Tailor‐making polyalphaolefins

The production of polyalphaolefins (PAOs), an important class of synthetic functional fluids, can be better controlled to form materials with given sets of desired properties than can the production of analogous petroleum based fluids. Until now, commercial PAOs have been based almost exclusively on 1‐decene as the starting material. Furthermore, they have been sold on the basis of the viscosity at 100 °C. Work at the authors' company has shown the need to focus attention on other physical properties for various alternative applications. Important properties may or may not include low temperature viscosity, pour point, volatility, high temperature stability, flash and fire point, and oxidative stability. The current work shows how the physical properties of the PAO product can be controlled by the judicious choice of starting olefin, reaction catalyst and co‐catalyst, reaction temperature, reaction time, and other pertinent reaction parameters. Comparisons are made between PAOs and hydrocracked mineral oils.