Process for improving the quality of lubricating oils

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR TREATING A LUBRICATING OIL DISTILLATE FRACTION DERIVED FROM A CRUDE OIL TAKEN FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MID-CONTINENT AND COASTAL TYPE CRUDE OILS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF HYDROGENATING SAID LUBRICATING OIL DISTILLATE FRACTION OVER A HYDROGENATION CATALYST IN THE PRESENCE OF HYDROGEN IN AN AMOUNT IN THE RANGE OF FROM 200 TO 2000 CUBIC FEET PER BARREL OF SAID OIL DISTILLATE WHILE PASSING THE HYDROGEN AND SAID FRACTION CO-CURRENTLY OVER SAID CATALYST AT A RATE WITHIN THE RANGE OF 1/4 TO 3 VOLUMES OF SAID FRACTION PER VOLUME OF CATALYST PER HOUR AT A PRESSURE IN THE RANGE OF 700 TO 800 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH AND A T A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF 650 TO 750*F. TO FORM A LIQUID PHASE CONTAINING HYDROGEN LIGHT HYDROCARBON AND A SMALL AMOUNT OF LOW FLASH POINT LIQUID, SUBSEQUENTLY SEPARATING THE GAS AND LOW FLASH POINT LIQUID FROM SAID LIQUID PHASE TO FORM A GAS-FREE, FLASH-CORRECT LIQUID LUBRICATING OIL PHASE, CONTACTING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE LUBRICATING OIL COMPONENTS OF SAID LIQUID LUBRICATING OIL PHASE WITH PHENOL IN A SOLVENT EXTRACTION ZONE TO FORM AN EXTRACT PHASE AND A RAFFINATE PHASE AND RECOVERING THE RAFFINATE PHASE AS PRODUCT.