Patent ID: 7629303

Claim:
A process of producing a basestock, the process comprising: (i) reacting a feed stream comprising from about 96 weight % to about 98 weight % substituted styrene, from about 1 weight % to about 2 weight % alcohol, and from about 1 weight % to about 2 weight % dimerization catalyst, in the presence of a solvent, wherein the weight % is based on the total weight of the substituted styrene, alcohol, and dimerization catalyst, to form a crude slurry of dimerized substituted styrene; and (ii) partially hydrogenating the dimerized substituted styrene with hydrogen over a Group VIII catalyst to form a basestock comprising: (a) from about 10 weight % to 78 weight % fully hydrogenated substituted styrene linear dimer; (b) from about 10 weight % to about 60 weight % partially hydrogenated mono-aromatic substituted styrene linear dimer; and (c) from about 0 weight % to about 30 weight % partially hydrogenated di-aromatic substituted styrene linear dimer, wherein the weight % is based on the total of (a), (b) and (c).