Hydrocarbon Processing - May 2022 - 67

100th Anniversary
History of the HPI
LEE NICHOLS, Editor-in-Chief/Associate Publisher
The 1960s: Synthetic oils, zeolite catalysts,
LLDPE, OPEC and and creation of the PLC
During the 1960s, the global refining
and petrochemical industries witnessed
new processes and products that
enhanced the daily lives of millions of
people around the world. The decade
was responsible for the creation of new
petrochemical products to provide better
and more durable goods within many industrial
sectors and consumer goods applications.
Other innovations, such as the
creation of synthetic oils and synthetic
zeolite catalyst, enhanced processing operations
and engine/fuel performance in
the automobile and aviation sectors. The
1960s was also a prominent decade for
LNG trade [the first transatlantic LNG
cargo was carried on the Methane Pioneer
in early 1959 from Constock's LNG production
facility in Louisiana (U.S.) to the
UK; the UK also received the world's first
commercial LNG cargo from Shell's Methane
Pioneer vessel in October 1964 from
Algeria; LNG exports from Alaska (U.S.)
to Japan commenced in the late 1960s],96
the creation of the programmable logic
controller (PLC)-a significant evolution
in automation-and the creation of
the Organization of Petroleum Exporting
Countries (OPEC), which was, and still
is, a major force in setting global oil prices.
Creation and widespread adoption
of synthetic oils. Although the first synthetic
hydrocarbon oils were produced
in 1877 by French chemist Charles Friedel
and American chemist James Mason
Crafts (i.e., Friedel-Crafts alkylation and
acylation reactions), synthetic oils did
not see widespread adoption until postWorld
War 2 (WW2).
Prior to WW2, several individuals developed
new reactions to produce synthetic
oils. These included German scientists
Friedrich Bergius, Franz Fischer and Hans
Tropsch (the Bergius and Fischer-Tropsch
processes were detailed in the History of
the HPI segments published in the January
and March issues of Hydro carbon Processing),
as well as American researcher
F. W. Sullivan while working at Standard
Oil of Indiana (U.S.). Sullivan's team tried
to commercialize synthetic oils in 1929;
however, this attempt was challenged due
to lack of demand. Regardless, Sullivan
published a paper in 1931 titled " Synthetic
lubricating oils relation between chemical
constitution and physical properties, "
which, along with research from the German
chemist Hermann Zorn, provided a
foundation for the future widespread use
of synthetic oils in the aviation and the automobile
sectors-Zorn and his team researched
more than 3,500 synthetic esters
during the early 1940s to find an alternative
to petroleum oil to help fuel Germany's
war machine.97,98
The need for synthetic oils did not
materialize until Germany's invasion of
the Soviet Union during WW2. During
the Battle of Stalingrad, the harsh Russian
winter demobilized German tanks,
fighter planes and other military vehicles.
The main culprit: temperature. Conventional
petroleum oil could not stand
up to the frigid temperatures during the
harsh Russian winter. These oils were
produced through conventional distillation,
which has several drawbacks, including
solidifying in low temperatures,
rendering its use extremely ineffective in
extremely cold environments-conventional
distillation could not completely
remove impurities such as waxes, which
would solidify in cold temperatures, leading
to the inability of engines to start.98
This event demonstrated that a new form
of lubricating oil was needed.
The use of synthetic oils found its demand
within aircraft engines during and
post-WW2. While Zorn was conducting
widescale tests on different synthetic
esters in Germany, American chemist
William Albert Zisman was researching
synthetics at the Naval Research Laboratory
in Washington D. C. (U.S.). His work
(1942-1945)-detailed in the technical
article " Synthetic lubricant fluids from
branched-chain
diesters
chemical properties of pure diesters, " 99
physical and
-
led to the development of the first diester
synthetic base oils, a precursor to the
development of modern synthetic lubricants.98,100
With
the creation of the jet
engine in the 1940s (the history of the jet
engine was detailed in the History of the
HPI segment published in the February
issue of Hydrocarbon Processing), synthetic
oils were able to protect engine components
against extreme temperatures during
flight, a challenge that conventional
oils could not accomplish. As a result,
FIG. 1. Albert Amatuzio developed the
world's first synthetic motor oil to meet
API service requirements. For this, he is
known as a pioneer in synthetic lubrication.
Photo courtesy of AMSOIL.
Hydrocarbon Processing | MAY 2022 67
Hydrocarbon Processing - May 2022

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