Process for well fluids base oil via metathesis of alpha-olefins

Abstract

Disclosed is a process for preparation of compositions having utility as well fluid base oils. The process involves metathesis of alpha-olefins followed by isomerization of the metathesis products. The base oils resulting from the process of this invention are environmentally friendly in that they are only mildly toxic to marine life, are highly biodegradable and have very low pour point temperatures. These properties make the base oils ideal candidates for use as components of well fluids for cold climates and offshore applications.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A process for production of valuable liquid products suitable for use as at least one component in low pour point temperature and low toxicity well fluid base oils comprising the steps of: 
 (i) providing a predominantly linear alpha-olefins feed wherein said alpha-olefins have from about 4 to about 22 carbon atoms,    (ii) subjecting said feed to metathesis conditions in the presence of a metathesis catalyst so as to form valuable liquid metathesis products and gaseous ethylene as a by-product,    (iii) separating the valuable liquid metathesis products from the gaseous ethylene so as to drive the reaction to completion and permit recovery of the valuable liquid metathesis products,    (iv) optionally, further purifying the liquid metathesis products from step (iii), and    (v) subjecting a feed comprising about 10 to 100 weight percent of the product selected from step (iii), step (iv) and mixtures thereof to isomerization conditions in the presence of an isomerization catalyst.    
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the metathesis catalyst comprises rhenium.  
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the metathesis temperature is in the range of about 10° C. to about 150° C.  
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the gaseous ethylene by-product is removed by deployment of an inert gas purge of the metathesis reactor during the linear alpha-olefin metathesis  
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the linear alpha-olefins feed is contacted with an adsorbent prior to metathesis and then fed to the metathesis reaction (ii) in a continuous mode.  
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 5  wherein the adsorbent is selected from the group consisting of alumina and zeolites;  
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 5  wherein the adsorbent is alumina.  
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the alpha-olefins in the feed have from about 8 to about 12 carbon atoms.  
     
     
         9 . The product made by the process of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         10 . A well fluid base oil comprising the product of  claim 9 .  
     
     
         11 . A process for production of valuable liquid products suitable for use as at least one component in low pour point temperature and low toxicity-well fluid base oils comprising the steps of: 
 (i) providing a predominantly linear alpha-olefins feed wherein said alpha-olefins have from about 4 to about 22 carbon atoms,    (ii) subjecting said feed to metathesis conditions in the presence of a heterogeneous supported metathesis catalyst so as to form valuable liquid metathesis products and gaseous ethylene as a by-product,    (iii) separating the valuable liquid metathesis products from the gaseous ethylene so as to drive the reaction to completion and permit recovery of the valuable liquid metathesis products,    (iv) optionally, further purifying the liquid metathesis products from step (iii), and    (v) optionally, subjecting a feed comprising about 10 to 100 weight percent of the product selected from step (iii), step (iv) and mixtures thereof to isomerization conditions in the presence of an isomerization catalyst.    
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 11  wherein the metathesis catalyst comprises rhenium.  
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 11  wherein the metathesis temperature is in the range of about 10° C. to about 150° C.  
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 11  wherein the gaseous ethylene by-product is removed by deployment of an inert gas purge of the metathesis reactor during the linear alpha-olefin metathesis.  
     
     
         15 . The product made by the process of  claim 11 .  
     
     
         16 . A well fluid base oil comprising the product of  claim 11 .  
     
     
         17 . A process for production of specialty linear internal olefins comprising the steps of: 
 (i) providing a predominantly linear alpha-olefins feed wherein said alpha-olefins have from about 4 to about 22 carbon atoms,    (ii) subjecting said feed to metathesis conditions in the presence of a heterogeneous supported metathesis catalyst so as to form valuable liquid specialty linear internal olefins and gaseous ethylene as a by-product,    (iii) separating the valuable liquid specialty internal olefin products from the gaseous ethylene so as to drive the reaction to completion and recover the valuable liquid specialty internal olefin products, and    (iv) optionally, further purifying the liquid specialty internal olefins metathesis products from step (iii).    
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 17  wherein the metathesis catalyst comprises rhenium.  
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 17  wherein the metathesis temperature is in the range of about 10° C. to about 150° C.  
     
     
         20 . The process of  claim 17  wherein the gaseous ethylene by-product is removed by deployment of an inert gas purge of the metathesis reactor during the linear alpha-olefin metathesis.  
     
     
         21 . The process of  claim 17  wherein the linear alpha-olefins feed is contacted with an adsorbent prior to metathesis and then fed to the metathesis reaction (ii) in a continuous mode.  
     
     
         22 . The process of  claim 21  wherein the adsorbent is selected from the group consisting of alumina and zeolites;  
     
     
         23 . The process of  claim 21  wherein the adsorbent is alumina.  
     
     
         24 . The process of  claim 17 , wherein the alpha-olefins in the feed have from about 8 to about 12 carbon atoms.  
     
     
         25 . The product made by the process of  claim 17 .  
     
     
         26 . A well fluid base oil comprising the product of  claim 25 .  
     
     
         27 . A lube oil additive comprising the product of  claim 25 .  
     
     
         28 . A lube oil comprising the product of  claim 25 .  
     
     
         29 . A lube oil comprising the hydrogenated product of  claim 25 .  
     
     
         30 . A metal working lubricant comprising the product of  claim 25 .  
     
     
         31 . A metal working lubricant comprising the hydrogenated product of  claim 25 .  
     
     
         32 . A component of a metal working fluid comprising the product of  claim 25 .  
     
     
         33 . A surfactant comprising product formed by chemically adding a polar group to the product of  claim 25 .  
     
     
         34 . An alkenyl succinic anhydride compound formed by chemically reacting maleic anhydride with a feed comprising the product of  claim 25 .  
     
     
         35 . A plasticizer comprising the product of  claim 25 .  
     
     
         36 . A process for production of valuable liquid products suitable for use as at least one component in low pour point temperature and low toxicity well fluid base oils comprising the steps of: 
 (i) providing a predominantly linear alpha-olefin feed wherein said alpha-olefin comprises 1-decene,    (ii) subjecting said feed to metathesis conditions in the presence of a metathesis catalyst so as to form a metathesis product comprising 9-octadecene and a gaseous ethylene by-product,    (iii) separating the 9-octadecene metathesis product from the gaseous ethylene so as to drive the reaction to completion and permit recovery of the 9-octadecene product,    (iv) optionally, further purifying the 9-octadecene product from step (iii), and    (v) subjecting a feed comprising about 10 to 100 weight percent of the 9-octadecene product selected from step (iii), step (iv) and mixtures thereof to isomerization conditions in the presence of an isomerization catalyst.    
     
     
         37 . The process of  claim 36  wherein the metathesis catalyst comprises rhenium, and the metathesis temperature is in the range of about 10° C. to about 150° C.  
     
     
         38 . The product made by the process of  claim 36 .  
     
     
         39 . A well fluid base oil comprising the product of  claim 38 .  
     
     
         40 . The process of  claim 36  wherein the linear alpha-olefins feed is contacted with an adsorbent prior to metathesis and then fed to the metathesis reaction (ii) in a continuous mode.  
     
     
         41 . The process of  claim 40  wherein the adsorbent is alumina.  
     
     
         42 . A process for production of valuable liquid products suitable for use as at least one component in low pour point temperature and low toxicity well fluid base oils comprising the steps of: 
 (i) providing a predominantly linear alpha-olefin feed wherein said alpha-olefin comprises 1-decene,    (ii) subjecting said feed to metathesis conditions in the presence of a metathesis catalyst so as to form a metathesis product comprising 9-octadecene and a gaseous ethylene by-product,    (iii) separating the 9-octadecene metathesis product from the gaseous ethylene so as to drive the reaction to completion and permit recovery of the 9-octadecene product,    (iv) optionally, further purifying the 9-octadecene product from step (iii).    
     
     
         43 . The process of  claim 42  wherein the metathesis catalyst comprises rhenium and the metathesis temperature is in the range of about 10° C. to about 150° C.  
     
     
         44 . The product made by the process of  claim 42 .  
     
     
         45 . A well fluid base oil comprising the product of  claim 44 .  
     
     
         46 . The process of  claim 42  wherein the linear alpha-olefins feed is contacted with an adsorbent prior to metathesis and then fed to the metathesis reaction (ii) in a continuous mode.  
     
     
         47 . The process of  claim 46  wherein the adsorbent is alumina.  
     
     
         48 . A process for production of valuable liquid products suitable for use as at least one component in low pour point temperature and low toxicity well fluid base oils comprising the steps of: 
 (i) providing a predominantly linear alpha-olefins feed wherein said alpha-olefins have from about 4 to about 22 carbon atoms and passing said feed over an adsorbent to remove impurities,    (ii) subjecting said feed to metathesis conditions in the presence of a heterogeneous supported metathesis catalyst so as to form valuable liquid metathesis products and gaseous ethylene as a by-product,    (iii) separating the valuable liquid metathesis products from the gaseous ethylene so as to drive the reaction to completion and permit recovery of the valuable liquid metathesis products,    (iv) optionally, further purifying the liquid metathesis products from step (iii), and (v) optionally, subjecting a feed comprising about 10 to 100 weight percent of the product selected from step (iii), step (iv) and mixtures thereof to isomerization conditions in the presence of an isomerization catalyst.    
     
     
         49 . The process of  claim 48  wherein the adsorbent is alumina.  
     
     
         50 . The process of  claim 48  wherein the metathesis catalyst comprises rhenium, and the metathesis temperature is in the range of about 10° C. to about 150° C.  
     
     
         51 . The process of  claim 48 , wherein the alpha-olefins in the feed have from about 8 to about 12 carbon atoms.  
     
     
         52 . The process of  claim 48 , wherein the alpha-olefins feed comprises 1-decene.  
     
     
         53 . The product made by the process of  claim 48 .  
     
     
         54 . A well fluid base oil comprising the product of  claim 53.