Production of olefin oligomer lubricants

TLDR: In this paper, a process for oligomerizing alpha olefins to produce hydrocarbon oligomers useful as lubricants and lubricant additives uses a catalyst comprising a supported reduced group VIB metal, preferably chromium, in the form of its oxide.

Abstract: A process for oligomerizing alpha olefins to produce hydrocarbon oligomers useful as lubricants and lubricant additives uses a catalyst comprising a supported reduced group VIB metal, preferably chromium, in the form of its oxide. The support is a mesoporous, inorganic, crystalline solid of unique structure, of novel pore geometry. The preferred forms of these mesoporous materials are characterized by substantially uniform hexagonal honeycomb microstructure, with uniform pores having a cell diameter greater than 13 Å, preferably in the mesoporous range of about 20-100 Å. The use of the catalysts made with the mesoporous support materials enables products of greater viscosity to be made as compared to the products from catalysts using amorphous supports. The catalyst is usually used under oligomerization conditions at a temperature of about 90° to 250° C. to produce liquid hydrocarbon oligomers in the lubricant range which have a branch ratio of less than 0.19 and high values of viscosity index.