Provided are: a lubricant base oil capable of achieving both a high traction coefficient and an excellent low-temperature fluidity at a higher level and having a high flash point, which contains a ring-containing compound having at least (i) a crosslinked bicyclic ring where two rings are bonded while sharing 3 or more carbon atoms, and (ii) an acyloxy group or a hydrocarbyloxycarbonyl group each containing a branched hydrocarbon group with a main chain having 4 or more carbon atoms, a lubricating oil composition containing the lubricant base oil, and a continuously variable transmission using the lubricating oil composition.

A traction fluid comprising a blend of 2,3-dicyclohexyl-2,3-dimethylbutane (HAD) and 2,3-dicyclohexyl-2,3-dimethylbutane (iso-HAD) is found to have a lower viscosity at low temperatures when compared to a traction fluid having only HAD or only iso-HAD as a base fluid with no compromise to traction coefficient. The traction fluid may comprise additives. The traction fluid usually comprises HAD:isoHAD between about 8:1 to about 1:3. Further, the HAD:iso-HAD traction fluid blend is produced by a method of simultaneous co-production of hydrogenated HAD and hydrogenated iso-HAD from an alpha styrene dimer and an iso-HAD precursor with a yield of about 90% in a method that does not require a purification step.

Disclosed is a mixture comprising the compound trans-1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluoro-2-butene and at least one additional compound selected from the group consisting of HFOs, HFCs, HFEs, CFCs, CO2, olefins, organic acids, alcohols, hydrocarbons, ethers, aldehydes, ketones, and others such as methyl formate, formic acid, trans-1,2 dichloroethylene, carbon dioxide, cis-HFO-1234ze+HFO-1225yez; mixtures of these plus water; mixtures of these plus CO2; mixtures of these trans 1,2-dichloroethylene (DCE); mixtures of these plus methyl formate; mixtures with cis-HFO-1234ze+CO2; mixtures with cis-HFO-1234ze+HFO-1225yez+CO2; and mixtures with cis-HFO-1234ze+HFC-245fa. Also disclosed are methods of using and products of using the above compositions as blowing agents, solvents, heat transfer compositions, aerosol propellant compositions, fire extinguishing and suppressant compositions.

A traction fluid comprising a blend of 2,3-dicyclohexyl-2,3-dimethylbutane (HAD) and 2,3-dicyclohexyl-2,3-dimethylbutane (iso-HAD) is found to have a lower viscosity at low temperatures when compared to a traction fluid having only HAD or only iso-HAD as a base fluid with no compromise to traction coefficient. The traction fluid may comprise additives. The traction fluid usually comprises HAD:isoHAD between about 8:1 to about 1:3. Further, the HAD:iso-HAD traction fluid blend is produced by a method of simultaneous co-production of hydrogenated HAD and hydrogenated iso-HAD from an alpha styrene dimer and an iso-HAD precursor with a yield of about 90% in a method that does not require a purification step.

In accordance with the present invention refrigerant compositions are disclosed. The compositions comprise a refrigerant mixture consisting essentially of HFC-32, HFO-1234yf, and CO.sub.2. The compositions are useful as refrigerants in processes to produce cooling and heating, in methods for replacing refrigerant R-410A, and in refrigeration, air conditioning or heat pump systems. These inventive compositions match cooling capacity for R-410A within 10% with GWP less than 400 or less than 300.

To provide a lubricating oil composition achieving both of high traction coefficient and excellent low temperature fluidity at a higher level and having a high flash point, which contains a naphthene-based synthetic oil (a) having a flash point of 140 C. or higher, and an ester (b) having 5 to 32 carbon atoms and having a branched chain, wherein the content of the naphthene-based synthetic oil (a) based on the total amount of the composition is 35% by mass or more and less than 80% by mass, a method for producing the lubricating oil composition, and a continuously variable transmission using the lubricating oil composition.

A method for producing a renewable base oil from a feedstock of biological origin includes providing a feedstock, the feedstock including: 2-95 wt % of a mixture of free fatty acids; 5-98 wt % fatty acid glycerols selected from mono-glycerides, di-glycerides and tri-glycerides of fatty acids; 0-50 wt % of one or more compounds selected from the list consisting of: fatty acid esters of the non-glycerol type, fatty amides and fatty alcohols; a major part of the feedstock being a mixture of free fatty acids and fatty acid glycerols; subjecting all or part of the feedstock to ketonisation reaction conditions where two free fatty acids react to yield a ketone stream, and subjecting the ketone stream to both hydrodeoxygenation and to hydroisomerisation reaction conditions, to yield a deoxygenated and isomerised base oil product stream containing the renewable base oil.

Hydrotreatment of biological oil is disclosed for producing renewable base oil and a diesel oil from low value biological oils. Low value biological oils containing free fatty acids and fatty acid esters can be processed into a renewable base oil and a renewable diesel oil in an efficient manner by first separating at least part of the free fatty acids from the feedstock and then processing separately this free acid feed in a ketonisation reaction followed by hydrodeoxygenation and hydroisomerisation reactions to yield a renewable base oil stream. The remaining free fatty acid depleted feed is processed in a separate hydrodeoxygenation and hydroisomerisation step to yield a renewable diesel stream.

A C.sub.31 renewable base oil is disclosed that is suitable as a base oil to provide low viscosity base oils, such as having both low Noack volatility and low CCS-30 C. viscosity and/or to provide low viscosity base oils at the same time having a combination of acceptable HTHS and KV100 to allow the industry's base oil blenders to formulate high quality engine oils, such as SAE grade 0W-20, 0W-16, 0W-12 or 0W-8.

Grease compositions are provided that can have one or more unexpectedly beneficial low temperature properties even though the grease compositions are formed from lower value components that traditional low temperature greases. The unexpectedly beneficial low temperature properties can be achieved in part by grease compositions that include a naphthenic base stock having a viscosity index of roughly 120 or less and/or a pour point of 20 C. or more while having a naphthenes content of 60 wt % or more. In some aspects, the naphthenic base stock can have an aromatics content of 20 wt % or less.