Synthesis, Properties and Applications of Poly(α-olefins): A Review

Oligomerization of higher α-olefin monomers for production of fuels, synthetic lubricants and oils has attracted a lot of interest in recent years. The Poly(a-olefin)(PAO) fluids are usually produced from 1-dodecene (C12) and 1-decene (C10) as starting materials. Various synthetic protocols are employed in oligomerization processes. They are mostly based on (1) conventional Lewis acid such as AlCl3 and BF3/donor systems, (2) metallocene catalysts based on Ti, Zr, and Hf metals and cyclopentadienyl and indenyl ligands, (3) Cr/silica catalysts known as Phillips catalysts and (4) ionic liquids as active precursors. PAOs are graded and differentiated for different applications by their kinematic viscosities at 100 °C (or KV100). The most usual grades have kinematic viscosity between 2 cSt to 100 Sct. Due to the importance of PAO lubricants in industry, this paper is dedicated to this material. In this regard, after a short introduction on conventional lubricants, we mainly focus on PAO based synthetic oils. In this regard, first conventional catalysts in α-olefin oligomerization will be introduced in brief. Then, PAO properties, uses, and analysis methods will be reported and aimed to further raise interest in PAO research in the country