Tailoring Oils to Engines

Today's high performance automotive engines would not operate effectively without the progressive advancements in engine oil formulation technology. A communications network between the engine builders, additive suppliers, petroleum companies, and consumers is essential in the continuous tailoring of engine oils to meet new engine requirements. The SAE/ASTM/API tripartite Engine oil performance and engine service classification system is recognized worldwide as a base for adding further requirements for various geographic areas. Attempts to develop one worldwide specification system have been thwarted by lack of unified agreement within, as well as between, the pertinent geographic areas of the world. In addition, worldwide specifications would not provide cost/performance optimization for areas not requiring each of the included engine oil parameters, and oil formulation compromises required to meet total world requirements could weaken oil performance in a specific area. As new engine designs place additional burdens on engine oils, the role of chemical additives to meet these demands increases. Revised engine oil evaluation tests are an associated need. Continued efforts toward elusive worldwide engine oil specifications will provide benefits by consolidating the number of expensive laboratory engine tests required to define engine oil performance.