874. ---------------.[FARAGHER, W. F. AND HORNE, W. A., HOWES, D. A., SCHINDLER, H., CHAFFEE, C. C., WEST, H. L., AND ROSENFELD, L.] Supplemental Report on Ruhrchemie A. G., Sterkrade-Holten, Ruhr. Synthetic Lubricating Oil Manufacture. CIOS Rept. XXXII-96, 1945, pp. 5-13; TOM Reel 196; PB 1366.

874. ---------------. [FARAGHER, W. F. AND HORNE, W. A., HOWES, D. A., SCHINDLER, H., CHAFFEE, C. C., WEST, H. L., AND ROSENFELD, L.] Supplemental Report on Ruhrchemie A. G., Sterkrade-Holten, Ruhr. Synthetic Lubricating Oil Manufacture. CIOS Rept. XXXII-96, 1945, pp. 5-13; TOM Reel 196; PB 1366.

Raw material for the manufacture of synthetic lubricating oil by the Ruhrchemie process consists of olefins in the gasoline boiling range having 1 double bond at the end of the chain that are obtained by cracking Fischer-Tropsch gas oil and sweet oil from Fischer-Tropsch wax. Gas oil from plants operating at atmospheric pressure or at 10-15 atm. is suitable. The gas oil has a boiling range of about 230°-320°. The feed stock, thus obtained, and containing not more than 0.015% of H₂O, is polymerized in the presence of 1.2-1.5% of AlCl₃, the temperature being gradually raised from 40° to 100° over a period of 4-6 hr. The synthetic oil product is separated from the catalyst-complex oil by setting; dechlorinated by treatment with 1.5% each of Tonsil, HCl activated clay, and ZnO at 180° for 3 hr.; and double distilled, yielding about 33% gasoline, naphtha diesel oil and spindle oil and 64% lubricating oil, 3% being lost. The finished motor oil has a density at 20° of 0.855, viscosity at 50° 7E° and pole height 1.75. Owing to the unsaturated character of the synthetic oil, it was very unstable toward oxidation and only a temporary improvement was obtained by subjecting it to a second treatment with 1% AlCl₃ at 180° for 3 hr. A more permanent improvement was obtained by adding 0.2-0.5% by weight of phenthiazin to the olefins before polymerization. Another method was to add 0.3-0.5% by weight of S to the feed stock before polymerization and then treating the oil with 1% by weight of AlCl₃ at 250° for 5 hr. The viscosity of the finished oil could be changed by changing the conditions of polymerization. Using 1.5% by weight of AlCl₃ and keeping the temperature at 100° from the start of the reaction gave an oil low viscosity, 4° E at 50°, whereas when 4-6% AlCl₃ is used and the temperature kept at 15° for 12-20 hr. followed by heating to 60° for 2 hr., an oil of 38° E at 50° is obtained. The viscosity index and resistance to oxidation were also improved by using olefins with longer chains. In making aviation grade bright stock by the so-called Synthol process, a different feed stock had to be used; only olefins from C₉ to C₁₈ were to be used and these supplemented with C₆ to C₁₀ olefins obtained directly by the Recycle process and by the C₁₅to C₁₈ paraffins, which remain unreacted in the Oxo process. The Recycle process, designed for the manufacture of olefins, consists in using 1 vol. of water gas containing 87% of CO and H₂ (CO : H₂ = 1 : 1.23-1.25) with 3 vol. of recycle gas from the synthesis so that the CO : H₂ = 1 : 0.8. The catalyst is 100 Co. 15 MgO, 200 kieselguhr, the temp. of the synthesis 200°-220°, pressure 10-15 atm., the space velocity 800 m.³ gas per 10 m.³ catalyst per hr. The total yield of liquid products and gasol amounts to 160 gm. per m.³ of ideal gas. The polymerization procedure varied somewhat from that followed in the manufacture of motor lubricant; it was planned to use 4-6% by weight of AlCl₃, react the olefins for 10 hr. with the catalyst at 15° and then heat for 2 hr. at 60°. Phentiazen was to be added to the olefins before polymerization. A flowsheet shows the complete process.