Lubricant additives: Overview
Why truck oils need far more additives than car oils
What this tab covers What the chemical is, how big its market is, what it is used for (with shares, volumes, why it wins and what could replace it), and its chain from raw material to end user. Ends with three things to remember.Lubricant additives are the chemicals blended into base oil to make it clean an engine, stop wear, resist oxidation and keep the right viscosity from cold start to full load. Engine oils contain about 15-25% additives; industrial oils much less. World demand was a little over 4 Mt in 2022, about 70% for engine oils, and the market is worth about $18-19.5 billion (2025). Lubrizol, Infineum, Chevron Oronite and Afton supply about 80%, selling complete packages to blenders such as Shell, ExxonMobil and Indian Oil. Electric cars and longer drain intervals cap long-run volume.
Volume a little over 4 Mt (2022), forecast about 4.5 Mt in 2027, still below 2018 Market value $18-19.5 billion (2025, market-research estimates cited by Lubes'n'Greases) Growth about 1-2% a year in volume to 2027 (indicative, basis: Kline 4.0+ Mt in 2022 to 4.5 Mt in 2027) Kline & Co., Global Lubricant Additives (Mar 2023) via Lube Report (19 Apr 2023); Lubes'n'Greases Factbook, Additive Market Trends (updated Oct 2026)Key uses
| Use | Share | Annual volume | Why this commodity | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy-duty motor oils (trucks, buses, off-road) | 31% | about 1.3 Mtbasis | Diesel engines make soot and acids, so heavy-duty oils carry high dispersant and detergent loadings. Emission rules (DPF, SCR) cap ash, sulphur and phosphorus, so additive chemistry must change with each API and ACEA category. Kline via Lube Report (2023) | Battery and fuel-cell trucks Longer drain intervals (less oil) |
| Passenger car motor oils (including four-stroke motorcycle oils) | 26% | about 1.1 Mtbasis | The largest single finished-lubricant category by value. Low-viscosity oils (0W-16, 0W-20) need friction modifiers and VI improvers to save fuel while protecting turbocharged engines. India's two-wheeler fleet makes motorcycle oils a big Indian segment. Kline via Lube Report (2023) | Battery electric cars (no engine oil; need smaller volumes of e-fluids) |
| Metalworking fluids | 19% | close to 0.8 Mtbasis | Cutting and forming fluids need emulsifiers, extreme-pressure additives, corrosion inhibitors and biocides; additive content can be 10-40%. Kline via Lube Report (2023); Lubes'n'Greases Factbook | Dry and minimum-quantity lubrication machining |
| Industrial engine oils (marine, rail, gas engines) | 12% | about 0.5 Mtbasis | Marine cylinder oils neutralise sulphuric acid from fuel with overbased detergents; IMO 2020's 0.5% sulphur limit shifted demand from 100 BN to 40-70 BN oils, cutting detergent per litre. Kline via Lube Report (2023); Lubes'n'Greases (May 2023) | LNG and methanol ship engines with different oils |
| Other automotive lubricants (transmission, gear, hydraulic, EV fluids) | 7% | about 0.3 Mtbasis | Automatic transmission and driveline fluids need friction control and anti-wear; EV fluids must also cool motors and be electrically compatible. Kline put EV additive demand at over 70 kt in Asia-Pacific in 2022. Kline via Lube Report (2023) | Sealed-for-life drivelines |
| Other lubricants (industrial gear, hydraulic, turbine, grease) | 5% | about 0.2 Mtbasis | Industrial oils carry up to about 2% additives and greases 0-10%, so they consume little additive per litre. Kline via Lube Report (2023); Lubes'n'Greases Factbook | Synthetic base stocks with less additive |
From raw material to user
- Petrochemical inputs Polyisobutylene, maleic anhydride, polyamines, alkylphenols, alkylbenzene sulphonic acids, olefin copolymers, zinc oxide, phosphorus pentasulphide, molybdenum compounds.
- Component manufacture Dispersants, detergents, ZDDP, VI improvers and antioxidants are made in large batch or continuous plants, usually diluted in base oil.
- Package blending Additive houses blend components into performance packages certified for API, ACEA and OEM specifications.
- Lubricant blending Oil marketers mix the package with base oil; engine oils carry 15-25% additives (Lubes'n'Greases Factbook).
- Use and disposal Oil is drained, re-refined, burned as fuel or lost; additive metals end up in ash.
Made from (commodity table)
Oil Crude oilZn ZincThree things to know
- Lubrizol, Infineum, Chevron Oronite and Afton make about 80% of lubricant additives (Lubes'n'Greases, 2023).
- World demand of about 4 Mt in 2022 was still below 2018 and is forecast at 4.5 Mt in 2027 (Kline).
- Afton's parent NewMarket earned $520 million operating profit on $2.53 billion petroleum additive sales in 2025, a 20.5% margin.