Lubricant additives
Detergents, dispersants, anti-wear and viscosity additives that turn base oil into engine and industrial lubricants; four firms make about 80%.
Specialty chemicals · Performance additives · No. 80
- Product family
- Feedstock: Oil, gas or coal
- a little over 4 Mt (2022), forecast about 4.5 Mt in 2027, still below 2018
- 2.5 t CO₂e per t
- HS 381121, 381129
Up to a quarter of your engine oil is additives, and just four companies make about 80% of them.
Chart: Illustration: Lubricant additives
Where it comes from
Chart: Map of where it comes from
Polyisobutylene reacts with maleic anhydride and polyamines to make dispersants; ZDDP anti-wear, about 8-10% zinc, comes from alcohols, phosphorus sulphide and zinc oxide.
Three things to know
- Heavy-duty diesel oils take about 31% of additives, because soot and acids demand heavy dispersant and detergent loads.
- After IMO 2020 cut marine fuel sulphur to 0.5%, ship cylinder oils dropped from 100 BN to 40-70 BN.
- World demand of about 4 Mt in 2022 was still below 2018, and is forecast at only 4.5 Mt in 2027.
The journey
- 1 PetrochemicalsPolyisobutylene, maleic anhydride, amines, sulphonic acids
- 2 ComponentsDispersants, detergents, ZDDP and VI improvers
- 3 PackagesBlended and certified to API, ACEA specs
- 4 Lubricant blendingMixed into base oil by oil companies
- 5 Engines, machinesCars, trucks, ships and metalworking