Abstract:
Methods are provided for producing lubricant base oils from petrolatum. After solvent dewaxing of a brightstock raffinate to form a brightstock base oil, petrolatum is generated as a side product. The petrolatum can be hydroprocessed to form base oils in high yield. The base oils formed from hydroprocessing of petrolatum have an unexpected pour point relationship. For a typical lubricant oil feedstock, the pour point of the base oils generated from the feedstock increases with the viscosity of the base oil. By contrast, lubricant base oils formed from hydroprocessing of petrolatum have a relatively flat pour point relationship, and some of the higher viscosity base oils unexpectedly have lower pour points than lower viscosity base oils generated from the same petrolatum feed. The base oils from petrolatum are also unusual in yielding both high viscosity and high viscosity index and can be generated while maintaining a high yield.
Abstract:
A novel process for forming hydrocarbon waxes from synthesis gas is disclosed. This invention teaches a process whereby a Fischer-Tropsch wax can be formulated such that the wax softness as defined by ASTM Standard Test Method for Needle Penetration of waxes (ASTM D-1321) can be adjusted to within a region most preferred for end use applications while simultaneously removing undesirable impurities, such as oxygenates (e.g., primary alcohols), olefins, and trace levels of aromatics. In a Fischer-Tropsch reactor, Fischer-Tropsch wax is formed from synthesis gas in a catalyzed reaction. The Fischer Tropsch wax is then subjected to a relatively mild hydroprocessing over a hydroisomerization catalyst under conditions such that essentially no boiling point conversion is obtained, but yet chemical conversions (e.g., hydrogenation and mild isomerization) occur yielding a high purity, hydrocarbon wax product of reduced hardness.
Abstract:
Nickel-copper catalysts supported on an amorphous silica-alumina acidic carrier, preferably containing a binder, and having an iso-electric point of ≧6.5 are used to hydroisomerize paraffins, particularly Fischer-Tropsch paraffins, boiling at 350° F.+ into lighter, more valuable products.
Abstract:
A catalyst and process are described for hydrofining petroleum wax comprising contacting the wax with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst comprising at least one metal hydrogenating component on a porous alumina/silica carrier containing from about 0.2 to 5 wt.% of an alkali metal component, the catalyst having a specific surface area of about 200 to 300 m.sup.2 /g and being further characterized in that (a) the volume of pores having a diameter in the range of 60 to 150 A is greater than 80% of the volume of pores having a diameter in the range of 0 to 150 A and (b) the volume of pores having a diameter in the range of 0 to 600 A is in the range of about 0.45 to 0.60 ml/g.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a microcrystalline wax having a needle penetration according to ASTM D-1321 at 25° C. of more than 1, a crystallinity according to XRD between 5 and 70%, an initial boiling point of less than 500° C., a congealing point in the range of from 60 to 120° C., an oil content according to ASTM D-721 of more than 2 wt. %, wherein the microcrystalline wax has a fraction up to C40 having at least 5 wt % of multiple methyl-branched paraffins as determined with GC×GC.