Emma MCCREA1, John HOLBREY1, Ma?gorzata SWADZBA-KWASNY1
1The QUILL Research Centre, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen’s University Belfast, UK, Belfast , United Kingdom
Waste polyalphaolefin plastic (polyethylene, polypropylene) can be processed by pyrolysis to produce a distribution of alphaolefins and linear paraffins. Current pyrolysis technology converts waste polyalphaolefin plastic to paraffin waxes, a value-added product, and a side-product of light olefins, including a naphtha fraction containing a high proportion of 1-olefins. In this project, we aim to convert 1-olefins in the naphtha fraction into lubricating base oils using Lewis acidic borenium ionic liquids and liquid coordination complexes (LCCs). The production of two value added products increases the economic feasibility of the process.
Our group has already demonstrated that borenium Lewis acidic ionic liquids [1] and LCCs [2] can be used to replace BF3 in catalytic oligomerisation of 1-decene to produce lubricating base oil with the physical characteristics of industrial base oil. However, the challenge of using a waste plastic feedstock is the presence of impurities. This application requires a robust and inexpensive catalyst, capable of retaining performance despite contaminated material.
Here, we report our work on the purification of the naphtha feedstock and attempts of its conversion to marketable-quality lubricant base oils, with appropriate range of kinematic viscosities, high viscosity index and low pour point.
References
[1] J. M. Hogg, A. Ferrer-Ugalde, F. Coleman and M. Swad?ba-Kwa?ny, 2019, ACS Sustain. Chem. Eng., 7, 15044–15052.
[2] J. M. Hogg, F. Coleman, A. Ferrer-Ugalde, M. P. Atkins and M. Swad?ba-Kwas?ny, 2015, Green Chem., 17,
1831–1841