Base-oil choice affects transmission-fluid performance - Infineum

25 February 2011 12:01  [Source: ICIS news]

LONDON (ICIS)--The choice of base-oil stock affects performance in most engine transmission fluids, an official with lubricant-additive maker Infineum said on Friday.

“According to our tests, oxidation performance and fuel economy are both affected by the choice of the base stock,” said Mike Nelson, Infineum’s global driveline segment manager, who was speaking on the sidelines of the 15^th ICIS World Base Oils & Lubricants Conference in London.

In a paper that Nelson presented at the conference, he said that transmission demand and double-digit annual growth rates for transmission production is predicted for China, India and eastern Europe.

Increasingly efficient performance is being required for transmissions by engine manufacturers in order to meet the fuel economy and environmental regulations that are emerging for new vehicles, Nelson said.

“The trend over time is that better temperature performance and improved shear stability, which affects drain time, are more likely to come from highly refined base oils,” Nelson said.

More highly refined base oils, such as Group III, offer a slate of lighter viscosity products, which increasingly satisfy new efficiency standards in vehicle makers’ criteria for transmission and engine performance, Nelson said.

This year’s ICIS World Base Oils & Lubricants Conference runs from 24-25 February.

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