Lubricant Base Oils

Base oils make up 80-90 percent of lubricants. The remaining 10 to 20 percent of the formulation is composed of additives to tailor performance to desired specifications.

• Mineral oils consist of hydrocarbons but may also contain impurities such as sulphur, nitrogen and aromatics. Though most commonly used today, increasing performance and emission standards are driving replacement of these oils by higher performing base oils.
• Vegetable oils or traditional bio-based lubricants are mainly derived from triglyceride plant oils such as soybean, rapeseed, palm and coconut oils. These formulations are used in applications where the lubricant is lost to the environment, or when biodegradability and low environmental toxicity are specified. Our proprietary Inherent™ technology brings synthetic base oil performance to bio-based feedstocks providing a significant opportunity for increased bio-based lubricant market penetration.
• Synthetic base oils represent a rapidly growing portion of the lubricants market. Regulatory issues, increased demand for longer drain intervals, changing requirements for lower emissions, and higher performance are driving increased use of synthetic base oils.

Elevance is uniquely positioned to address these trends with Inherent™ products and technology. Our biorefinery produces specialty chemical alpha olefins and novel esters that are advantaged building blocks for developing Inherent Functionalized Base Oils™ — our synthetic lubricant base oils with enhanced performance.