abstract |
High viscosity index, low pour point lubricants are produced by the oligomerization of a wax-derived lubricant fraction. The fraction may be produced from slack wax or de-oiled wax by hydroisomerization over zeolite beta or hydrocracking/isomerization over an amorphous catalyst followed by selective dewaxing, preferably by catalytic dewaxing over a highly shape selective zeolite such as ZSM-23. The preferred peroxides are ditertiary alkyl peroxides such as ditertiary butyl peroxide (DTBP) and are typically used at temperatures of 100 DEG -300 DEG C. |