Process for producing light neutral base oil having a high viscosity index

Abstract

A process is disclosed for producing light neutral base oil having a VI greater than 120 comprising the steps of contacting a hydrocarbonaceous feedstock with a catalyst comprising a low acidity, highly dealuminated ultrastable Y zeolite and a catalytic amount of hydrogenation component to produce a converted fraction and an unconverted fraction boiling above 700° F.; recovering at least a portion of the unconverted fraction; dewaxing at least a portion of the unconverted fraction; separating at least a portion of the dewaxed unconverted fraction into a least a first distillate fraction and a second distillate fraction, said first distillate fraction comprising a lubricating base oil having a viscosity of from about 3 cSt to about 6 cSt at 100° C. and said second distillate fraction having a viscosity of greater than about 6 cSt at 100° C.; and recovering at least a portion of the first distillate fraction.

1 . A process for producing light neutral base oil having a VI greater than 120 comprising:
 (a) contacting a hydrocarbonaceous feedstock with a catalyst comprising a low acidity, highly dealuminated ultrastable Y zeolite having an Alpha value of less than about 5 and Broensted acidity of from about 1 to about 20 micromole/g measured by FT-IR and a catalytic amount of hydrogenation component selected from the group consisting of a Group VI metal, a Group VIII metal, and mixtures thereof under hydrocracking conditions to produce a converted fraction and an unconverted fraction boiling above 700° F.;   (b) recovering at least a portion of the unconverted fraction;   (c) dewaxing at least a portion of the unconverted fraction;   (d) separating at least a portion of the dewaxed unconverted fraction into a least a first distillate fraction and a second distillate fraction, said first distillate fraction comprising a lubricating base oil having a viscosity of from about 3 cSt to about 6 cSt at 100° C. and said second distillate fraction having a viscosity of greater than about 6 cSt at 100° C.; and   (e) recovering at least a portion of the first distillate fraction.   
   
   
       2 . A process according to  claim 1 , wherein said first distillate fraction has a viscosity of from about 3 cSt to about 4 cSt at 100° C. 
   
   
       3 . A process according to  claim 1 , wherein said first distillate fraction has a viscosity of from about 4 cSt to about 5 cSt at 100° C. 
   
   
       4 . A process according to  claim 1 , wherein said first distillate fraction has a viscosity of from about 5 cSt to about 6 cSt at 100° C. 
   
   
       5 . A process according to  claim 1 , wherein the catalyst further comprises a homogeneous, amorphous silica-alumina cracking component having an SB ratio of from about 0.7 to about 1.3, wherein a crystalline alumina phase is present in an amount of no greater than about 10%, preferably no greater than 5%. 
   
   
       6 . A process according to  claim 1 , wherein the dewaxing is catalytic dewaxing. 
   
   
       7 . A process according to  claim 1 , wherein the catalyst comprises from about 0.5% to 30% by weight of ultrastable Y zeolite, from about 10% to 80% by weight of amorphous cracking component, and from about 10% to 30% by weight of a binder. 
   
   
       8 . A process according to  claim 1 , wherein the Group VIII metal hydrogenation component is selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, platinum, palladium and mixtures thereof and wherein the Group VI metal hydrogenation component is selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, tungsten and mixtures thereof. 
   
   
       9 . A process according to  claim 8 , wherein the hydrogenation component comprises from about 2% to about 8% by weight of nickel and from about 8% to about 30% by weight of tungsten, calculated as metals per 100 parts by weight of total catalyst. 
   
   
       10 . A process according to  claim 8 , wherein the hydrogenation component comprises from 0.2% to about 2% by weight of platinum, or from about 0.2% to about 2% by weight of palladium, or a combination of from 0.2% to about 2% by weight of platinum and palladium, calculated as metals per 100 parts by weight of total catalyst. 
   
   
       11 . A process for producing light neutral base oil having a VI greater than 120 comprising:
 (a) contacting a hydrocarbonaceous feedstock with a catalyst comprising a low acidity, highly dealuminated ultrastable Y zeolite having an Alpha value of less than about 5 and Broensted acidity of from about 1 to about 20 micromole/g measured by FT-IR and a catalytic amount of hydrogenation component selected from the group consisting of a Group VI metal, a Group VIII metal, and mixtures thereof under hydrocracking conditions to produce a converted fraction and an unconverted fraction boiling above 700° F.;   (b) recovering at least a portion of the unconverted fraction;   (c) separating at least a portion of the recovered unconverted fraction into a least a first distillate fraction and a second distillate fraction, said first distillate fraction boiling in the range of about 700° F.-850° F. and said second distillate fraction boiling above 850° F. at atmospheric pressure;   (d) dewaxing at least a portion of the first distillate fraction; and   (e) recovering at least a portion of the dewaxed first distillate fraction comprising a lubricating base oil having a viscosity of from about 3 cSt to about 6 cSt at 100° C.   
   
   
       12 . A process according to  claim 11 , wherein the first distillate fraction boils in the range of about 700° F.-780° F. and the lubricating base oil has a viscosity of from about 3 cSt to about 4 cSt at 100° C. 
   
   
       13 . A process according to  claim 11 , wherein the first distillate fraction boils in the range of about 780° F.-860° F. and the lubricating base oil has a viscosity of from about 4 cSt to about 5 cSt at 100° C. 
   
   
       14 . A process according to  claim 11 , wherein the first distillate fraction boils in the range of about 860° F.-920° F. and the lubricating base oil has a viscosity of from about 5 cSt to about 6 cSt at 100° C. 
   
   
       15 . A process according to  claim 11 , wherein the catalyst further comprises a homogeneous, amorphous silica-alumina cracking component having an SB ratio of from about 0.7 to about 1.3, wherein a crystalline alumina phase is present in an amount of no greater than about 10%, preferably no greater than 5%. 
   
   
       16 . A process according to  claim 11 , wherein the dewaxing step is catalytic dewaxing. 
   
   
       17 . A process according to  claim 11 , wherein the catalyst comprises from about 0.5% to 30% by weight of ultrastable Y zeolite, from about 10% to 80% by weight of amorphous cracking component, and from about 10% to 30% by weight of a binder. 
   
   
       18 . A process according to  claim 11 , wherein the Group VIII metal hydrogenation component is selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, platinum, palladium and mixtures thereof and wherein the Group VI metal hydrogenation component is selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, tungsten and mixtures thereof. 
   
   
       19 . A process according to  claim 18 , wherein the hydrogenation component comprises from 2% to about 8% by weight of nickel and from about 8% to about 30% by weight of tungsten, calculated as metals per 100 parts by weight of total catalyst. 
   
   
       20 . A process according to  claim 18 , wherein the hydrogenation component comprises from 0.2% to about 2% by weight of platinum, or from about 0.2% to about 2% by weight of palladium, or a combination of from 0.2% to about 2% by weight of platinum and palladium, calculated as metals per 100 parts by weight of total catalyst.