Hydrocatalytic refining of lubricating oils and catalyst therefor

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF REFINING MINERAL LUBRICATING OILS HAVING NATURAL RESISTANCE TO OXIDATION AND DETERIORATION DUE TO THE CONTENT OF NATURALLY-OCCURRING SULFUR COMPOUNDS THEREIN AND CONTAINING ACIDIC COMPOUNDS WHEREBY THE VISCOSITY AND VISCOSITY INDEX CHARACTERISTICS OF SAID LUBRICATING OILS ARE ENHANCED, THE STEAM EMULSION NUMBER REDUCED AND THE CONTENT OF SAID ACIDIC COMPOUNDS REDUCED WITHOUT AFFECTING THE CONTENT OF SAID NATURALLYOCCURRING SULFUR COMPOUNDS WHICH CONSISTS IN SUBJECTING SAID MINERAL LUBRICATING OILS TO CONTACT WITH HYDROGEN AT A TEMPERATURE OF BETWEEN ABOUT 550* AND 650*F. IN THE PRESENCE OF A CATALYST SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF A SILICA BASE CONTAINING ABOUT 87.0 WT. PERCENT OF SILICA AND ABOUT 13.0 WT. PERCENT OF ALUMINA WITH ABOUT 3.0 WT. PERCENT MOLYBDENUM OXIDE, A SILICA BASE CONTAINING ABOUT 83.0 WT. PERCENT SILICA AND ABOUT 17.0 WT. PERCENT OF ALUMINA WITH ABOUT 10.0 WT. PERCENT OF MOLYBDENUM OXIDE AND A SILICA BASE CONTAINING ABOUT 87.0 WT. PERCENT SILICA AND ABOUT 13.0 WT. PERCENT ALUMINA WITH ABOUT 10.0 WT. PERCENT OF MOLYBDENUM OXIDE, AND RECOVERING A HYDROGENATED LUBRICATING OIL CHARACTERIZED BY HAVING AN IMPROVED VISCOSITY INDEX AND REDUCED NEUTRALIZATION NUMBER WITHOUT REDUCTION OF SAID NATURALLY-OCCURRING SULFUR COMPOUNDS AND WITHOUT IMPAIRMENT OF THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES THEREOF.