Processes to produce poly alpha-olefin trimer and apparatus therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12486346-B2
Application number	US-202418647691-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2024
Priority date	Feb 12, 2018
Publication date	Dec 2, 2025
Grant date	Dec 2, 2025

Abstract

In at least one embodiment, a process to produce a poly alpha-olefin (PAO) includes introducing a first alpha-olefin to a first catalyst system comprising activator and a metallocene compound into a continuous stirred tank reactor or a continuous tubular reactor under first reactor conditions to form a first reactor effluent. The first alpha-olefin is introduced to the reactor at a flow rate of about 100 g/hr or more. The first reactor effluent includes at least 60 wt % of PAO dimer and 40 wt % or less of higher oligomers, where the higher oligomers are oligomers that have a degree of polymerization of 3 or more. The process includes introducing the first reactor effluent and a second alpha-olefin to a second catalyst composition including an acid catalyst in a second reactor to form a second reactor effluent comprising PAO trimer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A composition, comprising:
a plurality of poly-alpha olefins (PAOs), wherein the plurality of PAOs comprise; about 80 weight percent (wt %) or more of PAO trimers based on a total amount of PAO dimer, PAO trimer, PAO tetramer, and higher oligomers, wherein the composition comprises a kinematic viscosity @ 100° C. of about 4.5 cSt or less, wherein the PAOs are derived from an unsaturated poly alpha-olefin product comprising: greater than or equal to about 80 mol % vinylidenes, based on total moles of vinyls, vinylidenes, di-substituted vinylenes, and tri-substituted vinylenes contained therein; 0.1 mol % to 3.5 mol % of tri-substituted vinylenes; 3.0 mol % or less of di-substituted vinylenes; 3.0 mol % or less of vinyl groups; based on total moles of vinylidenes, tri-substituted vinylenes, di-substituted vinylenes, and vinyls contained therein; and having an Mn of less than 5000 g/mol as determined by 1H NMR.

2 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises a kinematic viscosity @40° C. of about 25 cSt or less.

3 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of PAOs comprise 10 wt % or less of PAO dimers.

4 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of PAOs comprise 30 wt % or less of the PAO dimer, the PAO tetramer, the higher oligomers, or a combination thereof.

5 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of PAOs comprise 20 wt % or less of the PAO dimer, the PAO tetramer, the higher oligomers, or a combination thereof.

6 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of PAOs comprise:
80 wt % or more of the PAO trimer; 10 wt % or less of the PAO tetramer, the higher oligomers, or a combination thereof; and 10 wt % or less of PAO dimer.

7 . A lubricant comprising the composition of claim 1 .

8 . The composition of claim 1 , comprising a kinematic viscosity @ 100° C. from about 2.8 cSt to about 4.5 cSt.

9 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises PAOs functionalized with an amine, sulfur, a halogen, or a combination thereof.

10 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of PAOs comprise hybrid trimers.

11 . The composition of claim 1 , comprising a Brookfield viscosity at 40° C. of about 2,000 cP or less.

12 . The composition of claim 1 , comprising a cold crank simulator value (CCS) at −35° C. of about 1,000 cP or less.

13 . The composition of claim 1 , comprising a CCS at −35° C. of about 900 cP or less.

14 . The composition of claim 1 , comprising a viscosity index of about 135 or greater.

15 . A lubricant composition, comprising:
one or more additives; and a plurality of poly-alpha olefins (PAOs), wherein the plurality of PAOs comprise about wt % or more of PAO trimers, wherein the lubricant composition comprises a kinematic viscosity @ 100° C. of about 10 cSt or less and a kinematic viscosity @ 40° C. of about 25 cSt or less, wherein the PAOs are derived from an unsaturated poly alpha-olefin product comprising: greater than or equal to about 80 mol % vinylidenes, based on total moles of vinyls, vinylidenes, di-substituted vinylenes, and tri-substituted vinylenes contained therein; 0.1 mol % to 3.5 mol % of tri-substituted vinylenes; 3.0 mol % or less of di-substituted vinylenes; 3.0 mol % or less of vinyl groups; based on total moles of vinylidenes, tri-substituted vinylenes, di-substituted vinylenes, and vinyls contained therein; and having an Mn of less than 5000 g/mol as determined by 1H NMR.

16 . The lubricant composition of claim 15 , wherein the additives comprise viscosity index improvers, corrosion inhibitor, oxidation inhibitor, dispersant, lube oil flow improver, detergents, demulsifiers, rust inhibitors, pour point depressant, anti-foaming agents, antiwear agents, seal swellant, friction modifiers, or a combination thereof.

17 . The lubricant composition of claim 15 , wherein the composition further comprises PAOs functionalized with an amine, sulfur, a halogen, or a combination thereof.

18 . The lubricant composition of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of PAOs is derivatized.

19 . The lubricant composition of claim 15 , wherein the lubricant composition comprises about 25 to about 60 wt % of the one or more additives.

20 . The lubricant composition of claim 15 , wherein the lubricant comprises about 10 wt % of additives.

Assignees

• Exxonmobil Chemical Patents Inc

Inventors

• Chen Patrick C
• Li Mark H
• Rapp Jennifer L
• Nandapurkar Pramod J
• Wahn Brian H
• Lotfizadehdehkordi Babak
• Emett Craig J
• Kuzhiyil Najeeb M
• Yang Jian

Classifications

• C07C17/00

  Preparation of halogenated hydrocarbons · CPC title

• C07C2/32

  as complexes, e.g. acetyl-acetonates {(complexes of salts of acids of halogen C07C2/20)} · CPC title

• C07C2/30

  containing metal-to-carbon bond; Metal hydrides · CPC title

• C08F4/65922

  containing at least two cyclopentadienyl rings, fused or not · CPC title

• C08F4/65908

  in combination with an ionising compound other than alumoxane, e.g. (C6F5)4B-X+ · CPC title