Patent ID: 8395007

Claim:
A process for conversion of 1-butene to butene oligomers comprising: activating a bis(cyclopentadienyl)zirconium dichloride pre-catalyst with methylaluminoxane in one or more aromatic solvents without heteroatoms; removing the one or more solvents to form an activated catalyst; mixing one or more linear or branched hydrocarbon alkanes having from 4 to about 20 carbons with the activated catalyst to form a slurry; adding dried 1-butene to the slurry to form a mixture; stirring the mixture to allow contact of reactants at ambient temperature in a gas tight vessel until reaction is complete to form a first mixture of butene oligomers; hydrogenating the first mixture of butene oligomers to forms a second mixture of hydrogenated oligomers; and formulating said second mixture of hydrogenated oligomers with 3-methyl heptane to form a fuel having a viscosity at −20° C. from about 6.0 cSt to about 12.5 cSt and a density from about 0.75 g/mL to about 0.80 g/mL.