In October 2019, research and consulting firm Markets and Markets published a global lubricant forecast that projected lubricant demand to reach USD188 billion by 2024, from USD164 billion today, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.7%. A rise in the industrial sector and advancement in emerging countries in Asia Pacific, the Middle East […]

Consistent, reliable chemistry is fundamental for any base oil customer. Companies often talk about security, but how can you be confident that the specialty oils you rely on will not only remain consistent, but that they will be available years or even months from now? Over more than 40 years in the refining industry, Ergon […]

Since 2014, there has been a sharp increase in base oil production capacity. In 2019, production capacity soared, with around 5.9 million tons of new base oil production, surpassing the combined total capacity increases over the past four years. Alvin Chew, vice president of business development, base oils, at Argus Media in Singapore, described a […]

In October 2016, Valentina Serra-Holm was elected president of the Union of European Lubricants Industry (UEIL), replacing outgoing president Fabio Dalla Giovanna. UEIL is the “preeminent” trade association in Europe, representing the interests of lubricant businesses throughout the region.

The Japanese Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) has proposed a new viscosity grade engine oil specification for the Japanese market, as its members continue to pioneer lower viscosity grade engine oils. The new specification, which includes SAE 0W-8, is targeted for an April 2019 launch, says Satoshi Hirano of Toyota Motor Corporation…

  Compiled from staff reports During the 10th International Symposium on Fuels and Lubricants (ISFL-2016) held in Delhi, India, in April, two most discussed topics were the forthcoming emission norms of BS VI, which is equivalent to Euro VI, in 2020 and the fuel economy mandates for passenger cars which start in April 2017 and […]

In the last issue of Fuels & Lubes International, we covered the dwindling supply of Group I base oils from the market. They are being squeezed out as the automotive industry shifts to lower-viscosity, Group II and III base oils. As the base oil market shifts away from Group I production to Groups II and III, less bright stocks are being produced globally.

The decline of paraffinic Group I base oils is a well-known fact, as Groups II and III are becoming more relevant. So what happens in the industries that depend on Group I? Mehdi Fathi-Najafi, senior technical advisor at Nynas AB, a major naphthenic base oil producer based in Stockholm, Sweden, shared some possible solutions during the F+L Week conference in Singapore in March.

by Hank Hogan It’s like having your cake and eating it too. According to Satoshi Hirano, project manager in the engine design and engineering division of Toyota Motor Corp., popular friction modifiers that lower viscosity do not contribute to coking deposit problems potentially seen with turbocharged, downsized engines. That is good news, because both turbocharging and […]