Post-Oligomerization of α-Olefin Oligomers: A Route to Single-Component and Multicomponent Synthetic Lubricating Oils

This article describes a synthetic route to single-component and multicomponent base stocks for synthetic lubricated oils. The synthesis was carried out in two stages. First, oligomers of alpha-olefins (1-hexene, 4-methyl-1-pentene, and 1-decene) were prepared via reactions catalyzed by metallocene catalysts. The distribution of the oligomers with respect to their oligomerization number could be controlled by the reaction temperature. The oligomer mixtures were then fractionated, and the lightest components, dimers and trimers, were separated. Finally, the latter materials, branched alpha-olefins containing vinylidene double bonds, were further oligomerized with cationic catalysts. One such material prepared in the two-stage process, the dimer of the 1-decene dimer (C(40) product), has a kinematic viscosity of 6.4 cs at 100 degrees C and a viscosity index of 147. It represents the first example of a single-component base stock for synthetic lubricating oils. The post-oligomerization procedure was performed on unfractionated oligomer mixtures as well, leading to an improved distribution of the final materials with respect to the carbon atom number. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 111: 273-280, 2009