ABSTRACT
Lubricant base oils are oils with characteristics that make them suitable as material for the manufacturing of lubricants. Key properties that affect lubricant base oil are viscosity, viscosity change with temperature, cold flow properties, oxidation resistance, flash point, distillation range, and acidity. The large number of natural lubricating and specialty oils sold are produced by blending a small number of lubricant oil base stocks and additives. The lubricant oil base stocks are prepared from selected crude oils by distillation and special processing to meet the desired qualifications. The different compound classes that are found in vacuum gas oils have different characteristics for lubricant base oil production. Each of the lubricant base oil refining technologies modifies the composition in different ways and addresses different shortcomings in the properties of the oil. Many older lubricant base oil processing plants use contacting of the dewaxed oil with activated clays at elevated temperatures to improve the stability of the finished oils in engine service.
