This could determine whether there is any greater divergence between On Road (lower HTHS – high temperature, high shear) and Off Road (standard HTHS) premium specifications. A move to low HTHS fluids will drive further demand for Group III in a market that is predominantly Group II today.
How base oil can add environmental benefits Top tier and premium HDEO provide additional environmental benefits compared to lower tier, thanks to innate base oil characteristics working in harmony with performance additives.
Group III base oils have a naturally high viscosity index. When blended with the right additive package, this enables lower viscosity Group III fluids to be used without compromising antiwear performance. Today’s ultra low viscosity engine oils reduce emissions by minimising friction losses within the engine. This provides measurable gains in fuel economy, while still effectively protecting the very latest engine hardware.
Group III oils also demonstrate excellent oxidation stability, helping to extend the fluid’s required level of performance over the longest possible drain intervals. This longer lifespan saves resources and further enhances the environmental credentials of higher tier products.
However, the physical characteristics of base oils are not the only factor influencing to what degree they might deliver on a market’s sustainability agenda.
Re-refined base oil Although it currently accounts for less than 5% of global base oil production, there could be a growing role for re-refined base oils as oil marketers seek to improve the sustainability of their products. The vast majority of re-refined base oil is produced and used in Europe and the Americas.
Made from collected waste oil from which any contaminants such as fuel, water, wear particles and spent additives have been removed, re-refined base oils are classified by API Group in the same way as their traditionally-refined counterparts.
Unlocking the environmental benefits of re-refined base oil requires an enabling additive technology that is more robust across the full range of base oils. Given the potential for re-refined oils to play a bigger role,
Figure 3: Oxidation performance (Daimler oxidation test) of re-refined Group II in the premium segment. Source: Afton Chemical in-house testing
Afton has carried out in-house testing; this shows re-refined Group II based formulations can pass stringent industry and OEM requirements. Oxidation performance in both bench and engine testing was maintained when a suitable quality re-refined base oil was paired with a versatile additive technology designed to be robust regardless of base oil selection.
Figure 2: Oxidation performance (Daimler oxidation test) of re-refined Group II in the mainline segment. Source: Afton Chemical in-house testing
Figure 4: Oxidation performance (Seq IIIF) of re-refined Group II in the mainline segment. Source: Afton Chemical in-house testing
Continued on page 34 LUBE MAGAZINE NO.169 JUNE 2022 33
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