Abstract A three-stage, wholly catalytic process for the production of lubricating oil comprises the steps of hydrogenation to improve viscosity index and reduce sulphur content, catalytic dewaxing to reduce pour point and hydrogenation over a halogen containing catalyst to improve viscosity index without increasing the pour point. The optimum conditions for the first stage are those giving a first stage product sulphur content of 0.1 to 0.2 percent wt. The catalyst may be one or more group VI or VII hydrogenating metals on a refractory oxide. The second stage catalyst is preferably platinum group metal incorporated with an alkali metal deficient mordenite. The third stage catalyst may be as for the first catalyst with 1-10 percent wt. halogen, preferably fluorine.
A WHOLLY CATALYTIC PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF LUBRICATING OILS FROM A PETROLEUM FEEDSTOCK BOILING ABOVE 350*C WITHOUT THE USE OF SOLVENTS FOR AROMATIC AND WAX REMOVAL COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PASSING THE OIL OVER A CATALYST COMPRISING ONE OR MORE HYDROGENATING COMPONENTS SELECTED FROM GROUPS VIA AND VIII OF THE PERIODIC TABLE ON A REFRACTORY OXIDE SUPPORT TOGETHER WITH HYDROGEN AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM 343* TO 454*C AND A PRESSURE OF 70 TO 210 BARS GAUGE, THEN OVER A CATALYST COMPRISING ONE OR MORE HYDROGENATING COMPONENTS SELECTED FROM GROUPS VIA AND VIII OF THE PERIODIC TABLE INCORPORATED WITH A CRYSTALLINE MORDENITE OF REDUCED ALKALI METAL CONTENT TOGETHER WITH HYDROGEN AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM 250* TO 500*C AND A PRESSURE OF FROM 7 TO 210 BARS GAUGE, AND THEN OVER A CATALYST COMPRISING ONE OR MORE HYDROGENATING COMPONENTS SELECTED FROM GROUPS VIA AND VIII OF THE PERIODIC TABLE ON A REFRACTORY OXIDE SUPPORT
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
155 words
A WHOLLY CATALYTIC PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF LUBRICATING OILS FROM A PETROLEUM FEEDSTOCK BOILING ABOVE 350*C WITHOUT THE USE OF SOLVENTS FOR AROMATIC AND WAX REMOVAL COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PASSING THE OIL OVER A CATALYST COMPRISING ONE OR MORE HYDROGENATING COMPONENTS SELECTED FROM GROUPS VIA AND VIII OF THE PERIODIC TABLE ON A REFRACTORY OXIDE SUPPORT TOGETHER WITH HYDROGEN AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM 343* TO 454*C AND A PRESSURE OF 70 TO 210 BARS GAUGE, THEN OVER A CATALYST COMPRISING ONE OR MORE HYDROGENATING COMPONENTS SELECTED FROM GROUPS VIA AND VIII OF THE PERIODIC TABLE INCORPORATED WITH A CRYSTALLINE MORDENITE OF REDUCED ALKALI METAL CONTENT TOGETHER WITH HYDROGEN AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM 250* TO 500*C AND A PRESSURE OF FROM 7 TO 210 BARS GAUGE, AND THEN OVER A CATALYST COMPRISING ONE OR MORE HYDROGENATING COMPONENTS SELECTED FROM GROUPS VIA AND VIII OF THE PERIODIC TABLE ON A REFRACTORY OXIDE SUPPORT
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the feedstock is a vacuum distillate fraction boiling within the range 350* to 600*C.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
69 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first and third stage catalysts contain, as hydrogenating components, 2 - 25 percent wt of a Group VIa metal and 1 - 15 percent wt of one or more iron group metals both by weight of total catalyst and, as support, 10 to 100 percent wt alumina and 0 - 90 percent wt silica, both by weight of the support.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first stAge is operated to give a first stage product sulphur content of 0.1 to 0.2 percent wt.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second stage catalyst contains from 0.1 to 5 percent wt of a platinum group metal incorporated with a crystalline mordenite having an alkali metal content of less than 2 percent wt.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
A process as claimed in claim 5 wherein the mordenite is a decationised mordenite having a SiO2:Al2 O3 ratio of from 14:1 to 50:1.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the halogen of the third stage catalyst is fluorine.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the halogen content of the third stage catalyst is from 3 to 7 percent wt.