Process for preparing oxidized microcrystalline waxes

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF PREPARING AN OXIDIZED WAX OF LOW PENETRATION COMPRISING SUBJECTING PETROLEUM MICROCRYSTALLINE WAX HAVING AN OIL CONTENT BELOW 0.7% BY WEIGH TO CATALYTIC OXIDATION IN LIQUID PHASE AT TEMPERATURES BETWEEN ABOUT 280-330*F. UNTIL THE WAX ATTAINS A SAPONIFICATION NUMBER OF AT LEAST 40 AND AN ACID NUMBER OF AT LEAST 10 AND YIELDS UPON EXTRACTION WITH A SOLVENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUPS CONSISTING OF METHYL ETHYL KETONE AND METHYL ETHYL KETONE-TOLUENE MIXTURE, A PRECIPITATE HAVING A PENETRATION OF 8-10, SEPARATING THE CATALYST FROM THE OXIDIZED WAX, MIXING THE RESULTING OXIDIZED WAX WITH SUFFICIENT SOLVENT OF THE AFORESAID GROUPS TO PRODUCE UPON COOLING TO BELOW 10*F. A PRECIPITATE AND AN EXTRACT COOLING THE OXIDIZED WAX-SOLVENT MIXTURE TO A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 10*F. AND -10*F. AND RECOVERING THE PRECIPITATE AS THE LOW PENETRATION OXIDIZED WAX.