Lower motor oil viscosity and the challenge in lubricating modern engines


Neste is a leading supplier of fuels and lubricants in retail, automotive and industrial sectors based on renewable technologies. In this article Chris Castanien, Technical Services Manager — Americas looks at the development and complexity of base oil interchange in the automotive sector.


From the United Nations conference on climate change to the move by European regulators to embrace a low carbon future, there is now overwhelming international political support to reduce greenhouse gas emissions both on a per capita basis and as a percentage of global output.


Since the turn of the century there has been an increasing trend for European regulators to reduce carbon emissions in European passenger cars. A target by 2015 for passenger cars to achieve 130 grams of carbon a kilometre has been replaced by a more stringent target by 2021 for passenger cars to achieve 95 grams a kilometre. The results of these emission regulations has been to reduce emissions in passenger cars by 21.6%, over the next 6 years regulators expect a further and enhanced reduction of 27%.


In North America the picture is very similar. By 2016 regulators demanded that passenger cars achieve emissions not exceeding 139 grams a kilometre. By 2025 a further reduction to 89 grams a


kilometre has been mandated. The effect of these regulations has been to reduce emissions in passenger cars by 21% over the past 13 years and an expected further of 37% over the next ten years. Light trucks have also been subject to increasingly strict emission regulations. A target of 191 grams a kilometre by 2015 has led to emission reductions for these vehicles of 16% over the past 13 years, over the next 10 years regulators are expecting a further reduction of 29% based on a target of 136 grams a kilometre by 2025.


However there is still a conflict that exists between the consumer’s desire for enhanced performance and fuel economy, versus the regulators’ demands for reduced emissions. According to the previous Obama administration in North America alone, the result of these regulations would result in significant cost savings for consumers at the pump, dramatically reduce oil consumption, cut pollution and create jobs. However in America motorists are still loyal to their vehicles and the best-selling pick-up truck


over the past 35 years was and remains the Ford F-150.


If corporations get it wrong the financial penalties are severe. In America manufacturers face a charge of $5.50 for every 0.1 mile per gallon multiplied by the fleet size for missing emission targets. But US consumers at the same time won’t tolerate small cars or higher fuel prices and automakers are desperate for any emission improvement that won’t alienate consumers.


Reconciling the views of regulators and consumers might not be an easy task. But the move to lower viscosity oils could provide the low-hanging fruit for automakers. Both field and laboratory data clearly show benefits of lower viscosity lubricants in achieving lower emissions while retaining fuel economy and performance. Designing changes in engines to enable the use of low viscosity lubricants are relatively inexpensive. Almost all Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are using or evaluating ultra-low viscosity oils of 0w20


Continued on page 30


LUBE MAGAZINE NO.142 DECEMBER 2017


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