EDITOR INTERVIEW In conversation with... Thomas Norrby, Technical Manager & Senior Specialist – Lubricants, Nynas AB
On appointment to your current role at Nynas, you said your support for the Lubricants industry would remain “in words and deeds”. What did you mean by this? I see my role at Nynas to put naphthenic base oils to better use, to further the knowledge about what naphthenics can do, for the benefit of the lubricants industry and for the end users. I wanted, then and now, to become a “technical influencer” of ever better design decisions that benefits the end user and works well for the lube blenders.
How did you move from university professor to your formidable industry role of today? Well, that was quite easy. I was offered a job! After finalising my PhD in organic chemistry, I felt ready for something else and ended up staying more than 15 years with my first company. I soon found my way back to university, part time as Adjunct Professor at Luleå University of Technology, which proved to be an enormous chance for me to dive into applied machine engineering and design of lubricated systems.
Nynas’ vision is to be a global leader in naphthenic products. Can you explain the difference between the value and properties of naphthenic versus paraffinic oils?
I thought you would never ask….naphthenic base oils are one of the “big four”, accounting for almost 10% of the global base oil volume. Naphthenics are not primarily locked to the development of automotive engine oils, which gives huge freedom of design. Naphthenics are available over a vast viscosity range, and with different solvency and colour for a myriad of lubricant and process oil applications. With such a wide array of viscosity, solvency and availability, the naphthenic base oils cover a lot of bases...
How is Nynas incorporating sustainability into its activities, product development and company culture?
Nynas has taken the lead developing and offering a high performance biobased fully renewable
50 LUBE MAGAZINE NO.167 FEBRUARY 2022
hydrocarbon for electrical transformers which is starting to receive approvals from OEMs and utilities around the world. We have also developed a biobased product for tyre and rubber to support major industry players’ sustainability goals.
What are the most significant industry changes you’ve seen throughout your career? Is sustainability now the driving force behind further changes?
Since 1998, when I started out, almost everything has happened! The rise of Group II base oils, new players in the Group III supply, the emergence of Gas to Liquid (GTL), the shift in consumption from North America and Europe to Asia/Pacific. A steady growth of ever more advanced lubricants and longer drain intervals. It goes on and on. The rise of sustainability only highlights the huge contribution of lubricants to energy generation and efficient energy usage in vehicles and machines.
What future innovations can we expect? I think innovations around the electrified automotive drive train, and in relation to the myriad of interesting technical challenges in renewable energy systems engineering will dominate the coming decades, with the rapid changes ripping through the transportation and energy systems.
How much have you missed the live events within our industry? More than I would like to admit... I really enjoy the open and curious face of our industry, the excitement about technology, the willingness to teach and to learn. Digital media has many limitations... I have tried to participate and contribute in various ways and forms, live streamed and recorded. I am not very happy about the result, but we soldier on.
LINK
https://www.nynas.com/en/
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