Base Oils Technology

The manufacture of lube base oils consists of a series of steps to either physically remove the undesirable components or chemically modify the components to make them more suitable for lube base oils.  A block flow diagram of a typical lube plant is shown in Figure 1.  Selection of the best plant configuration can be made only after carefully studying factors such as the crude source, the product slate, production rates, and other project requirements and constraints.

Figure 1: Typical Lube Base Oil Manufacturing Plant

For a printable PDF, please click here.

The potential components of a lube base oil manufacturing plant and their key features are summarized as follows:

Vacuum Distillation (VDU)

• Cut distillates consistent with final product specifications (e.g., flash, distillation, viscosity)
• VDU design and performance is critical to operation of the downstream units
• Non-licensed unit.  BHTS expertise can prepare the process engineering package or advise clients on unit requirements

Propane Deasphalting (PDA)

• Solvent extraction using propane to separate heavy lube components in vacuum residuum from the asphaltenes and resins
• Non-licensed unit.  BHTS has the capability to conduct pilot plant tests to set the process design basis and provide an open-art process design

MP Refining^SM or Furfural Refining

• Solvent extraction to remove undesirable components (e.g., aromatics, sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, metals, olefins)
• Improves viscosity index (VI), thermal stability, oxygen stability, and color
• Licensed by BHTS

Hy-Finishing^SM (HF)

• Fixed bed hydrotreater (replaces clay treating or acid treating)
• Improves color and stability
• Reduces sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, aromatics, and metals
• Can be used for lube base oil, finished wax, and white oil production
• Licensed by BHTS

Hy-Starting^SM

• Fixed bed hydrotreater with more severe conditions than hydrogen finishing
• Used to improve the quality of lube distillates and deasphalted oil derived from poor lube crudes prior to solvent extraction; improves extraction yields
• Licensed by BHTS
• Solvent dewaxing (SDU)
• Removes wax from (usually extracted) lube distillates by chilling and filtration in a solution of  a solvent and an anti-solvent (usually methyl ethyl ketone [MEK] and toluene)
• Improves pour point
• Licensed by BHTS

Wax Fractionation^SM (WF)

• Filtration at a higher temperature to melt and separate softer waxes
• If a stand-alone unit, similar to a solvent dewaxing unit
• Can be configured as a third stage of a solvent dewaxing unit with a separate recovery train for the soft wax
• Licensed by BHTS

Hy-Raff^SM

• Fixed bed hydrotreater with more severe conditions than hydrogen finishing
• Used to increase saturates and reduce sulfur in order to produce Group II like base oils
• Improves VI of base oil
• Licensed by BHTS