There is provided a process for oligomerizing olefins, said process comprising contacting at least one olefin having at least 6 carbon atoms under sufficient oligomerization reaction conditions with a catalyst comprising an acidic solid comprising a Group IVB metal oxide modified with an oxyanion of a Group VIB metal.

 

There is also provided a process for producing a synthetic lubricant composition, said process comprising the steps of:

 

(a) contacting at least one olefin under sufficient oligomerization reaction conditions with a catalyst comprising an acidic solid comprising a Group IVB metal oxide modified with an oxyanion of a Group VIB metal;

 

(b) distilling the product of step (a) under conditions sufficient to remove unreacted olefin monomer therefrom; and

 

(c) hydrogenating the oligomers from step (b) under conditions sufficient to remove olefinic unsaturation therefrom.

 

EXAMPLE 1

A tungstate-modified zirconia (WOx /ZrO2) catalyst was prepared by impregnating ammonium metatungstate (17.5 wt. % W target loading) onto Zr(OH)4. Zr(OH)4 was prepared by dissolving ZrOCl2 in water, precipitating with NH4 OH, and subsequently refluxing the precipitate in water. PH was adjusted to ˜9. After the impregnation, the catalyst was calcined in flowing dry air at 800° C. for 3 hours. The WOx /ZrO2 catalyst was pretreated in flowing H2 at 350° C. for 15 hours prior to catalytic testing.