JP2007520335A5 - - Google Patents

Claims (26)

A method for producing a lubricating base oil from a waxy hydrocarbon feedstock comprising:
a) sulfiding a shape selective, medium pore size, noble metal-containing molecular sieve catalyst to provide a sulphided catalyst, wherein the molar ratio of sulfur to noble metal in the sulphided catalyst is greater than 1.
b) hydrolytically isolating the waxy hydrocarbon feedstock by contacting the waxy hydrocarbon feedstock with a catalyst sulfided under hydroisomerization conditions to produce a lubricating base oil;
Including methods.   The method of claim 1, wherein the sulfiding step is a pre-sulfiding step.   The method of claim 1, wherein the sulfidation step is an operating sulfidation step. The pre-sulfiding step comprises contacting the catalyst with a sulfur-containing species in the presence of hydrogen, wherein the sulfur-containing species is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen sulfide, carbon disulfide, and mercaptans. The method described in 1. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the waxy hydrocarbon feed contains less than 10 ppm sulfur. The sulfur to noble metal molar ratio in the catalyst sulfided prior to the hydroisomerization step is at least 2: 1 and the sulfur to noble metal molar ratio in the catalyst sulfided during the hydroisomerization step is at least 3 The method according to claim 2, 4 or 5. The process according to claim 2, 4, 5, or 6, wherein the molar ratio of sulfur to noble metal in the sulfurized catalyst is at least 3: 1. The process according to claim 2, 4, 5, 6 or 7, wherein the molar ratio of sulfur to noble metal in the sulfurized catalyst is at least 5: 1. The waxy hydrocarbon feedstock is gas oil, lubricating oil feedstock, synthetic oil, Fischer-Tropsch derived wax, oligomerized Fischer-Tropsch derived olefin, wax lower oil, crude wax, deoiled wax, linear α-olefin 9. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the method is selected from the group consisting of waxes, microcrystalline waxes, and mixtures thereof. 10. A process according to claim 9, wherein the waxy hydrocarbon feedstock is a Fischer-Tropsch derived wax. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the molecular sieve has a channel diameter in the range of 4.0 to 7.1 mm. The method according to claim 11, wherein the molecular sieve is non-zeolitic. The method of claim 12, wherein the catalyst is a SAPO catalyst. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the SAPO catalyst is selected from the group consisting of SAPO-11, SAPO-31, and SAPO-41. 15. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the noble metal is selected from the group consisting of platinum, palladium, and mixtures thereof.   16. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the waxy hydrocarbon feedstock is a sulfur enhanced feedstock.   17. A process according to any preceding claim, wherein the hydroisomerization conditions comprise a total pressure between 150 and 1000 pounds per square inch gauge.   18. The method of claim 17, wherein the hydroisomerization conditions comprise a total pressure between 150 and 500 pounds per square inch gauge.   19. The method of claim 18, wherein the hydroisomerization conditions comprise a total pressure between 150 and 300 pounds per square inch gauge.   The method of claim 17, wherein the hydroisomerization conditions comprise a total pressure between 500 and 1000 pounds per square inch gauge.   21. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein between 40 and 95 weight percent of the lubricating base oil has a boiling point between 650 and 1400 ° F.   22. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the lubricating base oil has a viscosity index between 140 and 190.   23. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the lubricating base oil has a pour point between -5 and -60 <0> C.   24. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the lubricating base oil has a viscosity at 100 <0> C of greater than 3 centistokes.   25. A method according to any preceding claim, further comprising the step of solvent dewaxing at least a portion of the lubricating base oil, thereby removing the crude wax.   26. The method of claim 25, further comprising hydroisomerizing the crude wax with a waxy hydrocarbon feedstock.