GF-6, PC-11 and Dexos1™: New Engine Oil Specifications Mean New Additive Challenges
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TECH BEAT Dr. Neil Canter / Contributing Editor SPECIAL REPORT GF-6, PC-11 ™ and dexos1 : New engine oil specifications mean new additive challenges Additive suppliers will need to develop new additives and KKEKEYY COCONCEPTSNC TS formulation approaches to • ThThee iimplementationp of ttwowo subcategoriessubcategories in thethe uppcocomcomiing GFGF-66 sppececificaecificationificatioonn forfor PCPCMOsCMOs meet specification deadlines. meanmeanss tthathat additivadditivee formulations maymay neeneedd ttoo be ddesidesignedggned differentldifferentlyy for GF-6GF-6 A anaandd GFGF-6- 6B.B • FoFor tthe new HDEOO sspecificaspecification,pecificationon, PCPC-1C-11,, the newnew llowero e viscosityviscosity oiloil subcategory,ssubcategory, PC-1PC-11B THE LUBRICANTS INDUSTRY IS IN THE MIDST OF DEVELOPING PROD- representts a significantsignificant challengechallenge because of UCTS for not one but three new engine oil specifications at the thethe poppotentialotetennttial neneedeed tot inincorincorporatecorpporaatte newneneeww frictionfrfricictition same time. Further complicating the issue—two of the speci- moddifieerss witth more eeffeecttive aanttiweear addddittivees.. fications are further organized into specific subcategories. • ImImplementationplementation of tthehe secosecondnd ggenerationeneration With passenger car motor oils (PCMOs), the new speci- fication is known as GF-6.1 It is further segmented into two GM specificaecificationtion, ddexos1™exos1™ priioor to GGF-6F-6 mamayy subcategories: GF-6A and GF-6B. GF-6A will cover existing requirei e thethe lullubricantsububricantbric ca tss iniindustryndustrdu tryy to reformulaterereformulatrmul te engine oil grades while GF-6B will cover new grades with PPCMOsCMOs again. viscosities lower than 0W-20. The impetus for the new grade comes from the request by automotive manufacturers to rec- 10 The heart is typically the size of a fist: 12 cm (5 inches) in length, 8 cm (3.5 inches) wide and 6 cm (2.5 inches) new lower viscosity engine oils with an HTHS of 2.9-3.2. At the time of this article’s publica- GF-6 LUBRICANTS tion, the first license date for PC-11 will be in December 2016. GF-6 will PROVIDE SOLUTIONS probably move to a March 2018 first license date. TO GROWING The third engine oil specification is the second generation GM specification REGULATIONS FUEL ECONOMY .5 known as dexos1™ that is due to be 54 mpg DEMANDS. implemented in September 2016. There have been steady fuel economy Efficiency performance mandates increases since 2009. continue to affect the automotive in- New fuel economy requirements will skyrocket to 54.5 mpg by 2025. dustry. In the U.S. sweeping legislative .0 changes put into effect by the National LUBRICANT EFFICIENCY 18 mpg Highway Traffic Safety Administration † GF-6 LUBRICANT EFFICIENCY (NHTSA) in 2012 require a fleet-wide GF-5 average of 54.5 mpg (U.S.) by 2025 GF-1 (see Figure 1). Fuel economy perfor- mance is being raised not just in terms * * * * of the level of fuel economy but also in 13% 15% 51% 42% terms of durability over a longer time .5 .5 .3 .6 .3 .5 18-20.4 20 -23 24 -36 38 -54 mpg mpg mpg mpg period. Efficiency is at the forefront of †Lubricant efficiency determined by ILSAC (International Lubricant Standard Approval Committee) Sequence VI Fuel Economy Testing. *These numbers reflect the NHTSA’s regulated fuel economy increases through 2025. FUEL ECONOMY CONTRIBUTIONS FUEL ECONOMY SPECIFICATIONS WE ALL NEED TO DO LUBRICANTS MUST CONTRIBUTE TO DURABLE FUEL ECONOMY OUR PART. OVER LONGER MILES. OEM Lubricants with GF-5 novel additive % FEI SUM †† ** 1.9 5W30 6.5K Lubricant chemistrymistrym andannddl lloweroower Industry viscosities will MILES enable new engine technologies and GF-6 Figure 2 | The lubricants industry is facing % FEI SUM †† directly contribute to ** 2.9 5W30 10K Engine MFG fuel economy. a major challenge in developing products MILES †† for three specifications where efficiency FEI SUM =Combination of initial and aged fuel economy improvements of Sequence VI test. **Simulated drain interval in the Sequence VI fuel economy test. improvements are required. (Figure courtesy of The Lubrizol Corp.) © 2015 The Lubrizol Corporation. All rights reserved. GF-6, PC-11 and GM specifications— Figure 1 | Improved fuel efficiency is a key requirement that PCMOs will need to meet in the three current specification upgrades upcoming GF-6 specification. (Figure courtesy of The Lubrizol Corp.) greatly impacting the industry (see Figure 2). The development of these new en- gine oil specifications means that there ommend lower viscosity grades for engine oils (HDEOs). Further segmen- are certainly additive challenges that their vehicles. GF-6B covers engine tation of this engine oil category is the lubricants industry must meet. In- oil viscosities lower than 0W-20. Re- made based on backward compatibility. put on how the industry is responding cently the Japanese automaker Honda Two subcategories are based on a dif- has been obtained from the following requested two lower viscosity grades ference in high-temperature high-shear companies: (0W-12 and 0W-8) be added to the (HTHS) viscosity rates. The subcate- • Afton Chemical Corp. Engine Oil Viscosity Grade Classifica- gory, PC-11A, will be compatible with • Chemtura Corp. tion System. the current HDEO category (API CJ-4) • Chevron Oronite Co. The second engine oil specification, and have an HTHS of 3.5 minimum; • Croda known as PC-111, 2, is for heavy-duty the second subcategory, PC-11B, is for • The Dow Chemical Co. in thickness. A man’s heart weighs about .28 kg (10 ounces), a woman’s about .22 kg (8 ounces). 11 • Evonik Oil Additives USA pre-ignition and wear protection for Co. in Midland, Mich., offers this analy- • Infineum USA LP various engine components.” sis of the upgrade for the Sequence IVB • The Lubrizol Corp. Tung makes two additional impor- valve train test: “The new test includes a • Vanderbilt Chemicals LLC. tant points about the reason for devel- more severe duty cycle, which is a high- oping GF-6. He says: “Each of the new ly transient cycle compared to the origi- GF-6 UPGRADES tests addresses requests by OEMs based nal test. In addition, the test duration The proposed ILSAC GF-6 specifica- upon the needs of modern, high-tech increases from 100 hours to 200 hours, tion will enable a new level of perfor- engines. With these new technologies which makes the test more severe from mance for passenger car engine oils in come new requirements of the lubri- a valve train wear perspective.” the era of efficiency. Martin Birze, The cants that enable them. The new tests Steve Haffner, North America Lubrizol Corp.’s regional business man- also address the increasingly limited crankcase market manager for Infine- ager, passenger car additives in Wick- availability of older engine parts. Sim- um USA L.P. in Linden, N.J., gives his liffe, Ohio, says, “the proposed GF-6 ply put, engines used to run tests under perspective on GF-6. He says, “The specification is a significant upgrade GF-5 are reaching the end of their use- new PCMO specification is being de- that addresses the demands of new ful life, and parts are limited or unavail- veloped to protect the newer hardware engine technology. This technology able, necessitating replacement tests to being introduced into the field includ- requires higher-performing engine oils meet new engine requirements.” ing smaller displacement, direct-inject- to enable efficiency while also deliver- Tiffany Murphy, marketing manager ed gasoline engines. These new oils will ing the higher fuel economies required for PCMO for Afton Chemical in Rich- be expected to deliver enhanced oil ro- by mandated regulations. mond, Va., says, “The GF-6 category bustness and wear protection as well as “GF-6 is unprecedented in its pro- will again seek to define an engine oil increased fuel economy throughout the posed inclusion of six new engine tests. with improved durability characteris- oil change interval.” Four are replacement tests being updat- tics and better fuel economy perfor- ed with new hardware, and two are en- mance to help equipment manufactur- ADDITIVE CHALLENGES FOR GF-6A tirely new tests. The specification will ers meet the future EPA CAFE targets.” AND GF-6B push the industry’s approach to engine STLE-member Dr. Frank DeBlase, At this time there is some disagreement oil formulation to greater heights.” Chemtura Fellow-petroleum additives among the respondents about the sta- STLE-member Kaustav Sinha, glob- in Middlebury, Conn., has focused his tus of the two GF-6 subcategories and al project manager for Chevron Oronite research on novel antiwear agent, an- even if there will be two sets of specifi- Co. LLC in Bellaire, Texas, overseeing tioxidant and friction modifiers. Says cations or one. the GF-6 development, provides an DeBlase on the new subcategory GF- Murphy says: “The new GF-6B cat- overview of the six new engine tests 6B: “The new lower viscosity GF-6B egory defines the performance require- being developed for GF-6. oil (0W-16 or 5W-16), with a lower ments for ultra-low viscosity grades be- Says Sinha: “The Sequence IIIH oxi- high-temperature high-shear (HTHS) low SAE XW-20 and as such is distinct dation/deposit and Sequence IVB valve viscosity, should deliver improved fuel from GF-6A with no overlap at all. The train wear tests will get engines and economy and lower green-house gas viscosity grades appropriate to GF-6B test procedures developed by two new emissions but will require additional will only be recommended by selected Original Equipment Manufacturers engine protection. Therefore, new tests OEMs for specific engines and vehicles. (OEMs), Chrysler and Toyota, respec- are being developed to assess increased “So the challenge, in a sense, is tively. Ford is refreshing the Sequence fuel economy performance and engine greatest for the oil marketer to ensure V sludge performance test and also durability. These requirements will be that such oils are clearly identified by developing two brand new tests (low addressed by new lubricant and addi- consumers and are only used in the speed pre-ignition (LSPI) and chain tive technologies.” appropriate applications.