AUGUST The Search for Package Recycling Solutions - Lubes'N'Greases
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WWW.LUBESNGREASES.COM
2021
VOL. 27 ISSUE 8
HELPING YOU NAVIGATE THE LUBRICANTS INDUSTRY AUGUST
PACKAGING
The Search for Package
Recycling Solutions
METALWORKING FLUID
Solving Subpar
Surface Finish
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Progress by
Failure
PUBLISHER’S LETTER
HOWARD BRISKIN is publisher
& president of Lubes’n’Greases.
Contact him at HBriskin@
LubesnGreases.com
Good Data Supports
Good Decisions
Many companies around the world temporarily shuttered
their offices at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the uptake in remote work came a change in driving
habits. Long commutes in bumper-to-bumper traffic were
replaced by short strolls to the living room.
T
he extra time gained from no utive director and industry analyst adjustments are better viewed as
longer having to commute for The NPD Group, explained. “Not opportunities to thrive in a changing
enabled many people to take only does our industry have all new marketplace.
up new hobbies, including changing people to market to, but consumers Lubes’n’Greases continues to pro-
the oil in their vehicles themselves. who were already engaged with us vide access to and analysis of the lu-
In fact, the top-growing aftermarket have changed their behavior, too. bricant industry’s most vital data. See
categories with online consumers last Marketing and pricing efforts should our latest data tool, Lubes’n’Greases
year included motor oil, which grew look different post-pandemic.” Base Stock Plant Data, which offers
by $67 million, or 72%, and filters, Collecting and analyzing the data continuously updated information on
which grew by $53 million, or 35%, exposes trends that may be coun- plant capacity as well as trends and
according to findings by the NDP terintuitive or not readily apparent. insights into additions and closures of
Group. Reduced pandemic driving should plants worldwide.
“Taking the time to better under- surely have led to reduced aftermar-
stand the who, what, where and why ket consumption. But that wasn’t See for yourself at LubesnGreases.
behind these changing consumer so, according to the data. As seen com/basestockplantdata
patterns will pay huge dividends in through the data lens, marketing,
the future,” Nathan Shipley, exec- pricing and production volume
Tim Sullivan George Gill David Stanworth Matt Rogers Stefanie Dunkerly
Executive Editor Boris Kamchev Commercial Director Director of Business Development, Advertising Production
Sara Lefcourt dstanworth@LubesnGreases.com North America Stef@LubesnGreases.com
Sydney Moore Ray Masson Phone: +44(0)1737 906390 MRogers@LubesnGreases.com
HELPING YOU NAVIGATE Managing Editor Steve Swedberg Phone: +1 240-701-2931
THE LUBRICANTS INDUSTRY Gabriela Wheeler
Ricardo Lianez Contributors
LNG Publishing Co., Inc. Director of Creative
7389 Lee Highway, Suite 300
Falls Church, VA 22042 U.S.A Will Beverina
Phone: +1 703-536-0800 Assistant Editor
Fax: +1 703-536-0803
www.LubesnGreases.com Carla Baranauckas
Copy Editor
AUGUST 2021 WWW.LUBESNGREASES.COM 3
AUGUST 2021
VOL. 27 ISSUE 8
22
PACKAGING NORTH AMERICA
The Search for
34 Package Recycling
Solutions
A coalition of leading lube manufacturers and
packaging companies aims to increase recycling
of used lubricant containers.
30
FEATURES
22 30
ELECTRIC VEHICLES EUROPE METALWORKING FLUID WORLD
Progress by Failure Solving Subpar Surface Finish
Electric motor failure in hybrid buses A variety of factors can cause undesirable
caused by copper corrosion leads to the surface finish on metal workpieces. What
development of a more effective e-trans- are those factors, and how can they be
mission fluid. remedied?
25 19
SUPPLY CHAIN WORLD PACKAGING WORLD
Supply Chain Meets Quality SPOTLIGHT on Packaging
Lubricant distributors are tasked with Lubricant packaging must combine form,
ensuring product quality maintenance and function and sustainability. Biederman
reliability throughout the supply chain. Enterprises explains how its packaging
What issues do they face while trying to solutions do just that.
do so, and how can they be overcome?
Lubes’n’Greases (ISSN1080-9449), an independent trade magazine, is published monthly Periodicals postage paid at Falls Church, VA and additional mailing offices.
by LNG Publishing Company, Inc. Copyright 2021, LNG Publishing Company, Inc. Printed
in USA. POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to Lubes’n’Greases, LNG Publishing Company, Inc.,
7389 Lee Hwy., Suite 300, Falls Church, VA 22042 USA.
Subscriptions are $199 per year for print and digital editions or $179 for digital only. To
subscribe, visit www.LubesnGreases.com/subscribe. Subscription enquiries can be sent to CANADA POST Agreement 40064709. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: IMS, P.O.
CS@LubesnGreases.com. Box 122, Niagara Falls, ON L2E 6S8
LubesnGreasesPublishing @LubesnGreases /company/lng-publishing-co-/
4 WWW.LUBESNGREASES.COM AUGUST 2021
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40
3
Publisher’s Letter
DEPARTMENTS
8 15
BASE STOCKS WORLD AUTOMOTIVE LUBRICANTS WORLD
Base Oil Report Automotive
Steve Swedberg explains what the
PRICING International Fluids Consortium is and
Unboxing July what the drivers behind it are.
Since the onset of the pandemic, the base
oil market has displayed atypical patterns.
It may be some time before it falls back
into a more reliable groove.
39
Product News
TRENDS
Base Oil Outlook
Base oil supply remains tight in the
United States. Fortunately, supply in
40
other regions of the world is bouncing Places’n’Faces
back.
42
13 Advertiser Index
BUSINESS WORLD
Best Practices
As many regions of the world emerge
from the pandemic, spirits are high—but
so is risk. Sara Lefcourt urges companies
to use this pivotal time to reinvigorate
their safety programs.
6 WWW.LUBESNGREASES.COM AUGUST 2021
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BASE OIL REPORT
PRICING
GABRIELA WHEELER
is base oil editor for
Lubes’n’Greases. Contact
her at Gabriela@
LubesnGreases.com
producers followed suit, announcing
increases of their own, with Cross
BASE STOCKS WORLD Oil being the first to raise prices by
30 cents per gallon in early July. The
Unboxing July company explained that the increase
was driven by the steeper cost of
July turned out to be another busy month for base oil crude oil as well as in-bound trans-
market participants, which is a far cry from years past portation. Other naphthenic produc-
ers—including Calumet, Ergon and
when the summer months would typically usher in softer San Joaquin Refining—introduced
consumption levels along with muted pricing activity. similar price adjustments.
The snug supply situation in the
D
emand remained unusually persistent supply tightness, healthy naphthenic segment was com-
healthy throughout June and demand, rising spot prices and firm pounded by an unplanned outage
during the first half of July, crude oil and feedstock values. and force majeure declaration at the
supporting somewhat surprising The paraffinic base oil increases Valero refinery in Three Rivers, Texas,
increase initiatives. Chevron, Exx- ranged from 15 to 55 cents per following a fire there on June 6.
onMobil and Avista Oil introduced a gallon, depending on the grade and The damage to the fuels unit forced
price increase in mid-June—the sixth whether the supplier had participat- the Valero refinery complex to shut
round of markups since the begin- ed in all the previous rounds of down, and a restart was not expect-
ning of the year—and were quickly price hikes. ed until mid- to late July.
followed by a majority of base oil pro- Shortly after paraffinic produc- A majority of domestic suppliers
ducers. The initiatives were driven by ers raised their prices, naphthenic Continued on Page 10
Base Oil Report 5
August 2021
Base oil prices are lowest U.S. postings 4
of the month for mid-vis grade before
Price (U.S. $/gallon)
applicable discounts. Crude prices are
monthly averages. 3
2
Historic and current base oil pricing 1
data are available for purchase at
www.BaseOilPrices.com
0
BASE OIL PRICING DATA APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL
20 21
Group I Group II Brent West Texas
Sources: Lubes’n’Greases research,
U.S. Energy Information Administration
Base Oil Base Oil Crude Intermediate Crude
LubesnGreases.com
8 WWW.LUBESNGREASES.COM AUGUST 2021
NEW LAUNCH
Data to power your
business decisions
Base stock markets are facing historic disruption due to the pandemic. Faced
with severe global shortages, steep price increases and new plant closures,
lubricant blenders globally are struggling to meet their procurement needs.
Do you need access to data and knowledge of the market’s supply base?
With a subscription to Base Stock Plant Data, our new premium data
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HELPING YOU NAVIGATE THE LUBRICANTS INDUSTRY
Continued from Page 8 of lubricants, greases, ad-
focused on meeting con- ditives and other products
tractual obligations and to communicate price in-
were left with little to no creases between 5% and
availability for spot and 19% for implementation
export business. Many in late July and August.
customers have remained These followed a series
on allocation since Febru- of similar initiatives during
ary, when a freezing winter the previous months.
storm disrupted produc- A shortage of certain
tion in large swaths of the base oils and additives
United States, particularly also triggered reduced
the Gulf Coast region. production rates or brief
Ergon lifted the force shutdowns at blending
majeure on Group I and II facilities and forced manu-
supplies from its Newell, facturers to place custom-
West Virginia, refinery ers on allocation.
on July 7 as the unit was Base oil shortages were
restarted following a fire also reported in Europe
on May 29. and Asia, where prices
Supply of the heavy have skyrocketed since
grades in both the Group the last quarter of 2020.
I and II categories was However, the availability
especially scant beyond of a number of grades had
those barrels allotted to started to improve by July
contract shipments. Bright as plant turnarounds were
stock continued to be the completed and a more
belle of the ball as many balanced supply-demand
buyers were intent on scenario was starting to
finding supplies. However, emerge.
they remained elusive. A Spot prices in Asia stabi-
majority of players have lized, although a number
also been unable to build of grades were still ex-
emergency stocks ahead posed to upward pressure
of the hurricane season, due to strained supply
which started on June 1. levels. In Europe, prices in
At the same time, a general were hovering at
slight oversupply of light all-time highs, and avail-
viscosity grades in Asia ability of most grades was
prompted suppliers to still extremely limited.
look for takers beyond the Just like a box received
region, and a number of in the mail may reveal an
light-grade parcels were unexpected gift, what
shipped from South Korea may occur in the next few
to Brownsville, Texas. months in base oil seg-
From there, they were ments remains a bit of a
likely to then move on to mystery. Since the start of
Mexico—where consum- the coronavirus pandemic,
ers use base oils for fuel the market has displayed
blending—and other Latin atypical patterns, and it
American destinations. may be some time be-
The base stock supply fore a more familiar and
shortages and climbing reliable environment is
prices in the United States reestablished.
prompted manufacturers
10 WWW.LUBESNGREASES.COM AUGUST 2021BASE OIL REPORT
TRENDS
RAY MASSON is director
of Pumacrown Ltd., a trader
and broker of petroleum
products in London, U.K.
Send him comments
or topic suggestions at
pumacrown@email.com.
supplies of these grades to a point
where imports from Asia had tobe
considered to fill the gap in the sup-
ply chain. Fortunately, Asian sources
BASE STOCKS WORLD
were emerging from the COVID-
Base Oil Outlook
induced nightmare, and product from
that region became available for ex-
port to the Middle East and Europe.
Global base oil markets are looking mixed, with Asia showing Group lll markets hit similar prob-
greater supply of all types of base oils. Meanwhile, Europe lems, with production from all
and the Middle East are overcoming shortages, particularly sources maxed out. As demand rose
for Group I. The United States remains tight, with shortages in Europe and the U.S., this sector of
the market became extremely tight.
of all grades as refineries catch up on inventory replacement
Furthermore, two major producers
after severe weather hit the Southern states earlier this year. in Europe went into an extended
maintenance schedule, invoking allo-
T
his scene has altered arbitrage produce finished lubricants. cation programs and curbing all spot
openings. In the first part of Meanwhile, several prime refining business. In July, many suppliers had
2021, Asian suppliers had diffi- sources went into turnaround, often no availability of 6-centistoke Group
culty meeting rising demand after the for a month or more. This exacerbat- lll product, which is the most-used
COVID-19 pandemic began to fade. At ed the already short market. Group grade throughout Europe.
that time, demand in Asia was being l supplies were rare and expensive, The possibility of increased pro-
met by European stocks. Now Asian particularly for heavier viscosity duction from a Russian refiner had
supplies are coming to the rescue of grades, like solvent neutral 500 and yet to be launched, and it was set to
European and U.S markets. bright stock. produce only a 4-cst grade. While the
In Europe, Group l production is Around this time, Europe saw increase in production was significant
about 75% of total base oil output, a reduction in imports of Group ll at 47%, this extra availability of Group
which took a toll when the market base oils due to weather-generated lll hardly scratched the surface of the
started to shorten up as demand problems that left the U.S. domestic dearth of the Group lll market.
faltered for transportation fuels. markets short of material. U.S. refiner- These developments led to huge
Refineries cut run rates to prevent an ies focused on restocking their local price increases. While the starting
overload on inventories of mogas, markets instead of export sales. point was on the low side, price lev-
kero and diesel. This resulted in a The lack of flow of material from els escalated at record rates. Some
© Atlas Illustrations
shortage of feedstocks for base oil the U.S. started to infringe on the Group l levels rose by $200 in one
and wax, which shortened the market European Group ll market, which ac- week, and these price movements
to the point that buyers found diffi- counts for only 11% of total Europe- continued over several months.
culty covering basic requirements to an base oil production. This tightened Prices eventually reached their
AUGUST 2021 WWW.LUBESNGREASES.COM 11BASE OIL REPORT
zenith. Those levels were retained the major driver of prices. As more $300 per metric ton than in June.
for May and June but began to show product has become available, prices Regionally, there may be differenc-
a modicum of weakening in July as have drifted downward. In some in- es, with Asia leading the way to lower
greater quantities of material became stances, where domestic markets are prices and greater availability of all
available at the end of the Group l down or extremely quiet, producers grades. Europe may remain relatively
turnaround season. that rely on local sales have resorted firm, with increasing demand follow-
Price volatility is challenging in the to export tenders to move material ing vaccination programs. European
best of times, but with COVID surges out of storage. While this has been prices are expected to drift down-
in such regions as India and Europe, welcomed in export markets, odd- ward at a slower rate than those
price variations became a blender’s ball sources and voyages have been in Asia and the Middle East. U.S.
nightmare. Contract deals for finished initiated to accommodate these markets may be the least responsive
lubricants had to be renegotiated. trades. Such has been the case of the to lower levels, since the hurricane
To avoid price volatility, other petro- national refiner in Turkey, where three season is predicted to be particularly
leum products are hedged and stored tenders for nearly 20 kilotons of base fierce.
for longer terms. This is impossible oils were issued from April through The future is far from certain, but
with base oils due to specification June. base oil business will continue, albeit
variations and overall smaller quan- Prices in the fourth quarter will in a different manner. The pandemic
tities of material being traded. Thus, be lower than in June, according to has altered means of conducting
the base oil scene has become risk forecasts. Seasonal slowdowns will trade, and while it is possible to make
intensive, with a number of small and kick in, and supply availabilities are assumptions and assessments based
medium blending operations disap- expected to improve for most grades. on known facts, geopolitical events
pearing from the stage in all regions. By the end of this year, global prices will occur and breakdowns and out-
Availability of base oils has become are expected to be lower by some ages at refineries will happen.
12 WWW.LUBESNGREASES.COM AUGUST 2021 BEST PRACTICES
Those employees who are either not
vaccinated or who choose not to
log their status need to wear masks
and socially distance. They are also
encouraged to periodically test for
COVID-19.
BUSINESS WORLD However, the overwhelming
preoccupation with COVID does not
Reinvigorate Your diminish the continuing need for a
robust and inclusive safety program.
Safety Program As employees return to work and
operations ramp up, this is the time
to ensure that your overall safety
I am in New York City these days, and the “animal program is functioning well.
spirits” have been unleashed here due to the high level You may want to structure your
of vaccinations leading to low infection rates and thus thinking along the lines of the U.S.
increasingly high public confidence, coupled with the Occupational Safety and Health Ad-
ministration’s seven core elements
reopening of restaurants and sports and concert venues.
of an effective safety and health
However, along with this exuberance I see safety issues all program, as I have done below.
around me, including people looking at cell phones while
crossing the streets, and a growing number of electric Management Leadership
This is the most important ele-
delivery bikes and scooters going exceedingly fast. I think
ment. Management must ensure
this combination of high spirits and increased risk is that safety is a value that is instilled
present in the workplace, too. I urge you to reinvigorate in company culture. Some key ways
your safety program at this pivotal time. to do this are to make sure that all
communications from the CEO and
S
afety and health have been top follow what I thought was a very functional leaders include comments
of mind over the last year or reasonable policy from J.P. Morgan, on safety performance and that this
so as everyone has been very which requires all United States carries through to investments in
focused on keeping healthy during workers to log their vaccination sta- improving safety in company facil-
the pandemic. As employees return tus into a software portal. They also ities. There must be safety goals
to your offices, you may want to urge all employees to be vaccinated. and metrics in place and continuous
improvement in evidence. Safety
SARA LEFCOURT of Lefcourt Consulting LLC specializes in helping companies to
performance should be an element
improve profits, reduce risk and step up their operations. Her experience includes of manager performance evaluation
© PAPALAH
many years in marketing, sales and procurement, first for Exxon and then at Infineum, and promotion requirements. Con-
where she was vice president, supply. Contact her at saralefcourt@gmail.com or sider whether you have delivered
(908) 400-5210. mixed messages to employees
AUGUST 2021 WWW.LUBESNGREASES.COM 13BEST PRACTICES
Be sure to incorporate insights from the pandemic into
your safety, health and human resource policies.
during the pandemic, such as wheth- look at these changes and identify Evaluation and Improvement
er your actions could be construed as any new risks you may have taken on Review your safety performance
prioritizing profits, costs or production intentionally or inadvertently. before and during the pandemic and
over safety. determine what the data are telling
Hazard Prevention and Control you. Perhaps your safety performance
Worker Participation Review the new risks identified improved significantly due to fewer
Workers at all levels should have above and seek ways to remedy employees present on site. Perhaps
a voice and a role with regard to them, starting with the highest your performance declined due to
safety programs. There should be risks. Ensure that an up-to-date taking on more risks. Maybe the type
mechanisms by which they can voice risk assessment is developed and of injuries and incidents changed sig-
concerns about safety without fear that there is a high level of risk nificantly during the pandemic. In any
of reprisal, and management should awareness at all management levels, case, this data should be evaluated
provide feedback to workers on these including at the corporate level. and learnings should be taken from it.
issues. Safety committees should There should be a plan to mitigate Now is the time to get back on your
include colleagues at different levels, the highest risks over time. Perhaps corporate journey to continuously
including union workers. Recognize during the pandemic you have been improve safety. Be sure to incorporate
that employees working from home able to find new ways of working insights from the pandemic into your
during the pandemic have missed that reduce employee exposure to safety, health and human resource
the opportunity to participate in such certain risks; be sure to incorporate policies.
safety reinforcing activities as safety these new ways of working into
audits and “walkabouts” and in-per- operating procedures. Management of Contractors
son safety meetings. Seek oppor- Safety performance includes not
tunities to reinvigorate these safety Education and Training only your own staff but also that
activities. You have likely relied on online train- of contractors. Perhaps during the
ing tools during the pandemic, and pandemic you reduced or eliminated
Hazard Identification and these certainly are efficient. However, contract staffing but are now reinstat-
Assessment I suggest that you test how well this ing it as demand returns to normal.
This is an area of prime concern training has been understood and Consider carefully the quality of the
due to the many changes that are absorbed. Look for more hands-on organizations you are working with
likely to have occurred in your op- training opportunities, especially in and ensure adequate training and
erations over the past year. Supply plant settings. For employees who supervision of new contract staff.
chain challenges have no doubt led are returning to the office, restart pro- As life and business, thankfully,
to changes, like new suppliers for grams aimed at awareness of such begin to return to normal, reinvigorate
raw materials and different modes of office safety issues as ergonomics, your safety program through manage-
transit and supply points, and per- tripping hazards and driving safety. ment attention and communication,
haps not all of these were sufficiently Consider setting up cross-functional risk identification and mitigation,
assessed for risk. Plant operations sessions for all employees with less and increased activities, including
have likely been strained by opera- than two years of service to introduce safety audits, safety training and goal
tions at both low and high capacity. them to a wider group of manage- setting.
New workers may have inadequate ment and educate them in company
training or may not be sufficiently culture, mission, strategy and objec- Our columnists are temporarily writing every
other month. Look for the next Best Practices
steeped in the corporate safety cul- tives, including a strong message of
column in the October issue.
ture. Now is the time to take a fresh safety culture.
14 WWW.LUBESNGREASES.COM AUGUST 2021AUTOMOTIVE
AUTOMOTIVE LUBRICANTS WORLD
International Fluids
Consortium
M
You’ll remember that my column in June discussed the any of you would be sur-
prised to know that the
new heavy-duty engine oil category, currently called PC-12.
first oil specification was
It must be the year of new standards because Toyota has developed in 1911 by the Society
proposed a new process for light-duty vehicles called the of Automotive Engineers. It was
International Fluids Consortium. There are always good the forerunner of the J300 viscosity
reasons for change, and it’s no different this time. It’s classification system in use today.
The first iteration, published in 1923,
important to see where we have come from, so we can included viscosity as well as such
see where we’re headed. So, let’s look at what led up to the oil properties as color, pour point,
IFC proposal and what the drivers are for this latest effort. carbon residue and corrosion resis-
tance. The next version from 1926
removed the oil properties and kept
STEVE SWEDBERG is an industry consultant with over 40 years experience in only viscosity. This remained in place
lubricants, most notably with Pennzoil and Chevron Oronite. He is a longtime member until 1947 when the American Petro-
of the American Chemical Society, ASTM International and SAE International, where leum Institute’s system of regular,
© vipman4
he was chairman of Technical Committee 1 on automotive engine oils. He can be premium and heavy-duty desig-
reached at steveswedberg@cox.net. nations was included. Generally,
AUGUST 2021 WWW.LUBESNGREASES.COM 15AUTOMOTIVE
regular was only base oil, premium cation needs of automakers. SAE ulations. Categories were made
contained oxidation inhibitors, and set up eight service categories for obsolete when test methods were
heavy-duty added dispersant-deter- passenger cars. These were picked no longer available to demonstrate
gent to the oxidation inhibitor. based on then-current commercial performance levels. For example,
There were lingering questions interests. ASTM set up the testing API SH was retired when some of
about this system, so in 1952, API protocols, including test methods the engine tests used to define the
and the American Society for Testing and performance characteristics, category ran out of parts. No parts,
and Materials developed the En- which technically described each of no test; no test, no category. API
gine Service Classification System. the categories defined by SAE. API did make some provisions for older
They reworked it in 1955 and again created the user language, which engines to be covered by insisting
in 1960. The result was the service included the letter designations we on “backwards compatibility,” which
categories ML, MM, and MS for know as API Categories SA, SB, SC, simply means that the latest cate-
gasoline engines and DG, DM and etc. SAE, ASTM and API—referred to gory covers earlier category require-
DS for diesel engines. That lasted for as the tripartite—then tied them all ments even though the engine tests
only a few years. together in SAE document J183. are unavailable.
By 1969 API, ASTM and SAE had As all of you are aware, this system This system survived for the next
developed an entirely new system, was changed as engine design 20 years, but there were always
designed to meet the changing evolved to meet more stringent concerns expressed by the OEMs.
warranty, maintenance and lubri- emissions and fuel economy reg- They were facing a changing tech-
The source for pure bio-based
casTor oil and casTor derivaTives
Supplying the lubricants and greases industry
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organic products available
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Extensive product list
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516-561-6146 vegoil.source@alnoroil.com www.alnoroil.com
Line card avaiLabLe upon request
16 WWW.LUBESNGREASES.COM AUGUST 2021nological challenge. They needed compromises by both sides, Mike
“API, on the other hand,
better fuel economy, lighter vehicles MacMillan of GM and Don John-
and lower emissions. Designs were son from Pennzoil engineered an was concerned about
changing and there were custom- agreement in which the International the constant pressure to
er issues. API, on the other hand, Lubricants Specifications Advisory upgrade engine oils for
was concerned about the constant Committee defined engine needs,
smaller engines with
pressure to upgrade engine oils for ASTM continued with their test
smaller engines with higher output development and management, and higher output while
while containing emissions. This led API developed user language and containing emissions.”
to frustration for both organizations. a system to oversee the oil, which
In meetings where OEMs mentioned came to be known as the Engine Oil
problems, marketers said they were Licensing and Certification System,
not seeing the problems. Comments also called EOLCS or API 1509.
about seeing baskets of failed parts The new system added licensing
were batted back and forth. (including fees), while the American
While I was chairman of the SAE Chemical Council developed a pro-
Technical Committee I (engine oils), tocol for testing and modifications
a new concept was proposed by the to engine oil formulations as well as
OEMs. After much discussion and additional requirements for both the
ON THE MARKET SINCE 1992
AUGUST 2021 WWW.LUBESNGREASES.COM 17AUTOMOTIVE
“The IFC’s goal is to accelerate the adoption of new glob-
al specifications by connecting and engaging industry
experts to improve fluid performance through collabora-
tion.”
OEMs and the oil marketers. The oil ment of JASO GVL-1 and success- tem for near-future light-duty engine
additive industry basically aligned fully completed it in two years. They oils. Ultimately, IFC wants to be the
itself with the oil marketers because tried to keep it as simple as possible true international platform support-
the oil companies were their custom- and stayed focused. They used ex- ing all regions including Asia, North
ers. This is the system that created isting tests from ASTM that covered America and Europe. So long as
the GF designations. The program the durability needs. But they chose quality is managed correctly, JASO,
was launched in 1992 and, after to develop their own fuel economy ASTM, CEC or others can be includ-
several modifications and updates, is tests. They use this as an example ed as a part of future specifications.
still in force today. to explain how related industries My take on this proposal is that it
One of the issues that has contin- can work together in a collaborative is a long time coming. To the sur-
ued to nag the OEMs is the engine environment. prise of my oil and additive industry
oil specifications defined by the Lubricant manufacturers, oil colleagues, I have a strong leaning
European Automobile Manufac- marketers, additive makers and oil toward the OEMs’ position. After
turers’ Association and Japanese companies will all have input on all, they are the ones who ultimately
Automotive Standards Organization. draft IFC performance specifications deal with any disgruntled customers.
In fact, Toyota is the early driving through an advisory committee that The pace of change due to techno-
force behind the IFC proposal and will be subject to an annual mem- logical advances, legislative decrees
has been joined by four of the top 10 bership fee. However, only the OEM and societal insistence on environ-
automotive OEMs in this effort. consortium members will decide mentally appropriate products force
The IFC consortium intends to de- on the final fluid specifications. In them to make some quick improve-
velop international automotive fluid addition, IFC plans to develop spec- ments. If it’s done right and every-
performance specifications. It will ifications for all vehicle powertrain one is on board, it will inevitably
replace the current standards of API, and ancillary systems. Further, these produce some positive changes.
ACEA and JASO. In addition, IFC will specifications will cover both inter- I know there will be a lot of push-
administer a licensing program for its nal combustion engine vehicles and back from the oil industry, not to
specifications. electric vehicles. They also envision mention the additive folks. They
So, what’s the purpose behind the a program to certify, license and have a huge stake in this as well. It
IFC’s proposal? As they have stated audit approved fluids. will take a lot of discussing, cuss-
in a press release, “The IFC’s goal I’m definitely in favor of a set ing, cooperation, compromise and
is to accelerate the adoption of new of international specifications for consensus before this gets done. In
global specifications by connecting transmission fluids. It’s an expressed the end, it will be a better system;
and engaging industry experts to wish on my part that the large num- not perfect but better. As an old
improve fluid performance through ber of transmission fluid specifica- friend from Japan said, “We hope
collaboration.” As I noted earlier, one tions in the market can be reduced our industry partners understand our
of the main sources of frustration to a manageable level. It would make intention and the benefit for them to
for the IFC has been the slow pace it much better for fast oil changers, participate in it.”
at which the API and other systems independent garages and even deal-
have been able to implement new er service departments.
categories. The best example of that IFC intends to be an international
is the nearly 10 years required to go platform to standardize any oils and
from GF-5 to GF-6. That’s way too fluids covering powertrain systems. Our columnists are temporarily writing every
Obviously, the starting point will be other month. Look for the next Automotive
slow.
column in the October issue.
JAMA members led the develop- improving the current industry sys-
18 WWW.LUBESNGREASES.COM AUGUST 2021Packaging
FORM, FUNCTIONALITY
AND A GREENER FOCUS
From the bag-in-a-box and the anti-glug
bottle to the plastic pouch and tetra pack,
packaging for lubricants and greases in
recent years has proven every bit as
innovative as the formulations inside them.
G
one are the days need to be more efficient
when generic and generate less waste
bottles filled the means it is no longer just
shelves. Depending on the product itself that is
application or product type, being closely scrutinized.
countless designs have “There are many different
been introduced, each ways in which customers
boasting their own unique are driving for improving
form, function and footprint sustainability,” said Jenni-
to cater to the ever-chang- fer Dally, director of global
ing market. strategic marketing at
Designers continue to Greif. “The range of what
adapt and enhance indus- customers are doing is
trial lubricant packaging to widespread, from using re-
offer not only better protec- cycled or less raw material
tion and greater aesthetic in packaging to establishing
appeal but additional fea- or supporting alliances
tures like anti-counterfeiting to determine end-of-life
measures, clearer and more solutions. While these
durable labeling, as well as latter efforts are primarily
advanced track-and-trace focused on smaller plastic
capabilities. packaging, there are many
Sustainability has also things related to end of life
become part and parcel for industrial packaging on
© Lubo Ivanko
of lubricants packaging. which we continue to part-
Growing awareness about ner with customers.”
the environment and the The onset of COVID-19
AUGUST 2021 WWW.LUBESNGREASES.COM 19SPOTLIGHT
had a marked effect on in their products, looking at Lubricant Container Recy- across the United States
all industries and sec- light weighting, or finding cling Coalition. Launched over the remainder of the
tors, including lubricants. ways to minimize waste for in March 2021, the indus- year to try to better un-
Consumption suffered as more eco-friendly and cost try-led technical initiative derstand consumer be-
the pandemic took its toll, effective solutions. is a grassroots movement havior and assess current
particularly on core end use “I believe COVID-19 that aims to shine the spot- collection procedures. It
markets such as aviation, showed the key role digital light on the need for better also hopes to establish
marine and automotive. plays in supply manage- solutions to recover and some small-scale recycling
The disruption heaped ment, awareness of inven- recycle plastic containers schemes.
pressure on the supply tory and communication,” (see page 34). “Product and packaging
chain and stretched the Dally added. “When people “There is an overwhelm- manufacturers are taking
availability of raw materials. were not able to be onsite ing push from society to the lead on this,” added
As short supply forced up or managing certain tasks, do something,” he said. Kevin Whitehead, vice
prices, especially in steel, it expedited the impact on “Based on feedback we’ve president of the Petroleum
this provided additional technology. As we continue been getting from retailers Packaging Council and
impetus for packaging pro- to learn about various envi- and their customers, there manager for industrial auto-
viders to consider changes ronmental impacts, efforts is a clear desire to reduce motive products at Plasti-
in terms of size, design or around sustainability will the amount of virgin plastic pak—one of the founding
material. only accelerate.” packaging being used. members of the coalition.
“We are seeing some The challenges surround- There is interest from the “We felt this had to be
shifts from steel drums to ing plastic waste, such as lubricants producers to done as a coalition. You see
intermediate bulk contain- our reliance on landfill or work closely with pack- people trying to solve the
ers for faster moving prod- the impact of microplastics aging manufacturers to problem independently, but
ucts, and for slow moving on our oceans, were again come up with recovery and it just doesn’t work. You
products a move from large in the headlines when lead- recycling solutions.” can’t impact a transforma-
to small steel drums,” said ers of the G7 countries con- Oil and lubricant resi- tion and industry shift with
Dally. “There are also some vened in June. The annual dues are notoriously tough just your company alone;
cases where customers are meeting, held this year in to clean and remove, so you need to have a collec-
migrating to plastic where Cornwall, United Kingdom, lubricant packaging is often tive action,” he said.
there is product compat- saw them stand united as considered contaminated “You have to be willing
ibility and other safety or they reaffirmed their pledge after use and is rejected by to work with your peers to
transport criteria that can to tackle climate change many recycling processes, solve this problem. This is
be accomplished.” and increase contributions said Steichen. He estimat- a hot topic right now and
In a highly-competitive toward more sustainable ed that around 4.5 million we all need to start getting
marketplace, players are growth. tons of plastic lubricant ahead of these sustain-
always striving to develop The lubricants sector containers—largely made ability issues rather than
increasingly innovative is keen to play its part, from high-density polyeth- reacting to them.”
options to store and ship too, according to Tristan ylene—heads to landfill Whether pouch, pail, car-
lubricants and greases. Steichen, a sustainability each year. ton or container, society’s
Some are considering using consultant and director of The NLCRC plans to push for greener packaging
more post-consumer resin the newly formed National launch several pilot projects solutions has rapidly accel-
erated in recent years.
With this growing aware-
“There is interest from the lubricants producers to work closely ness, environmental, social
with packaging manufacturers to come up with recovery and and corporate governance
recycling solutions.” strategies are becoming
more mainstream and have
become a key pillar of most
— TRISTAN STEICHEN forward-looking companies’
NATIONAL LUBRICANT CONTAINER RECYCLING COALITION
plans.
Castrol, for example, is
20 WWW.LUBESNGREASES.COM AUGUST 2021looking to halve its plastic A container has become profile, be load bearing and from one quart up to 2.5
footprint by the end of the far more than simply a be easy to stack and ship, gallons.
decade. To help achieve means of safe storage and he said. It also incorporates Lubricant and grease
this, it recently unveiled a way to ensure longevity a unique design feature—a suppliers no longer have
plans to work with pack- and minimal leakage or containment area that to ensure their products
aging specialist Pulpex to contamination. stops any leakages that are improving only in terms
create paper bottles made Ziggy Garcia, managing may cause damage to sur- of performance; the outer
from wood pulp for its lubri- partner at consultancy rounding products during packaging has become just
cant products. Inevitable Solutions, is also transit. as important.
It said that this innovative leading a project that aims These have been in
technology using renew- to both reduce emissions development for 15 months In this Spotlight, Bieder-
able feedstocks offers a and help companies reach and are soon to start trials, man Enterprises highlights
carbon footprint up to 30% their sustainability goals. with launch expected in how its products combine
lower than polyethylene Its new lubricant packag- early 2022. The intention is both functionality and
terephthalate and glass ing made from HDPE and to expand to larger plastic sustainability.
(see page 34). PCR will boast a traditional containers that range in size
Biederman Looks to the Future
N
o matter the obstacles and tomers seem to be building their in- equipment investments to allow for
pressures facing the lubes and ventories and protecting themselves more intricate designs and greater
greases sector this past year, in case there are any more supply flexibility, and has also been look-
the need for quality packaging has chain issues.” ing at how best to further minimize
been unwavering. Before the pandemic, the Ontar- waste.
While it has certainly been a chal- io-based manufacturer had been While functionality is key, cus-
lenging period, Biederman Enterpris- focused on expanding its output, tomers are increasingly looking for
es–North America’s leading supplier investing in new printing capabilities greener alternatives, notes Wagg.
of plastic grease cartridges—has and developing an innovative non- Recycling, waste reduction and sus-
enjoyed robust and steady demand leak cap design. Yet while the crisis tainability therefore remain a key area
throughout. meant its plans to fully capitalize on of focus for the business, she says.
Elizabeth Wagg, vice president of these advances had to be temporarily Biederman already uses up to 10%
operations and sales, is proud the put on hold, Wagg insists the disrup- post-industrial resin (PIR) in its car-
business has not only demonstrat- tion has not dampened Biederman’s tridges but is looking to incorporate
ed its resilience but is confident of ambitions. more scrap plastic moving forward.
emerging from the gloom in a better “Now that we’re seeing some light The business is also eyeing opportu-
position than ever. at the end of this, we will revisit those nities with post-consumer resin (PCR)
“Just like the Biederman grease car- opportunities,” she says. “Increas- after initial trials proved successful.
tridge, our people and operation have ing capacity is still a priority, and we Wagg says the business will look to
proven very durable,” she says. “We continue to focus on becoming even work closely with its customers to
really believe we’re going to emerge greener and more sustainable.” see whether it can explore this further
from this stronger.” Biederman has recently complet- in the future.
“Order levels are high, and we’re ed several projects to enhance its
seeing unprecedented levels of cartridge and production systems to Find out more at www.biederman.ca/
demand for our cartridges. We’ve improve productivity and efficiency. grease-cartridges/
never had sales like this before,” she It has enhanced its direct offset
says. “A lot of new and existing cus- printing process by making significant
AUGUST 2021 WWW.LUBESNGREASES.COM 21By Boris Kamchev
PROGRESS
BY FAILURE
Electric motor failure in hybrid buses caused by copper
corrosion leads to the development of more effective
e-transmission fluids.
T
he transportation sector is a we will take will be to reduce the after about 6,000 hours in operation.
major contributor to global energy consumption in our factories The buses’ drivetrain consists of a
carbon dioxide emissions. The and our office buildings,” Nyman said. 9-liter diesel engine—often powered
sector accounted for the larg- “We would like to reduce emissions by biofuel—paired with a perma-
est share of greenhouse gas in our internal logistics; we move a nent magnet electric motor and a
emissions in countries like the lot of parts between factories and 12-speed automatic gearbox.
United States, which report- workshops, and factories and other Like other electric motors, Sca-
ed the sector’s share to be factories.” Scania also plans to recycle nia’s is made up of hairpins, a stator,
about 29% in 2019, according materials from its assembly plants. permanent magnets and a rotor.
to the U.S. Environmental Protection More important, Nyman said, Scania “By switching on the electricity
Agency. Fortunately, automakers like also plans to reduce the emissions of in the hairpins, we can create an
Sweden-based Scania are working to its vehicles while they are in operation electromagnetic field,” Nyman said.
drive the shift toward a sustainable by 20%. “This is a very big challenge “By switching them on and off in a
transport system,” Par Nyman, techni- for us,” he said. “Electrification will certain pattern, we can make this
cal manager for transmission and axle be a big contributor to reaching this electromagnetic field rotate. That
lubricants with Scania, said at ACI’s target.” will force the permanent magnets
European Base Oils and Lubricants Because of this, Scania has invest- to rotate and thus the rotor to rotate
online series in February. “We would ed in hybrid and all-electric vehicle and propel the vehicle.”
like to create a world of mobility that technology, particularly for trucks and Scania identified the cause of
is better for business and society and buses. However, the new technology the failure to be corrosion of the
the environment.” has come with a few obstacles that copper wire hairpins, which caused
To make this goal a reality, the must be overcome. the electric motors to short-circuit.
company said that by 2025 it will Short-circuiting occurs when an elec-
reduce carbon dioxide emissions Learning from Failure trical current strays from its intended
from its own operations by 50% from Nyman explained that some of Sca- path and completes its journey via a
2015 levels. “Some of the activities nia’s city plug-in hybrid buses failed shorter route of less resistance. This
22 WWW.LUBESNGREASES.COM AUGUST 2021ELECTRIC VEHICLES EUROPE
© Giovanni Gagliardi
The test was run using four different
fluids: an axle oil, a manual transmis-
sion fluid, an automatic transmission
fluid and a dedicated e-fluid.
In the closed portion of the test, the
axle oil was “quite corrosive,” Nyman
results in excessive current flowing also need [high] temperatures for this said. “We get this sort of blackish,
through the circuit. to take place. It is quite interesting to very brittle layer.”
What caused the copper corrosion, think that the oil is contributing” to Scania observed less corrosion of
though? this failure. the hairpins in the oil phase with the
“We think that the likely root cause To solve this corrosion problem, the manual transmission fluid but still a
for this failure is the top-up of 10%- automaker sought to devise a method fair amount of corrosion in the vapor
15% of axle fluid,” Nyman said. Axle for corrosion testing. In its preliminary phase. Meanwhile, the automatic
fluids are generally formulated with work, it set up a test in which cutouts transmission fluid led to almost no
extreme pressure additives, which of the hairpin wires were polished corrosion in the oil phase, but corro-
consist of chemically reactive sulfur on the ends. “We have one end of sion persisted in the vapor phase.
species that cause corrosion of the the copper rod below the oil level Because these fluids failed to
copper hairpins and buildup of a con- and one above,” Nyman said. “We
ductive copper sulfide layer. run the experiment in two different Permanent Magnet E-motor
When this copper sulfide layer is cups. We have one closed, where we
allowed to progress, “it will form a will contain any gases or corrosive
Hairpins
contact bridge between the electri- materials that would be produced in Rotor
cal phases, and we will have a short the oil phase. And we have another
circuit” in the stator, Nyman said. one mimicking what a real live system
“During the short circuit, it will be- would look like with an open ventila-
come extremely hot, so you can see tion to the atmosphere.”
signs of molten copper.” The oil phase refers to the side of
For this type of corrosion to take the hairpin that has been submerged
place, two conditions must be sat- in the oil, and the vapor phase refers
isfied, Nyman said. “You need good to the end of the hairpin that was not Permanent magnets Stator
availability of reactive materials; that’s submerged. Each sample in the test
copper and sulfur,” he said. “But you was heated to 125 degrees Celsius. Source: Scania
LubesnGreases.com
AUGUST 2021 WWW.LUBESNGREASES.COM 23Relative Corrosion Rate in Oil Phase Comparison of Relative Corrosion
Rates in Oil and Vapor Phases
-80%
Vapor phase Oil phase
-10%
-90%
Axle oil MTF ATF E-fluid Axle oil MTF ATF
Source: Scania
LubesnGreases.com
provide the desired results, it became phase and 80°C in the vapor phase. power densities.
necessary to develop a fluid that The test ran for 96 hours, during “The desire to increase the power
would. Raj Shah, director of Koehler which the electrical resistance was density in transmissions and e-mo-
Instrument Co., said, “One technique monitored and the rate of corrosion tors will inevitably lead to more
to combat copper corrosion is the was determined. power transmitted through gears and
development and application of the After running the new test, the com- bearings, leading to higher surface
proper lubricating e-fluids, as this may pany found that the relative corrosion pressures and higher temperature
help prevent corrosion.” rate in the oil phase was reduced by peaks in e-motors,” Nyman said. “This
Scania recognized this need and 80% when the manual transmission means the surface pressures in the
teamed up with a leading lubricant fluid was used in place of the axle oil. gears will increase slightly over the
additive manufacturer to do just that. A further 10% decrease was observed years. This will probably need high-
After putting the new e-fluid through with the automatic transmission fluid, er scuffing resistance, thus making
the same test, Scania observed al- while an additional 90% decrease was the need for a dedicated e-fluid very
most no corrosion in both the oil and observed with the dedicated e-fluid. important.”
vapor phases. “If you take all this together—going Nyman stressed that lubricants for-
Scania and its research partners from the axle fluid to a dedicated e-flu- mulated with EP additives are corro-
then developed another wire corro- id—we actually reduced the corrosion sive toward copper—especially in the
sion test in which a copper wire with rate by 98%,” Nyman said. “We can vapor phase—and are not suitable for
a diameter of 64 nanometers was conclude that the corrosion rate is use in the electric motors in Scania’s
strung along the length of a plastic affected very heavily by what type of hybrid drivetrains, which do not fea-
fixture. The bottom end of the wire oil is used.” ture separate oil systems between the
was immersed in a beaker of axle oil, gearbox and the electric motor. The
manual transmission fluid, automatic Conclusions company concluded that the corro-
transmission fluid or the new dedi- Nyman explained that a solution for sion rate in its hybrid bus e-motor’s
cated e-fluid, while the top end was the high rate of copper corrosion in stator is about 10 times higher in the
exposed to the oil’s vapor phase. The Scania’s hybrid drivetrains is the use vapor phase than it is in the oil phase.
entire setup was then immersed in an of a dedicated e-fluid that can perform “Dedicated fluids that combine gear
oil bath and heated to 140°C in the oil safely at high temperatures and high protection properties and excellent
copper corrosion protection are
desirable products for this type of
machine,” he concluded, adding that
lube formulators will probably need
to develop new types of chemistries
that take into account the need for in-
creased scuffing protection and better
corrosion inhibition.
© Scania CV AB
BORIS KAMCHEV is a staff
writer with Lubes’n’Greases.
Contact him at Boris@
LubesnGreases.com.
A Scania hybrid bus
24 WWW.LUBESNGREASES.COM AUGUST 2021SUPPLY CHAIN WORLD
Supply Meets
Chain Quality
The lubricant supply chain is
both long and complex, and no
group is more aware of that than
lubricant distributors. Because
By Sydney Moore distributors deal with a wide
variety of products with different
chemistries, the nature of the
job requires them not only to
understand the supply chain and
how they operate within it but
also to ensure product quality
maintenance and reliability.
AUGUST 2021 WWW.LUBESNGREASES.COM 25W
hy is it important to reliably
maintain a lubricant in its
original state during its long “There must be proper handling and segregation of
journey from the manufacturer to the lubricant products from each other, from non-lubricant
customer? products and from contamination.”
“If the customer has accurately
defined application, need and quality
— MICHAEL ROE
expectations, then it is the lubricant
MJR LUBRICANT DISTRIBUTION CONSULTING AND AUDITING
in this original state that was paid
for; vetted in laboratory, bench and
equipment testing; certified, qualified application. “It starts there because What’s the Problem?
and licensed to meet various indus- the customer needs a lubricant for Along with a large number of com-
try, original equipment manufacturer a specific purpose,” he said. “It truly ponents in the supply chain comes a
and quality standards; and found to ends when the lubricant has per- higher risk of quality issues. A signif-
work without issue in the applica- formed satisfactorily in the applica- icant problem facing distributors is
tion,” Michael Roe of MJR Lubricant tion for the life of the lubricant.” the commingling or contamination
Distribution Consulting and Auditing However, the line from point A to of products. “There must be proper
said at the Society of Tribologists and point B is not often a straight one, handling and segregation of lubri-
Lubrication Engineers Virtual Annual and several supplier-customer rela- cant products from each other, from
Meeting and Exhibition in May. tionships—like those between manu- non-lubricant products and from con-
To ensure that lubricant integrity facturers and distributors or distribu- tamination,” Roe said. “This ultimately
is not compromised at any point tors and consumers—help to bridge requires dedicated or controlled prod-
along the supply chain, companies the gap. “There are a number of uct handling equipment and proper
should have robust quality programs different kinds of lubricant products change of assignment procedures for
in place. “This is particularly true for involved” in the supply chain, Roe the products involved.”
lubricant distributors,” Roe said, “as said. “Many manufacturers and many Product contamination can occur
they are faced with a complex and customers. Primary entities involved any time the product is handled,
daunting supply chain with multiple in the supply chain are the customer, Roe said. It is exacerbated by man-
components.” the manufacturer and various inter- agement oversight; inadequate or
According to Roe, the supply chain mediaries—chiefly distributors and incorrect equipment, processes and
begins and ends with the customer transporters.” procedures; and inattention. “Internal
© Alexey Rezvykh / Shutterstock.com
A motor oil sample is tested for viscosity. Viscosity is a vital lubricant property that must be maintained throughout the supply chain.
26 WWW.LUBESNGREASES.COM AUGUST 2021You can also read
