Processes to produce poly alpha-olefins

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12522677-B2
Application number	US-202117996971-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2021
Priority date	Apr 29, 2020
Publication date	Jan 13, 2026
Grant date	Jan 13, 2026

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to processes to produce a poly alpha-olefin (PAO) composition. In some embodiments, a process includes introducing a first C6-C32 alpha-olefin, a second C6-C32 alpha-olefin different than the first C6-C32 alpha-olefin, and a first catalyst system comprising an activator and a metallocene compound into a first reactor, wherein a molar ratio of the first C6-C32 alpha-olefin to the second C6-C32 alpha-olefin is from about 1:5 to about 5:1, by total moles of the first and second C6-C32 alpha-olefin; obtaining a first effluent including a PAO dimer; introducing the first effluent, a third C6-C32 alpha-olefin, and a second catalyst system to an oligomerization unit, wherein the third C6-C32 alpha-olefin is the same or different than the first C6-C32 alpha-olefin and/or second C6-C32 alpha-olefin; obtaining a second effluent; and hydrogenating the second effluent to form the PAO composition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A process to produce a poly alpha-olefin (PAO) composition, the process comprising:
introducing a first C 6 -C 32 alpha-olefin, a second C 6 -C 32 alpha-olefin different than the first C 6 -C 32 alpha-olefin, and a first catalyst system comprising an activator and a metallocene compound into a first reactor under reactor conditions, wherein a molar ratio of the first C 6 -C 32 alpha-olefin to the second C 6 -C 32 alpha-olefin is from about 1:5 to about 5:1, by total moles of the first and second C 6 -C 32 alpha-olefin; obtaining a first effluent comprising a PAO dimer; introducing the first effluent, a third C 6 -C 32 alpha-olefin, and a second catalyst system to an oligomerization unit, wherein the third C 6 -C 32 alpha-olefin includes octene; obtaining a second effluent; and hydrogenating the second effluent to form the PAO composition that is about 85 wt % or greater of a PAO trimer, wherein the PAO trimer comprises C 24 to C 36 trimer and an average trimer size of the PAO trimer is C 31 , and about 1 wt % to about 15 wt % of a C 38+ PAO, and the PAO composition has a kinematic viscosity at 100° C. of from about 3.8 cSt to about 4.3 cSt, according to ASTM D445 and a polydispersity index of about less than about 1.02.

2 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the first C 6 -C 32 alpha-olefin comprises decene and the second C 6 -C 32 alpha-olefin comprises dodecene.

3 . The process of claim 2 , wherein the total moles of the first and second C 6 -C 32 alpha-olefin comprises less than about 60 mol % decene.

4 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the first C 6 -C 32 alpha-olefin is decene, the second C 6 -C 32 alpha-olefin is dodecene, and the third C 6 -C 32 alpha-olefin is octene.

5 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising introducing a fourth C 6 -C 32 alpha-olefin to the oligomerizaton unit, wherein the fourth C 6 -C 32 alpha-olefin is decene.

6 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising introducing a fourth C 6 -C 32 alpha-olefin to the oligomerizaton unit, wherein the fourth C 6 -C 32 alpha-olefin is dodecene.

7 . The process of claim 4 , wherein:
the first effluent is present in an amount of from about 50 wt % to about 90 wt %; the octene is present in an amount of from about 10 wt % to 50 wt %; and a fourth C 6 -C 32 alpha-olefin that is decene is present in an amount of less than about 10 wt % decene by total weight of first effluent+octene+fourth C 6 -C 32 alpha-olefin, wherein the total amount of first effluent+octene+fourth C 6 -C 32 alpha-olefin does not exceed 100%.

8 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the first effluent comprises from about 60 wt % to about 100 wt % PAO dimer.

9 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the PAO dimer comprises greater than about 80 wt % vinylidenes.

10 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the first effluent and the third C 6 -C 32 alpha-olefin are present at a molar ratio of first effluent to the third C 6 -C 32 alpha-olefin of from about 1:2 to about 2:1.

11 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the second effluent comprises about 60 wt % or greater of trimer.

12 . The process of claim 11 , wherein the second effluent comprises about 75 wt % or greater of trimer.

13 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the metallocene compound is represented by the formula:

wherein:
each of R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 is independently hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branched linear, or cyclic C 1 -C 20 hydrocarbyl group, wherein at least one of R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 is not hydrogen and at least one of R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 is hydrogen;
each of R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , and R 7 is independently hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branched linear, or cyclic C 1 -C 30 hydrocarbyl group, or one or more of R 4 and R 5 , R 5 and R 6 , or R 6 and R 7 , taken together with the carbon atoms in the indenyl ring to which they are directly connected, collectively form one or more substituted or unsubstituted rings fused to the indenyl ring;
each of R 8 , R 9 , R 10 , R 11 , and R 12 is independently a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branched linear, or cyclic C 1 -C 30 hydrocarbyl, silylcarbyl, or germanyl group;
M is a group 3, 4 or 5 transition metal;
each X is independently a halogen, a hydride, an amide, an alkoxide, a sulfide, a phosphide, a diene, an amine, a phosphine, an ether, or a C 1 -C 20 substituted or unsubstituted linear, branched linear, or cyclic hydrocarbyl group, or optionally two or more X moieties may together form a fused ring or ring system; and
m is an integer equal to 1, 2, or 3.

14 . The process of claim 13 , wherein the metallocene compound is represented by the formula:

wherein:
each of R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 is independently hydrogen or a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branched linear, or cyclic C 1 -C 20 hydrocarbyl or silylcarbyl group;
each of R 4 and R 7 is independently a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branched linear, or cyclic C 1 -C 30 hydrocarbyl or silylcarbyl group;
each of R 8 , R 9 , R 10 , R 11 , and R 12 is independently a hydrogen, or a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branched linear, or cyclic C 1 -C 20 hydrocarbyl, silylcarbyl, or germanyl group, or optionally at least three of R 8 , R 9 , R 10 , R 11 , and R 12 are not hydrogen;
each of R 13 , R 14 , R 15 , R 16 , R 17 , and R 18 is independently hydrogen or a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branched linear, or cyclic C 1 -C 20 hydrocarbyl or silylcarbyl group;
M is a group 3, 4 or 5 transition metal;
each X is independently a halogen, a hydride, an amide, an alkoxide, a sulfide, a phosphide, a diene, an amine, a phosphine, an ether, or a C 1 -C 20 substituted or unsubstituted linear, branched, or cyclic hydrocarbyl group, or optionally two or more X moieties may together form a fused ring or ring system; and
m is an integer equal to 1, 2, or 3.

15 . The process of claim 13 , wherein each of R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 is independently hydrogen or a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branched linear, or cyclic C 1 -C 6 hydrocarbyl group.

16 . The process of claim 13 , wherein Mis Hf.

17 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the second catalyst system comprises a Lewis acid catalyst, an alcohol activator, and an alkyl acetate activator.

18 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the second catalyst system comprises:
butanol and butyl acetate in a molar ratio of from about 1:5 to about 7:1, and boron trifluoride (BF 3 ).

19 . A poly alpha-olefin (PAO) composition comprising:
about 85 wt % or greater of a PAO trimer, wherein the PAO trimer comprises C 24 to C 36 trimer and an average trimer size of the PAO trimer is C 31 ; and about 1 wt % to about 15 wt % of a C 38+ PAO wherein the PAO composition has a kinematic viscosity at 100° C. of from about 3.8 cSt to about 4.3 cSt, according to ASTM D445 and a polydispersity index of about less than about 1.02.

20 . The PAO composition of claim 19 , wherein the rotating pressure vessel oxidation test (RPVOT) of the PAO composition, as determined according to ASTM D2272, is from about 90 min to 120 min.

21 . The PAO composition of claim 19 , wherein the PAO composition comprises about 1 wt % to about 10 wt % of the C 38+ PAO.

22 . The PAO composit

Assignees

• Exxonmobil Chemical Patents Inc

Inventors

• Li Mark H
• Chen Patrick C

Classifications

• C08F4/65922

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

• C08F4/14

  Boron halides or aluminium halides; Complexes thereof with organic compounds containing oxygen · CPC title

• C10N2070/00

  Specific manufacturing methods for lubricant compositions · CPC title

• C10M2205/0285

  used as base material · CPC title

• C07C2531/22

  Organic complexes · CPC title