar synthetic lubricant base stocks from a renewable feedstock. More particularly, the disclosure is directed to a metathesis reaction of natural oil or its derivative ester and ethylene in the presence of an effective amount of a metathesis catalyst to form linear alpha-olefins, internal olefins and reduced chain length triglycerides. The linear alpha-olefins and/or internal olefins are polymerized to produce synthetic hydrocarbon fluids in the presence of a suitable catalyst. The reduced chain length triglycerides are converted into polar synthetic lubricant base stocks or plasticizers by hydrogenation, isomerization, followed by hydrogenations, or by hydroisomerization processes. Alternatively, the reduced chain length triglycerides can also be epoxidized to form epoxidized triglyceride plasticizers, optionally followed by carbonation, to form carbonated triglyceride plasticizers.