Comment and opinion

Citation

Margaroni, D. (1998), "Comment and opinion", Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, Vol. 50 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/ilt.1998.01850faa.001

Comment and opinion

Keyword: Lubricants

The lubricants industry, with some half of the lubricants volume directly related to the automotive sector, mainly as crankcase lubricants, is undergoing product compositional and quantitative changes as the technology of the automobile advances. In the short term, increases in drain intervals for both passenger car and commercial vehicles will result in a downward movement in lubricant volumes, but should also result in an increase in "quality" levels, since only the higher specification products are suited to extended use. Emission regulations are having an effect upon oil formulations, as well as engine designs. In the longer term, alternative fuels are likely to have an even more pronounced effect upon the lubricants market, and at a recent seminar, staged by Daimler-Benz at Stratford-on-Avon since the previous issue of this journal, the current situation was reviewed with regard to the practicality and viability of such fuels. Alternatives to crude oil-derived fuels were being investigated, both from the viewpoint of the environmental benefit of reduced emissions, and also because the prospects of dwindling oil reserves could lead to future price-fixing not to mention the political uncertainty surrounding the major areas of production. Hydrogen, although attractive from an environmental low-emission point of view when directly substituted for diesel or gasoline as an energy source in a conventional engine, is not cost effective in this application hence the focus on its use in the more efficient fuel cell. The use of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) suffers from the same potential problems as any crude-oil related energy source. Natural gas was more attractive in terms of its wider availability and also from an emission viewpoint, and could be used either as a raw material to provide hydrogen, via methanol, for fuel cells, or used directly as a fuel, both in compressed form or after liquefaction. The costs of liquefaction, however, made the latter option less attractive.

Vegetable oils could be used either directly as a diesel fuel, or, more effectively, after modification to e.g. a methyl ester derivative (biodiesel). As well as the more obvious environmental benefits which arise from the use of an energy source which is renewable, improvements in certain emissions were also noted, e.g. a 15 per cent reduction in particulates and visible black smoke. Associated problem areas, however, currently include a tendency towards increased emissions with accumulated mileage, increases in NOx and fuel consumption, dilution and thickening of the crankcase lubricant and accumulation of deposits around the injector nozzle. On the plus side, however, is the beneficial effect of biodiesel on the lubricity of diesel fuels to the extent that all automotive diesel currently sold in France is dosed with 1 per cent biodiesel, as is 50 per cent of the diesel sold in Sweden.

In terms of the more immediate changes which are now in progress, Vauxhall is now making petrol/LPG versions of a number of its vehicles, with consequent improvements in emission levels of those substances governed by regulations, in addition to those not covered. It is interesting that Vauxhall UK have responded in this way independently of their parent company, General Motors, whose policy is the longer-term objective of pursuing a variety of alternative fuels with particular emphasis on the hydrogen fuel cell.

Mitsubishi are now claiming that its second generation gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines have now overcome the emission problems of its earlier versions when operating on certain fuels. They consider that the power unit can now be regarded as a true "global-standard eco-engine", since the technologies can easily be adapted to meet specific requirements of different countries.

Toyota have developed a ceramic gas turbine powered car which is showing much promise either as a compact engine in a co-generation unit or as a generator engine in a hybrid vehicle. The use of ceramic turbine blades enabling rotor inlet temperatures of up to 1,350ºC to be attained has resulted in efficiency improvements which make it comparable with gasoline or diesel engines.

Mazda have continued to develop their Demio estate car powered by a fuel cell, with further reductions in the size of the unit coupled with efficiency gains.

With the advance of such technology, what are the implications for crankcase lubricants? Undoubtedly, there is a movement towards lower viscosity products, often synthetic-based, with even higher levels of overall performance. The production of polyalphaolefin, a major constituent of many synthetic lubricants, has increased from 100 million litres in 1990 to 240 million litres in 1995 and is expected to continue to grow at an annualised rate of 10 per cent. Mobil have demonstrated, with their "million mile" BMW, that use of the most sophisticated lubricants can have a beneficial effect on engine life, although admittedly, this particular vehicle achieved most of its mileage on a rolling road. Those who balk at the idea of the cost of these lubricants should take heed of the fact that the improvements in fuel economy achieved through the use of these high performance low viscosity synthetic products more than compensate for their extra cost.

The days of the DIY motorist are numbered, and there are distinct signs that the volumes of products historically demanded by this type of customer, e.g. the "20W/50" motor oil, with sometimes doubtful performance levels, are declining. It can also be anticipated that DIY servicing will eventually become outlawed, as is already happening in some other countries, and vehicles will require evidence of service records by reputable agents in order to obtain vehicle licences, in the same way as the current MOT test is required. Such will be the expense and complexity of servicing equipment, including a multitude of diagnostic and other specialised equipment, that the small garage will need to give way to the large, specialised operators, in the same way that the blacksmiths at the beginning of the this century had to give way to small garages. Most packaged automotive lubricants will eventually disappear, since the large service organisations will be supplied in bulk, and vehicles would not need topping-up between services. Indeed, engine compartments may become sealed so as to physically prevent unauthorised tampering, as carburettor adjustments are currently sealed in an effort to maintain emission levels at the correct factory setting.

A market which is many ways peculiar to the UK, and typifies our national passion with history, museums, etc., is the degree of interest in older vehicles. The previous government, possibly recognising the commercial benefits of the growth industry associated with the provision of services and materials to support the continued use of such vehicles, introduced an unexpected but nevertheless tax-free concession on vehicles over 25 years old. The present government have now plugged this ongoing loophole by stipulating that this concession will only apply up to the end of this year, to vehicles manufactured prior to 1/1/73 and registered as "historic vehicles". In many other ways, however, there is justification for imposing such a cut-off date in that during the past 25 years, vehicle design has become more standardised with the advent of computer aided design, and more modern vehicles have lost the individuality and capacity for do-it-yourself maintenance which endeared them to the collector. A market for crankcase oils for historic vehicles, albeit relatively minor, is therefore likely to continue at a fixed level for many years to come. Contrary to popular belief, the use of modern high specification crankcase oils of higher viscosity than the current norm can only benefit older engines which have been either adequately internally cleaned out or freshly re-built. Problems only occur when such lubricants are used in older engines which have already accumulated internal deposits which may subsequently be mobilised by the use of a high detergent oil, subsequently causing blocking of internal oilways. Thus we can expect to see a continuance in the availability of packs of oil specifically designed for older vehicles, either high specification products in the 20W/50 viscosity range, or lower specification products of similar viscosity for higher mileage engines of doubtful internal condition.

In these days of mergers leading to larger and larger lubrication blending plants benefiting from economies of scale, it is refreshing to see that there are still some opportunities for the smaller independent specialist lubricant manufactures. Articles in this issue highlight two such manufacturers, the German company Kluber Lubricants and R.S.Clare of Liverpool, UK, the latter now in its 250th year of existence, which could possibly be a world record for a lubricants company. The types of products manufactured by these companies are not compatible with the manufacturing regimes imposed by largely automated production plants. However, with the advent of new automotive drivetrain technologies, bonded coatings and other forms of surface treatment , there may well be in the future a move away from the current familiar expendable crankcase type of lubricant to sealed for life systems requiring relatively small volumes of extremely specialised lubricants. The days of the large volume lubricants plant may well be numbered.

David Margaroni