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The Western European engine oil market continues to undergo a period of dramatic change as the result of three factors: changing emissions legislation, increased fuel economy requirements and the need to maintain durability under severe operating conditions. Changes in these market drivers has resulted in the development of new engine oil technology, designed to operate in vehicles with the latest aftertreatment systems, while delivering ever greater durability and fuel economy improvement. It is expected that the need for engine oils to deliver even greater levels of fuel economy improvement may have the single greatest impact on the type of engine oil that is used over the next five years.

“Lubricants impact on the environment at all stages of production, usage and disposal. The awareness and concern over the usage of petroleum‐based products and their impact on the environment have created an opportunity to produce environmentally acceptable lubricants from agricultural feedstocks. A new class of bio‐based esters derived from vegetable oils that exhibit excellent low temperature flow properties and oxidation stability are discussed. One of the major advantages of bio‐based synthetic esters in better performance at a lower cost compared to synthetic esters. This is possible due to recent advances in the biotechnology of vegetable oils and the chemical modifications that could be applied to convert these natural esters into high performance biolubricants.”
Kodali (2002)

Maybe you haven’t heard. It’s no longer just about the lubricant, its performance, quality or price. The days of awarding a supply contract to the lowest bidder which happens to be a national brand is not a forgone conclusion. Much more is at stake and many factors impinge on this important decision. Indeed things have changed in the world of lubrication – one could say the field is starting to reinvent itself.

How does one know which lubricant is the best fit for a given application? Typically, it is as simple as searching through a maintenance manual and selecting a product from the QPL (qualified product list). Unfortunately, this solution may not always provide optimum lubrication for a given gear set, or maximum efficiency in managing lubricant inventory. While some original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) provide generic specifications that consider pertinent parameters, others give only a general specification that may not even consider operating temperatures. It is therefore important for the individuals responsible for selecting lubricants to posses a fundamental understanding of how to specify lubricants for gearing. In addition to understanding and being able to interpret the specifications given by equipment manufacturers, it is important to understand why, and be able to make changes when necessary.

As a lubricant manufacturer that produces both mineral- and synthetic-based lubricants, Lubrication Engineers, Inc. is concerned with the trend that has emerged to emphasize synthetic lubricants in many applications. While the trend is intended to promote improved lubrication from the user’s standpoint, he or she can be misled in the idea that a synthetic-based lubricant will always provide superior performance. To help the end user choose the right path, he or she must be informed of how the different types of lubricants are formulated with respect to performance in the application.

The global lubricants market is projected to grow at an annual rate of 2.5 percent between 2014 and 2019 and be worth $162.3 billion by 2019, according to a recent report by MarketsandMarkets. Asia-Pacific is the fastest growing lubricants market, with an annual growth rate of 3 percent between 2014 and 2019. Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa are the regions expected to drive the lubricants materials market. These markets together accounted for nearly 51 percent of the total market in 2013.