Nanostructured Materials for Olefin Oligomerization

Advanced synthetic lubricants have the potential to reduce automotive gas consumption, improve startup in colder U.S. climates, and reduce the quantity of disposed oil. These lubricants could benefit from the development of nanostructured catalysts ¿ a growing class of materials with designed surfaces, structures, and pores ¿ whose features on the nanometer scale give rise to chemical and catalytic phenomena not seen with bulk materials. For synthetic lubricants, nanostructured catalysts offer the potential to control both the molecular weight and the extent of branching. Better control over these properties would allow formulators to mix and match lubricants to get an optimal lubricant blend. Phase I developed a mesoporous catalyst that showed high conversion and desired selectivity to oligomers. The catalyst was easy to prepare, thermally stable, and provided size-selective catalysis by virtue of its functionalized nanometer-sized pores. Phase II will optimize the catalyst properties and develop an oligomerization process, using the new material in collaboration with a commercialization partner. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: Better synthetic lubricants would lead to better gas mileage and longer service life of automotive engines, gas turbine engines, and other rotating equipment. If 10% of the U.S. transportation sector switched from petroleum derived lubricants to synthetic lubricants, a energy savings of 0.15 Quads/year would be possible. Also, an environmental benefit would accrue, because synthetic lubricants last much longer than mineral oil lubricants; therefore, disposal quantities would be reduced