Lubricant Base Oils

Base Oils make up 80 – 90 percent of friction-reducing lubricants. The remaining ten to 20 percent of the formulation is composed of additives to tune performance to desired specifications.

• Mineral oils consist of hydrocarbons but also contain some sulphur and nitrogen compounds with metal traces. Though most commonly used today, these oils are being replaced by higher performing base oils.
• Vegetable oils or 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 technology enhances stability and pour points, providing a significant opportunity for market penetration.
• Synthetic base oils represent a small but rapidly growing portion of the lubricants market. Regulatory issues, increased demand for longer drain intervals, and changing requirements for improved fuel economy and performance are driving increased usage of synthetic lubricants.

Elevance is uniquely positioned to benefit from these trends. Our biorefinery produces oleochemicals that can drop into existing lubricant applications and specialty chemical alpha olefins and esters that can provide advantaged building blocks for developing synthetic lubricant base oils with enhanced performance.