Heavy Duty Engine Lubricants for a Global Market: Formulating a Global Additive Technology

Regulations reducing emissions worldwide are the driving force behind the trend to converging diesel engine design strategies among manufacturers. This results in common engine lubricant performance and the need for a global performance platform for diesel engine lubricants (1, 2). This paper chronicles a multi-year project that defined a diesel engine lubricant platform to meet global Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) requirements. The design of the additive chemistry required to achieve the platform targets is described. Demonstration of the performance capabilities of the new technology in engine tests that constitute international specifications and field testing is also discussed. The results suggest that formulating a heavy duty diesel engine oil to meet a variety of worldwide lubricant requirements results in a more robust formulation, outperforming oils designed to meet only regional requirements.