1-octene, 1-decene, 1-dodecene ternary copolymer and lubricant composition containing same

Abstract

Provided are an α-olefin copolymer useful as a high-viscosity lubricant oil excellent in viscosity characteristics, low-temperature characteristics and oxidation stability, and a lubricant oil containing the copolymer. The α-olefin copolymer is a 1-octene/1-decene/1-dodecene ternary copolymer produced by the use of a doubly crosslinked metallocene catalyst.

1 . A ternary copolymer, comprising:
 a 1-octene unit,   a 1-decene unit, and   a 1-dodecene unit,   wherein the ternary copolymer is produced in the presence of a doubly crosslinked metallocene catalyst.   
     
     
         2 . The ternary copolymer according to  claim 1 , wherein a proportion of molecules whose polymerization terminal is a 2,1-insertion terminal is 30 mol % or greater. 
     
     
         3 . The ternary copolymer according to  claim 1 , wherein
 a molar ratio of the 1-decene unit to a total of the 1-octene unit and the 1-dodecene unit is of from 5/95 to 70/30, and   a molar ratio of the 1-octene unit to the 1-dodecene unit is of from 20/80 to 80/20.   
     
     
         4 . The ternary copolymer according to  claim 1 , wherein the ternary copolymer has:
 a mesotriad fraction mm, as measured through  13 C-NMR, of from 25 to 50 mol %, and   a kinematic viscosity at 100° C. of from 30 to 1000 mm 2 /s.   
     
     
         5 . The ternary copolymer according to  claim 1 , wherein the ternary copolymer has a number-average molecular weight, as measured through GPC, of from 1500 to 15000. 
     
     
         6 . The ternary copolymer according to  claim 1 , wherein the ternary copolymer has a weight-average molecular weight Mw of from 2100 to 30000. 
     
     
         7 . The ternary copolymer according to  claim 1 , wherein the ternary copolymer has a molecular weight distribution Mw/Mn of 3.0 or smaller. 
     
     
         8 . The ternary copolymer according to  claim 1 , wherein an amount of double bonds after hydrogenation relative to a total amount of monomer units, as measured through  1 H-NMR, is 0.3 mol % or smaller. 
     
     
         9 . A lubricant oil composition comprising:
 the ternary copolymer according to  claim 1 ,   a hydrogenated 1-octene/1-decene/1-dodecene ternary copolymer prepared through hydrogenation of the ternary copolymer, or   both.