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can counteract seal shrinking present in Group III and IV base oils. Blending options with these and other materials can provide low-viscosity and low-volatility options for engine oils. Friction reduction and fuel economy are the major concerns of Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) across the world, and the study found that the oxidative stability of base oils significantly impacts fuel economy and engine cleanliness. Base oils with poor oxidative stability cause more sludge and varnish deposits and reduce engine efficiency. The use of ester base oils, such as TruVis™ A130, TruVis™ P3020, and TruVis™ P3121, can improve deposit performance and reduce friction, thereby improving fuel economy. TruVis™ P3121 was found to reduce friction at all treatment rates. Esters have higher VI and lower volatility compared to traditional base oils, exhibit good deposit control, and can reduce the friction of finished engine oils. It also enables the solubilisation of advanced additives, which can be helpful in meeting the goal of minimising carbon footprint around the world [9].
A study conducted by Macian et al. studied the effect of low-viscosity engine oil (LVO) in a real fleet to understand the effect on internal combustion engines’ (ICE) wear and oil performance. Traditionally, the kinematic viscosity of engine oils was measured at standard temperatures of 40°C-100°C. However, to
make the temperature replicate the inner environment of the engines, the viscosity was measured at 150°C, and 10-6
s-1 was used. In diesel technology,
candidate oils showed negligible variation in High Temperature-High Shear viscosity (HTHS) during the ODI (Oil Drain Interval), while the baseline oil showed a slight increase; this can be attributed to efforts by oil formulators to ensure good fuel economy performance in LVO products. In CNG technology, a mild increase in HTHS viscosity value is observed, possibly caused by higher thermal stress and oxidation. However, the viscosity gap between baseline and candidate oils is maintained during the ODI, ensuring that the fuel economy effects are the same for both oil types. There is also a relationship reported between wear rate and oil consumption. The iron rates were similar for engines with lower mechanical stress and higher for engines with higher break mean effective pressure (BMEP) values. The use of LVO had no significant difference in iron rates for lower-stressed engines but substantially increased iron rates for EURO V engines. The valve distribution system based on OHV with cam follower steel without heat treatment was identified as a possible cause of increased wear rate in EURO V engines due to adverse lubrication regimes. The study also couldn’t find any evidence that oil consumption increases because of LVO usage (Figure 3). The study concluded that the
Figure 3: Oil consumption measurement for each engine technology: EURO IV (left), EURO V (center) and CNG (right)
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LUBE MAGAZINE NO.175 JUNE 2023
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