HIGH PRESSURE HYDROFINISHING FOR LUBRICANT BASE OIL PRODUCTION

• Main Authors: Fingland, Bradley R, Schleicher, Gary P
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 14.05.2020
• Subjects: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; LUBRICATING COMPOSITIONS; METALLURGY; MINERAL WAXES; PEAT; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVEHYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, ORGASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING; USE OF CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES EITHER ALONE OR AS LUBRICATINGINGREDIENTS IN A LUBRICATING COMPOSITION

Systems and methods are provided for catalytic hydroprocessing to form lubricant base oils. The methods can include performing high pressure hydrofinishing after fractionating the hydrotreated and/or hydrocracked and/or dewaxed effluent. Performing hydrofinishing after fractionation can allow the high hydrogen pressure for hydrofinishing to be used on one or more lubricant base oil fractions that are desirable for high pressure hydrofinishing. This can allow for improved aromatic saturation of a lubricant base oil product while reducing or minimizing the hydrogen consumption. The high pressure hydrofinishing can be performed at a hydrogen partial pressure of at least about 2500 psig (˜17.2 Mpa), or at least about 2600 psig (˜18.0 Mpa), or at least about 3000 psig (˜20.6 MPa). The high pressure hydrofinishing can allow for formation of a lubricant base oil product with a reduced or minimized aromatics content, a reduced or minimized 3-ring aromatics content, or a combination thereof.