Lubezine Magazine Vol. 9 April - June 2014 | Page 25

GLOBAL MARKET

FEATURE
DEMAND

Global lubricant additive use
to hit 4.5 million tons in 2017

T

he global consumption of finished lubricants is estimated to grow annually at 1.7
per cent as the global lubricant additive
consumption is expected to grow at 2.2 per
cent annually from 4 million metric tons in
2012 to 4.5 million tons by 2017, according to
the Parsippany-based Kline & Co. report.
The report, presented in a webinar on the
study, “Global Lubricant Additives: Market
Analysis and Opportunities,” put the global
consumption of finished lubricants in 2012 at
39 million tones, valuing 2012’s global lubricant additive consumption of 4 million tons
at $13.3 billion.
‘By lubricant category, additive consumption in 2012 of heavy-duty motor oil accounted
for 33 percent of global demand and passenger
car motor oil accounted for 27 per cent’, the
report says, adding that additives used in other
automotive oils accounted for 7 per cent.
Additives in metalworking fluids accounted
for 14 per cent while industrial engine oils
accounted for 13 per cent and general industrial oils accounted for 4 per cent as other types
accounted for the remaining 2 per cent.
The findings, presented by Upshi Ghosh,
Project Manager for Kline’s Energy Practice,
also suggests that PCMO and HDMO additives account for 60 per cent of global additive
demand due to more additization in HDMO
and PCMO products, as compared to industrial
products.
‘The ACEA 2012 European Oil Sequence
is tuned towards providing some degree of
biodiesel compatibility. The increasing penetration of biodiesel led to increased use of
antioxidants to handle sludge, acids and oil
thickening issues,” she said.
‘ Growing use of biofuel in North America
means this same need is on the wish-list for
the PC-11 heavy-duty engine oil upgrade, due
in 2016 for North American trucks’, she added.
Dispersants VII, and detergents are the top
three function classes, accounting for 70 per
cent of total consumption in 2012, with dispersants accounting for 25 percent, viscosity
index improvers, 24 percent, and detergents
with 21 percent, followed by antiwear agents
at 7 percent; antioxidants, 5 percent; corrosion
February-April 2014 | LUBEZINE MAGAZINE

2012 Additives Usage By Lubricants Category
4%

2%

Heavy-duty motor oil
Passenger car motor oil

13%

Other automotive oils

33%

Metalworking fluids
Industrial engine oils

14%

General industrial oils
Others

7%

27%

inhibitors and friction modifiers, each 4 percent; and emulsifiers at 3 percent.
Ghosh also noted that the shift from
monogrades to higher-performance oils and
multigrades will lead to an increase in the
consumption of additives such as dispersants,
antioxidants, and viscosity modifiers.
In reference to extended drain intervals, she
noted that to make engine oils more durable,
an up-treat of antioxidants and dispersants will
be required.
On PCMO, Ghosh said the trends affecting
the formulation of PCMO and demand for
additives in this product category include the
introduction of new specifications such as

Dispersants VII and
detergents are the
top three function
classes, accounting for
70 per cent of total
consumption in 2012

ILSAC’s GF-5 and GF-6, which should increase
the consumption of additives such as antioxidants and friction modifiers. .
She said the continuous trend towards lower
viscosity PCMO grades will increase the use
of friction modifiers and that the extension
of drain intervals for PCMO will result in an
increase in dispersant and antioxidant treat
rates. Also, with usage of flexible fuel vehicles
that use ethanol, an increase is expected for rust
and corrosion inhibitors, as well as increase in
emulsion retention. Regarding metalworking
fluids, she said the trend towards greater use
of paraffinic basestock, especially Group II and
Group III, is likely to result in some changes in
additive use.
With hydraulic fluids, there is a trend
towards low-zinc and ashless fluids. Share
of Zinc-free hydraulic fluids is expected to
grow in the next 5 years, up from 7 per cent of
the total market in 2012 to 12 per cent of the
market in 2017.
Rising demand for fire-resistant fluids is
driving the usage of corrosion inhibitors, VIIs,
and emulsifiers for ester based fluids, Ghosh
said.

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