Applications of High-Quality Base Oil to Specialty Lubricants

There have been significant improvements in base oil quality in order to satisfy recent market needs. In particular requirements of passenger car motor oils have been leading the trend. Now, high quality base oils such as VHVI base oils and PAOs are to be formulated in order to meet the tight volatility specifications. The severe hydrocracking, hydro-isomerized dewaxing and hydro-finishing process with noble-metal based catalysts (named UCO lube process) developed by SK corporation has been introduced as one of economic hydroprocessing routes to produce high quality VHVI base oils and food grade white mineral oils from fuels hydrocracker residue. Product quality of UCO lube process is similar to PAO in. general performances and therefore provides satisfactory performance far all straightforward applications in general lubricants. However, when applied to specialty lubricants like transformer oils, spray oils and coning oils, severely hydrocracked base oils are known to have various compatibility problems with gas or surfactants formulated in them. These problems are related to the difference in their composition; inherent high paraffin contents and lack of dissolving ability, Fortunately, it was found that excellent specialty lubricants could be made by carefully selecting and formulating adequate additives and/or aromatic compounds. Moreover, these specialties with high quality VHVI base oils ofter various advantages over conventional base oil based products.