lubezine magazine may 2013 20.05.2012 · helios each own 40 per cent of vivo energy, with shell...

1 February-April 2013 | LUBEZINE MAGAZINE

PLUS: H1 FOOD GRADE LUBRICANTS P.14

VOL .6 • FEBRUARY-APRIL 2013

EAST AFRICA EDITION

W W W . L U B E S A F R I C A . C O M

Kenya Shell rebrands into Vivo Energy P.4Syynthetic technologygy — All yyou need to know P.12

MAIN FEATURE

SILICONEngine enemy

number one

2 LUBEZINE MAGAZINE | February-April 2013

Inside Front Cover

Full Page Ad


CONTENTSN E W S • I N D U S T R Y U P D AT E • N E W P R O D U C T S • T E C H N O LO GY • C O M M E N TA R Y

FEBRUARY-APRIL 2013


VOL 6

9 | COMPANY FEATURE

Motorol joins region’s top lubricants league

10 | COUNTRY FEATURE

How City Oil sails in Uganda’s lubricants market

14 | BRAND FEATURE

H1 food grade lubricants

16 | IN OTHER WORLDS

NMMA issues its 2013 TC-W3®, FC- W®, and FC-W Catalyst Compatible® certified oils lists

Three out of four cars need service

22 | GLOBAL MARKET FEATURE

Two-wheeler lubricants market growing in volume and value

INSIDE REGULARS

24 OIL PRESSURE LIGHT

2 | Editor’s Desk4-6 | The Market Report Kenya Shell rebrands into

Vivo Energy after ownership pact

Sh100 million boost for Total lubricating oil blending plant

Addax and Oryx Rebrands into AOG

Total introduces brake fluid dot 5.1

Synionic lubricants come to Kenya

Bakri international rolls out Q8 Oils

8 | Questions from our readers

23 | Lubrication 360 Tips for everyday

lubrication

26 | 10 Questions for lubricants professionals

Mohamed Baraka

28 | Last Word Brake fluid or death fluid

SILICON, ENGINE ENEMY NUMBER ONE

18 | COVER STORY

2 |44-6 |

Synthetic Technology

TECHNOLOGY FEATURE

12


EDITORIAL

W elcome to edition 6 of Lubezine magazine.

Numerous road accidents on our roads

have been blamed on over-speeding,

carelessness, overloading, bad road condi-

tions and a plethora of other reasons.

There has been minimal attempt to try

and investigate the root causes of such accidents and therefore

eliminate those hidden causes that are not always visible on a

casual examination of the scene of the accident. One culprit

here is the quality of brake fl uid used.

Often we have heard that an accident was caused by brake

failure and it ends there without further delving into the reason

why the systems failed. We have therefore dedicated a lot of

space on the brake fl uid technology and we have shown clearly

how a quality brake fl uid is an integral part of a well functioning

brakes system.

Some of the most signifi cant events that have taken place in

the past months include the ownership takeover of Kenya Shell

by Vivo Energy and the Ksh. 100 million investments in the

Total Kenya blending plant .We have also seen new brands like

Synionic oils and Q8 oils join the fray for a share of the market.

Our lead article is on the effect of silicon (dust) on the drain-

age intervals of a lubricant. The continent, with a signifi cant

number of its roads being dusty, continues to record relatively

low drainage intervals as dust-contaminated oil has to be

drained before maximum service interval has been achieved.

This goes to illustrate just how critical an air fi ltration system is

to the well being of an engine.

Motorcycle population continues to increase worldwide as

reported by Kline & Company, a worldwide consulting and

research fi rm. This is evident in Africa where well known brands

are opening assembly plants on the continent in an attempt to

meet increased demand. Use of quality lubricants needs to be

promoted so that the end-users of the motorcycles can enjoy the

full benefi ts of this cheap source of transport.

With a readership of over 3000 professionals and growing,

Lubezine magazine continues to make strides in providing the

industry with a platform to exchange information and ideas that

can grow the market and bridge knowledge gaps.

Happy reading

Brake fluid and road safety

EDITOR’SDESKVOL 6 • FEBRUARY-APRIL 2013

Kenya Shell rebrandsTurn to P.4

Publisher:Lubes Africa Ltd

Editor: Susan Mwangi

Design & Layout: Andrew Muchira

Contributors: Andre Adam

Ken Koskei

James Wakiru

Joseph Ndung’u

Mohamed Baraka

Nyakundi Nyagaka

Wearcheck SA

Photography: Bettercom Media services

Lubezine library

Art Direction: Zeus Media Ltd

[email protected]

Advertising & Subscription:

[email protected]

www.lubesafrica.com

Subscriptions: Lubezine is free to qualified subscribers who are involved in the lubricants industry as manufacturer’s end-users, marketers and suppliers to the oil industry. Lubezine is a quarterly publication of Lubes Africa Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be produced or transmitted in any form including photocopy or any storage and retrieval system without prior written permission from the publishers.


PLUS: H1 FOOD GRADE LUBRICANTS P.14

VOL .6 • FEBRUARY-APRIL 2013

EAST AFRICA EDITION


Kenya Shell rebrands into Vivo Energy P.4Synthetic technology — All you need to know P.12

MAIN FEATURE

SILICONEngine enemy

number one

We have therefore dedicated a lot of space on the brake fluid technology and we have shown clearly how a quality brake fluid is an integral part of a well functioning brakes system.

Joseph Ndung’u OUR COVER IMAGE:A truck

driving along a dirt road in

Ethiopia.


LUBEZINE?

lubricants capitallubricants p

WHO IS READING

If you wish to communicate to any of the above groups about your products, Lubezine offers the most direct link

The readership includes:Lubezine is a free magazine to qualified subscribers

To advertise, phone Lubezine sales team at:

Focusing on Africa’s lubrication needs

Issue 002October-Decemberwww.lubesafrica.com

Aviation Lubricants

Gulf Energy Launches Lubricants

BEARING FAILURE and lubrication

Focusing on Africa’s lubrication needs

Issue 002October-Decemberwww.lubesafrica.com

LLLILILILILILILILILLLILLLILILILIILILIIIIILIIILIIILII URUUURURURURUURURURURURURURUUUUURUUUURRURURRRRRRURRRRUURRURURRURURURUUUURUUURRUUURURRRURRUUUURRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEiiiiiiiiiiiccccccccccccccccccccccccaattatatatatataatatatatataatatatatatatatatatatataaatatataaaatatatatataaatattttaaaaattatataaattaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnILILILILILILIILILILIILILILILILILILILILILILIILIIIIILILILILILILILILILILILIIIILILILILILILIILILILILILIILIIIIILLILIIILILILIILLILIIILIILILIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII URURURURURURURURURURUURUURURURURURURURURURURURURURURURURURURURURURURURURRRRRRURURURURRRRURURURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRUUURUUUUUURRRRRiiiiiiccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc

Aviation Lubricants

Gulf Energy Launches Lubricants

BEARING FAILURE and lubrication

pital

sue 00su 22cemce bbm eriicccaa..ccooommm

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF IIIIIAAAAAAuuuuuuuuuubbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

LuL

GGGGulesss Lu

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFAFFFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFAAFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF IAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAuuuuuuuuuuuuuuubbbbuuuuuuubbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

IssssOOcctotot bbeerr-Deecc

FocFF

wwwwwwwww.luww bbeessaaffrrii

FocFF using ong AfA i ’

1

January-March 2012 LUBEZINE MAGAZINE

uuuuuuuu

eeeeeeeeeee

uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

FocFF using ong AfAA rff ccicaiccccccccccccccccccccccc ’s’ lubricaticaticatcacatcaticaticaticatcatcatcatatcatcaticaticatcataticaticcattcattcatcatcatatatcati tticattcatcatacaccac tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiion non noon non nnnnnnononnn nn nnn nn noooooon noononn nnn nnnoon noon noon onnnnnn nnnnnnn nnnoonnnnnn nnnnnnnnooon nn nnnnn nnn nnnnon nn non non nonnn nn nnnnnn nnnnon noon nnnnnnnn nnnon nonnnnnn nnnooonnnnnn nnnn nnnoon nonnn nnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnooonnnnnnn nnnnnnonnnn nnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnneedeeddeeddeeddeeddddeedeedeedddddddeedddeeddddddddddeeeeeeedddddeeeeeeeeeeeededdeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee sssssssss

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEARARAARAARRAAAARARAARAAAARAAAAARAAARAAAAAAAAAAAARARARRRRRAAAAAAAAAAARAAAAARARARRRRARARARRRRAAAAAARARARRRRAARARARARRRRRRR NININNININNNININNNNININNNNNINNNINNIINNININNININNINNINININNNNNNNINNNNNNNNNNNNNNRRRRRRRRRR GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGannnnnanaananannaaanananaaanaaanaananananaananannnnnanannnnnannnaannnannddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

LLLLLaLaLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLaLaLLLLLLLaLLLLaLaLaLaLaLaLaLaLaLaLLLLLLLLLaLaLaLaLaLaLLLLLLaLaLaLaLLLaaLaaLaLLaLLaaLLLaLaLLLaLLLLLaLLLLLLLLaLaLaaLLLLLLLLLLLLLaLLLLaLLLaaLLaLaLLLLLLLLaaaaaaaLLLLLLLLaaaaaaaaLLLLLLLLLLaaaaaaaaaaLLLLLLLLLaaaaaaaaaaaaaaLLLLLLaaaaaaaaaaaLLLLLLLaaaaaaaaaLLLLLLaaaaaaaaaaaaaLLLLaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauununuuuuunuuunuuuuuuuunuuuuuuuuuunuuuuuuuuunnuuununuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuncccchcchchhchchchchcchccccchcccchhcchhccchccccccccccccccccccccccchccchccchhhcchhhhhhhhhhhhhccccchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhcchhhhhhhhhhhccchhhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEARARARARAARAARARARARARAARAAAAARRAARARRRRAAARAAARAARRRRAAAARARRRAAAAARAAARARRRRRRAAARAARARRRRAAARARRRRRRRRRREEEARARARARARARARARARARARARAARARARARARARAARARAAAAARARARARAAAARARARAARRARAAARAARAAARARARARARRAAAARAARARARARARARRARRARARAAARARARARARRAARARARARRARARARAAARRRARAAARRAARAARARRARAAAAAARAARRARAAAAARARRARAAARRRRARARRRRAARAARRRARRRRRARAAARARRAAAARRARRAARRRRRRRRARAAARARARRAAAARARRARAAARARARRARRARRAAAAARAAAARARARARARARARARRRRRARAAAARARARARARARARAAAAAAARARAARAARRARRAAAAAARARRRRARAAAARARRRRRAAAAAAAARARARARRRRRRAAAAARARRARRRRRRAARRRARRAAAAAAARRAAAAAARRRRRRARAAAAAARRRRRRAAAAAAAARRRRAAAAAAARARRRRARARARARARARARARARAARAARRARARARARAARAAAAAARARARARAAARARARAARRAAAARAARAARARARARARRAAAARAAARARARARARRAARARAAARARARARAARARARARRARARAAAARRARAAAAARAARARAAAAAAARARRAAAAARAARAARRRRRARAARAARRRARRRRAAAARARAAAARRRAARRRRRRRRARAAARARARRAAAARARRAAAARARRARRARAAAAARAARAARARARARARARRAAAAARARRARARARAAAAAAARARARARRARAAAAARRRAAARRRRAAAAAAARARRRRAAAAARARRARRRRRAARRRARRAAAAAAARRAAAAAARRRRRRARAAAAAARRRRRRAAAAAAAARRRRAAAAAAARARRRR NINNINNINNININNNNINIIIINIIINININIINNNNIIIINNNNNNNNNIIIIINNNNNNNNNNIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR NIIININININIIININININININNNNNINNININNININININIININININNNNNNNNNNINNNNIIIINIIININNNININNINNNININNNIIIIININNNINNININIINIIINININNNINNINNNINNNNNININIINIINIININNNINNININNNNNINNNINNININIIIIININIIIIIININNINNNNNNNNNNNNININIIIIININIINIINNINININNNNNINIIIIIININININNINNIIIIIIINNNININIIINIIIINNNINIINIIIIININNNINIIIIINININNNNNININIIIIIIINNNNININIIINNNNNNNNNINIIIINNINNNNINNNINIIIIIININNNNNNINNNNIIIIIIIIIIIININNNINIIIIIIIIINNNIIIIIINNINNNNIIIIINNNNNIINNININIINNNNNININNINNNINNNNNNNNNINNNNNNINNNNINNNNNNNNIIININININIIININININININNNNNNNNINNIINININIINIININNNNNNNNNNINNNIIIIIIININNNININNINNIINNNIIIINNNNINNININIIININNNNNINNNINNNNNININIIIINNINNINNNNNNNNNINININIIIIININIININNNNNNNNNNNNNIIIIININININNNNNNINIIINNNNIIIIINNNININIIINIIINNNIIIIIININNNNIIIIIIINNNNINIIINNININIINNNNNNNIIINNNNNNIIINNNNNNNIIIIIIINNINIIIIIIIINNNIIIIINNINNNIIINNINININIINNNININNINNINNNNNNNNNINNNNNNINNNNINNNNNRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGaaaaaaaaaananaannaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnananannnnnnnnnnaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnannanannannnaaaaaaaannnanannnaaaaaaannnnnnaaaaaaaaaaaaanananananananananaaaanaananananaaaaaaaaannannanaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnaaaaaaaaaaanaaannnanaaaaaaaaaananaaaaanananaaanaannnnnaanaaaaaaaannanaaanananaaaanananaaaaaaaaanananannanannnannanannnannaannnnnnnnnnnaanananananananananaaanananananaaaaaaannannanaaaaaaaaaaannnnaaaaaaaaaaanaaannnanaaaaaaaaananaaananananannnnnnaaaaaaananaanananaaaanananaaaaaaaaannanannanannnannanannnannaannnnnnnnnndddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddnnnnnnnnnnnnnnndddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuulllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

11111

JJJanuararuaruaryyyyyyyyy-M-M-MMaMaMaMMMaMaM rrrrrch 2ch 2ch 2chhch 22h 0000000001111111122222222 LLLLLLLLLUBUUUBUBUBEUBUBEBEBEUBEUBBBEEZIZIZIZIZZ NENNEENE MMMMMMMMMAAAAAAGGGGGGAAAAAAAAAZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZIIIZZIIIZIIIZIIIIIZIIIZZIIIZZIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEE

Inside Kenya’s lubricants capital

The basics of oil additives P.16

Inssiide Kennyya’sya’sKirinyaga

RoadPLUS: THE MARKET REPORT P.4

NOT FOR SALE

W W W E A F R I C A C O M

FOCUS ONF

A guide to buying lubricants P.10NEW LOOK!


Namibia, Senegal and Tunisia.

Meanwhile, Vivo Energy

CEO, Christian Chammas, has

reassured customers that the

company will ensure the quality

of Shell-branded products and

focus on the customer experi-

ence, saying that Vivo Energy

seeks to be known as the most

respected energy fi rm in Africa.

“This means investing in key

African markets for long-term

sustainable growth and being

a leader in safety and building

a culture of performance, for

THEMARKETREPORTNEWS • BRIEFING • NEW PRODUCTS • TECHNOLOGY

TAKEOVER

S hell-Kenya will now

be known as Vivo

Energy-Kenya following

the successful completion of a

change-of-ownership agreement

in a development that has also

seen a change in the oil market-

ing fi rm’s top management.

Former Tiger Brands East

Africa boss, Polycarp Igathe is

the new head of the Kenyan

outlet, taking the reins from the

outgoing country chairman,

Jimmy Mugerwa, who has over

20 years of experience working

in both African and European

oil industries.

Earlier, the takeover stoked

anxiety with the Industrial

Court restraining the fi rm from

selling or transferring its assets

before receiving written consent

that employees were agreeable

to the transition.

In the partial takeover, Vitol

and Helios each own 40 per cent

of Vivo Energy, with Shell hold-

ing the remaining 20 per cent.

According to the agreement,

which also recognizes Vivo

Energy, as the only accredited

distributor of Shell products,

Shell and Vivo Lubricants are

50 per cent owned by Shell and

50 per cent owned by Vitol and

Helios.

However, all Vivo Energy’s

fuels and lubricants will still be

branded with the Shell brand

name.

Vivo Energy has an estab-

lished presence in 12 other

African markets, which include

Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote

d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mauritius,

Madagascar, Morocco, Mali,

Kenya Shell rebrands into Vivo Energy after ownership pact

Questions from our ReadersSee also P.8

In the partial takeover, Vitol and Helios each own 40 per cent of Vivo Energy, with Shell holding the remaining 20 per cent

our employees, under African

leadership and accountability

for local business growth,” he

said.

Until the ownership change,

Kenya Shell controlled 17.8

per cent of the market, owning

storage facilities in Mombasa

and Nairobi with retail outlets

spread out throughout the

country.

According to a Petroleum

Institute report, Kenolkobil

holds 25 per cent of Kenya’s

market, Total Kenya 23.3 per

cent, Libyaoil 8.8 per cent,

National Oil Corporation of

Kenya 5.6 per cent, and Bakri 3.1

per cent.

Following the takeover, Shell

has joined other multination-

als like Agip, Mobil, BP, and

Chevron (Caltex) that sold

their assets in Kenya and other

African countries as a result of

dwindling returns and diffi cult

business environment.

The environment has led to

the growth of local fi rms like

Hass Petroleum, Hashi Energy,

Galana and Petrocity to increase

market presence while Kenyan

owned KenolKobil and Engen

of South Africa have expanded

operations on the continent. .— Additional reports from Business Daily

Managing Director Vivo Energy Mr Polycarp Igathe.


Addax and Oryx Group has been rebranded. The company launched its repositioning to better reflect its evolution 25 years after it was founded. The company is now called AOG, which it says leverages its Addax and Oryx heritage, while creating an identity that encom-passes its current business areas.

“We have been sourcing and distributing oil and gas products in Africa for over 25 years. This merger demonstrates our commitment to continuously adapt to the energy needs of the continent, creating a value chain from product sourcing to storage and distribution for domestic, com-mercial and maritime customers.

It puts us in the enviable position of being able to ensure a reliable supply, as well as high product and service quality”, said AOG’s founder and chairman, Jean Claude Gandur. .

Total Kenya Limited has

invested 100 mil-

lion shillings in an

additional fi lling line at the

Company’s lubricating oil

blending plant in Mombasa to

meet growing demand within

Kenya and regional export

markets including Tanzania,

Seychelles, Uganda, Rwanda,

Burundi and the Democratic

Republic of Congo.

This is the latest develop-

ment in a series of on going

improvements carried out since

the facility was built in 1952.

ISO 9001:2008 certifi cation was

achieved in 2008 for the plant

and the laboratory.

As explained by Total Kenya

Lubricants Operations Manager-

Mr Samuel Waweru Njenga,

“Containers with capacities

varying from half a litre to one

thousand litres are fi lled at the

plant, but the new line is being

used mainly for the half litre

and one litre packages. These

are highly popular with vehicle

owners who buy lubricants at

the 174 Total service stations

spread around Kenya’’

The new line and ancillary

equipment have the capability

of labelling, fi lling, capping and

batch numbering 3,400 contain-

ers per hour. At the end of the

line, the lubricant containers are

packed in cartons, strapped and

labelled ready for storage and

onward transportation.

“The base oils for blending

are supplied from the Total

Total Kenya Limited has

introduced HBF DOT

5.1 brake fl uid for the Kenya

market which is ideal for

modern cars equipped with

disc-, drum- and anti-lock

brakes (ABS) operating in

severe conditions in addition

to the already existing DOT 4

which is acceptable in Kenya.

DOT 5.1 is miscible with

glycol synthetic based DOT 4.

Ken Koskei, the Total

Kenya Lubricants Techni-

cal and Training Manager

explained, “HBF DOT 5.1 has

a high boiling point even

after extended periods under

severe conditions at high

temperatures.

As this safeguards against

“vapour lock” users are

always assured of the best

possible stopping power.

Another benefi t is the brake

fl uid’s limited water take-up

which is technically known

as low hygroscopy and thus

the drain period can be

extended to 2-3 years.’’

“The life of vehicle brake

circuits is protected by HBF

5.1 because it is compat-

ible with both natural and

synthetic rubber parts and

does not corrode metals. .

Sh100 million boost for Total lubricating oil blending plant

Total introduces brake fluid dot 5.1

Addax and Oryx Rebrands into AOG

INVESTMENTS

NEW PRODUCTS

REBRAND

Brake fluids must have a high boiling point because when brakes are applied, the brake system, including the fluid gets hot and even boils. When it boils it results in vapour

lock, a condition responsible for many road accidents.

Turn to

refi nery in Havre, France and

the additives are sourced from

specialised suppliers. With the

exception of caps, all packaging

is made in Kenya.’’

The range of products

blended and packed at the plant

includes Quartz motor oils for

petrol engines, Rubia for diesel

engines, Total Special 2T for two

stroke motorcycles and Special

4T for the increasingly popular

4 stroke motorcycle engines.

The in-house laboratory

ensures quality of products

blended at the plant in addition

to supporting Total’s customers

in the East and Central Africa

region.. The laboratory deals

with quality control for both

raw materials and the fi nished

products. .

P.28


Synionic lubricants come to KenyaS ynionic Lubrication

Technology, producers

of the most advanced

lubricants on the international

market are investing in Kenya,

with the opening of an offi ce in

Mombasa.

Synionic Lubrication

Technology, originally from the

UK but now with plants in Abu

Dhabi and Lebanon, produce the

only Proactive Surface Modify-

ing Lubricants in the world,

something Jonathan Purchase,

Synionic’s representative in

Africa, is keen to point out is

not the same as anything else

available.

“There is a big difference

between what our customers

expect from their lubricants

and what other manufacturers’

customers expect, they are

poles apart. Synionic is not

the same. Proactive Surface

Modifying Lubricants are not

the same. Synionic proactively

attacks friction and modifi es

the surface metal at friction

points. Conventional lubricants

naturally migrate away from

friction and attempt to deal with

its results, its symptoms. That is

a big difference, and the results

show it.” To assist in the transi-

tion to Synionic lubricants,

Synionic offer free oil analysis

and asset management to their

commercial customers, to

maximise the benefi ts in a way

the customer can visibly see.

“This has been a great success in

other countries with on average

of a tripling effect in oil change

intervals. The only reason

customers use our products

is to increase the profi tability

of their fl eets or machinery

and reduce the headaches of

unscheduled downtime. The oil

analysis and asset management

program is a natural extension

of our customer service and

something we actively promote,

as sometimes a customer simply

would not believe the possibili-

ties without it. With it they can

move forward with confi dence.”

Synionic Lubricants are avail-

able in all viscosities (including

custom race specifi cations)

as well as an array of indus-

trial, commercial, automotive,

marine and sporting products. .

NEW ENTRANT

THEMARKETREPORTNEWS • BRIEFING • NEW PRODUCTS • TECHNOLOGY

Bakri international rolls out Q8 OilsBakri International Energy

Company Kenya Limited (Bakri) which was recently appointed the sole agents of Kuwait Petroleum Internation-al Lubricants (Q8Oils) for the Eastern and Central Africa Region , has finally rolled out the Q8 lubricants .

The high quality Q8 lubri-cants range being marketed by Bakri International include:Automotive Lubricants Both Synthetic and Mineral

Engine oils, Gear oils and Greases (Multi-purpose, Wheel bearing and Fifth Wheel)

Industrial Lubricants Hydraulic oils (normal and Zinc free), Gear oils, Compressor oils and industrial greases

Specialties Food grade lubricants and greases (Rossini range),

Transformer Oils, Cutting Fluids etc.

The base oils used to blend Q8 lubricants, are purified through a process referred to as Hydro Finishing that results in highly refined base oils with very low traces of wax and sulfur.

This makes Q8 lubricants have better performance parameters like excellent oxidation stability and deposit control. .

PRODUCTS LAUNCH


Environmental management is co-ordinated by the National Environmental

Management Environment (NEMA) in Kenya.

T he Environment, Health and Safety sector

in petroleum industry has immensely

grown partly due to the focus the indus-

try has placed on EHS and due to regulatory

framework requirements in the sector. Any

organisation that deals with lubricants and

greases is required by law to carry out an Envi-

ronmental Impact Assessment (EIA) before set

up. Any Lubrication work invariably generates

used oil, greases and fi lters that need to be safely

disposed to prevent environmental pollution.

Handling of both new and used oil poses a

hazard to the environment in case of a spill or

leakages.

Upon issuance of project approval and

licence, the development can therefore be

implemented under continuous monitoring to

ensure the conditions of approval are adhered

to. Thereafter, an Initial Environmental Audit

should be done for the development followed

by annual environmental audits for monitor-

ing purposes. .

SELECTING THE RIGHT GREASE:SHELL GADUS MAKES IT EASY

ADVERTISER’S FEATURE

In response to increasing customer demand for easier product selection, Shell has redesigned its extensive grease range, recently re-launching it under the new Shell Gadus brand and making it easier than ever before to choose the right product.

When it comes to purchasing greases, there are hundreds of brands and specialised products to choose from. So, how do you select the right product for your particular needs? Which will provide the best protection? Which will perform best to avoid unnecessary downtime? What thickener is compatible?

These are just some of the questions you may need to consider and now, Shell has the answers.

THE NEW SHELL GADUS GREASE RANGE

Formal and informal research indicates that customers are looking for clear options that make it easy to select the right level of protection for their equipment with confidence.

In response, at Shell we’ve refreshed our entire range of industrial lubricants (including greases), removing products with overlapping applications – or whose technology had been replaced by more advanced formulas – and improving choice by adding speciality and synthetic products.

For greases, this involved reorganising all Shell grease products under a single, new line: Shell Gadus. In doing so, we’ve made it simpler for customers to compare product benefits and take all the variables into account: compatible thickeners, base-oil viscosity, NLGI (National Lubricating Grease Institute) grade and any other special performance characteristics that make a grease suited for a specific or unique customer challenge.

To aid the selection process, the Shell Gadus range is based around key tiers, each offering increasingly efficient levels of protection, including: Entry, Mainline, Premium and Advanced, which uses the latest synthetic, high-performance technology.

WHY SHELL?

Thanks to the confidence customers have placed in the quality of our lubricant products, we’ve again confirmed our position as the world’s number one supplier of lubricants last year – the fourth year in a row we have held the title (Kline & Company, 2010). All of our oils and greases are the result of over 70 years of lubricants innovation, employing the very latest technology and they are developed in conjunction with industry partners and OEMs. When picking your Shell lubricant, you can also be reassured to know that it has been tried and tested in the field under rigorous conditions.

Take advantage of the wide range of business benefits on offer by getting your choice of grease right – from enhanced protection and extended grease life, to increased efficiency, minimised downtime and reduced operating costs.

For further information on the new Shell Gadus range, visit

www.shell.com/lubricants

THE RIGHT GREASE CAN HELP YOU

Enhance protection of moving parts and minimise downtime

Improve the efficiency of your operations Lengthen maintenance intervals Spend less on servicing Help prolong equipment lifetime

SHELL GADUS - THE BENEFITS

Simpler to match the right product to the application

Range of standard packaging options designed to meet your needs, from semi-automatic, single-point grease lubricators and grease cartridges, to pails, drums and even larger quantities

Consistency and increased security of supply as production is synchronised on a global scale

Each Shell company is a separate and distinct entity but in this publication, the words “Shell” “we” “us” and “our” are used for convenience to refer to Shell companies in general or where no useful purpose is served by identifying any particular Shell company or companies.

has been

Take advaTTof grease efficiency,yy

For further

wwwww .sheww

Each Shell comare used for coany particular


FROM OUR READERSQUESTIONS O U R E X P E R T S T A C K L E

A L L Y O U R Q U E R I E S

Lubrication 360See also P.23

I have been adding oil between services to my car when I note lower oil level using the dipstick.

Do I need to worry?

First and foremost, to check the oil level

using the dipstick, it is recommended that

this is done when the engine has been run-

ning. That is when the engine oil is warm in

the system.

If your engine is operating as required,

there will be no requirement to add or

top-up any oil between services. An excep-

tion though not the norm are the older cars.

As age catches up, the engine parts wear out

creating bigger clearances hence oil escapes

or leaks.

A little quantity of oil top-up in an old car

should not be something to worry about,

but adding anything close to a half to one

litre between oil changes, would mean that

there is a problem that will require to be

addressed.

• Engine may be burning oil due to worn

After how long do I change my brake fluid?

The rule of thumb is once

in a year. Changing your

brake-fl uid once in a year would suffi ce

the performance required if one is using a

quality fl uid. The fl uid should be changed

especially after the rainy season due to

the hygroscopic nature of the brake fl uid.

Traditionally, brake fl uids have been

glycol-based (commonly known types are

DOT 3 and DOT 4).

Over time, these fl uids absorb moisture

from the atmosphere which reduces their

boiling point and therefore effectiveness.

A water-repelling silicone brake fl uid

(DOT 5) has gained popularity over the

past few years which has a higher wet

boiling point. .We encourage technical questions from our readers. Lubezine’s team of lubricants specialist will be on hand to answer your queries. E-mail: [email protected]

out piston rings

• You may be having leakages due to a

worn or burnt gasket or a part that is

cracked.

• Some oil may be lost through the

cylinder head gasket into the cooling

system.

Some other checks one can look for are:Smoke from the exhaust: If you see lots of

smoke from the exhaust, it may mean

that oil is being burnt due to worn rings.

If you do not see any signs of smoke in the

exhaust yet the oil level is reducing, the

engine gaskets or valve seals may be worn

out.

Oil drops below the car: If you happen to see

some oil drops or puddles on the ground

after parking the car, then one can tighten

the oil fi lter and if other areas are the

source, it may require some fi xing of the

leakage problem.

Radiator coolant foamy and brownish: This

may mean that oil is leaking into the

cooling system. Check the cylinder head

if cracked or the head gasket and the oil

cooler.


BRANDS

By Nyagaka Nyakundi Hesborn

A s has been so rightly said “The Journey

of a thousand miles begins with a

single step”. MOTOROL commenced

its journey from India in the year 1970,

under the dynamic leadership of the late Mr.

S.K. Gandhi who was a qualifi ed petroleum

engineer from the University of Southern

California, Los Angeles.

The late Gandhi was a first generation

technocrat who took the initiative to manu-

facture industrial/ specialty and automotive

lubricants in India at a time when the nation

depended almost entirely on imports to meet

its domestic demand.

Since its inception, MOTOROL has

expanded its product portfolio to currently

manufacture over a 100 products in the

Industrial /Specialty segment catering to

different industries and applications such as

aluminum rolling mills, printing ink manu-

facturers and automotive segment.

MOTOROL expanded its manufacturing

operations in the UAE through OIL ZONE

FZE which is a company that was set up in the

Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone. The First

plant with a distillation and blending capac-

ity of 50 TPD was commissioned in 2005.

MOTOROL has since come a long way and is

today present in over 25 countries across the

world. Oilzone East Africa Ltd established

its presence in Kenya in 2011 introducing

into the market a new

lubricant brand —

Motorol — whose

popularity has

steadily grown.

T o d a y , t h i s

brand reaches

c u s t o m e r s

conveniently

t h r o u g h a

w e l l - e s t a b -

lished dealer

and end-user

supply network.

Speaking from

F E A T U R EC O M P A N Y

Oilzone’s head-offi ce located along Mombasa

Road, Mr. Louis Nyamwaya, the company’s

Regional Head of Marketing, East Africa,

said that MOTOROL brands are all high-end

brands made from virgin base oils.

Mr. Nyamwaya decries the growing shift of

the market to usage of lubricants made from

recycled oils advising that such products do

not bode well for vehicle engines and factory

machinery and equipment in the long run.

“Due to the price-sensitive nature of the

Motorol joins region’s top lubricants league

market, we would rather focus on product

quality and value adding factors such as

consistent customer service,” says Mr.

Nyamwaya. The marketer adds that for

organizations to survive in the long-term,

the key is to differentiate its brand(s) through

value additions such as customer service and

product/service innovation. This, he says,

coupled with a wider range of products on

offer, makes the company a one-stop shop

for all customers. .

Oilzone marketing manager Louis Nyamwaya.


By Nyagaka Nyakundi Hesborn

I n 2005, an investor started up a business

in an East African city at the end of a long

and meticulous search for a good invest-

estment destination. The investor was sure he

had taken the right decision, considering his

interest in motor servicing and retail in petro-

leum products, and specifi cally lubricants.

He had also -— in the course of his search —

identifi ed the city as one of the best from the

long list of investment destinations he had

drawn up. And so, as with every good investor,

he set about looking around the city to locate

a strategic location to place his business. That

was how his investment journey began, with

the opening of a single station along Martin

Road, an area he deemed strategic. Later, he

would expand his business into other areas

within Kampala in what has seen the opening

of fi ve similar stations today.

UGANDA MARKET

How City Oil sails in Uganda’s lubricants market

F E A T U R EC O U N T R Y

The investor was also right in his choice of

the city, at least considering the accurate busi-

ness impressions it leaves on any business-

eyed visitor.

Right from its entry point, Kampala seems

too alike a business giant whose business

potential is yet to be exploited fully. Whether

you decide to have your business at the heart

of the city (Lubiri for example) or in any of its

far fl ung outskirts (Kabalagala for example),

matters remain the same: everywhere you

go, the giant seems to be beckoning in the

direction of any muscular solitary investor or

teams of weak investors to jump into its palm

to be swallowed for business success.

City Oil Uganda Limited, it appears, was

among the lubricants companies that were

swallowed here in 2005 for profit. When

Lubezine magazine visited Uganda late

last year to review the country’s lubricants

market for this edition, City Oil Uganda

The city in which he started his business

was (and still is) Uganda’s capital, Kampala,

considered in most quarters as being among

East Africa’s largest business hubs. History

says it came to exist as a result of the Buganda

kingdom with the Kabaka, in the 1800s,

making it his administrative capital.

Each station has lubes through put of approximately 20,000 litres per month which is massive compared to the regional average of about 1500 liters per service station.

City Oil service station in Kampala.


Limited naturally popped out. It was not

surprising. In fact, the company has several

modern service stations within Kampala, all

strategically located along five major exit

roads. With this, the company can well be

included fairly in the list of Kampala’s larg-

est service stations, with separate specialized

lubrication stations (oil change bays) in each

named City Lubes. Indeed these lubrication

stations are arguably the largest and busiest

in the entire region. Each has a through put of

approximately 20,000 litres per month which

is massive compared to the average of about

1500 liters in most other busy service stations.

According to K. L. Raghavan, the firm’s

General Manager, the company is currently

among the country’s best service centers with

computerized service systems.

“We now have the latest European lubri-

cation equipment operated solely through a

computerized system, untouched by human

beings in operation,” said the manager in

an interview with Lubezine magazine that

happened in one of the stations near Nakawa

market.

‘’With this use of the latest technology, our

stations are able to give our clients the best

service quality since the automated service

systems are accurate and fast,” Raghavan

added. Kampala is an interesting city, most

of whose population, estimated at about 1.6

million people, travel on motorbikes, popular

here as bodaboda.

The population has steadily grown over the

years, necessitating more city expansions that

have now pulled in areas that have hitherto

not been part of Kampala into it. This growth

has led to an increased demand of lubricants

especially the automotive range.

There is also a steady growth of manu-

facturing industries leading to an increased

demand for quality industrial lubricants.

More investors in lubricants and related

services are consequently streaming in as

demand heightens.

Since the time it established its presence

here, City Oil has made what appears to be a

smooth business journey in a city so unique

in many ways. So what is it like to run a lubri-

cants business here? Is there anything unique

about the Uganda market that dealers in the

same trade elsewhere will fi nd interesting?

These are some of the questions we asked Mr

Raghavan, so as to establish and have a feel of

the lubricants market in Uganda.

‘Dealing in lubricants here is good busi-

ness,’ he said.’ The demand is there. Due to

the need to increase our effi ciency we have

upgraded our equipment so that we now have

the highest PPT capacity in the region. What

this means is that the capacity of one station

of our stature is an equivalent of more than

ten of the ordinary service stations. When you

offer quality service you will have many cli-

ents and you strive not to compromise quality

in the face of growing demand’.

City Oil also engages in industrial lubes,

providing effi cient and highly professional

lubrication solutions for equipment and

machinery in industrial plants in Uganda.

The firm distributes lubricants manufac-

tured by ENOC.

Asked to describe what has made City Oil

to do well in Uganda, Mr Raghavan said the

fi rm’s success can be based on two aspects:

price and quality. “We provide the highest

quality of service available in the market at

the right price. The price has to be competi-

tive and commensurate to enable our custom-

ers to establish confi dence and trust in us. We

have done that over the years and we will

continue doing so.”

Mr Raghavan also intimated to us that

you cannot purport to offer quality service if

the products used do not meet the mark. In

realizing this, City Oil embarked on an aggres-

sive search for a suitable lubricants brand to

introduce in the Ugandan market. “We were

looking for an international blender who has

a wide product range of the highest quality,

excellent customer service and top notch

technical support. We found this in Enoc

lubricants. And they have not disappointed’’

It is through such a strong partnership with

a renowned lubricants blender that City oil

has been able to establish itself as a leading

lubricants marketer in Uganda. .

H1 food grade lubricantsSee also P.14


Synthetic technology

Reasons for using Synthetic lubricantsThere are a number of varied reasons that may

warrant one to use synthetics. Some of most

important reasons for using synthetic oil can

be:

• Requirement by the OEM(Original Equip-

ment Manufacturer)

• When the synthetic oil can solve a particu-

lar challenge or problem that the mineral

oil cannot e.g. extreme temperatures (high

or low).

• When synthetic oil can reduce the overall

operating costs signifi cantly netting off the

high initial investment and giving addi-

tional benefi ts.

Synthetic classifications There are many types of synthetic fl uids. The

Common Synthetics are classifi ed into the fol-

lowing major groups:

• Synthetic Hydrocarbons

• Polyalphaolefi ns (PAO)

• Alkylated Aromatics

• Polybutenes

• Esters

• Diesters

• Polyol Esters

• Phosphate Esters

• Others

• Polyglycols

• Silicones

PAOs are the largest synthetic group, fol-

F E A T U R ET E C H N O L O G Y

James Wakiru is a lubricants and lubrication specialist and has been involved in lubricants market development activities for the past 12 years

By James Wakiru

The history of synthetics dates back to 1930s. By this time lubricants derived from crude oil were in use. The main disadvantage then as is today for the lubricants derived from crude, also known as mineral lubricants, was that they had a lot of undesired properties such as high oxidation rate at high temperatures, high pour points, low

viscosity index etc. As the crude oil used to derive base oils for lubricants started becoming scarce in some regions like Germany, they started exploring for a lubricant that was not derived from crude oil. In the mid-1940s, Dr. Hermann Zorn of Germany discovered over 3,500 different blends of esters. During the World War II, both U.S. and Germany began using synthetic based lubricants in the aircraft engines. Some of the benefi ts they noted included, high oxidation resistance, easier starting due to high viscosity index and reduced soot deposit.

BASE O ILS

lowed by esters and PAGs. Most of the discus-

sion will focus on these three synthetic types.

SYNTHETIC TYPESPolyalphaolefins (PAOs)PAOs are produced by the reaction where a

Decene is reacted with itself in the presence

of a catalyst. A decene is an alkene with the

formula C10H10. It contains a chain of ten

carbon atoms with one double bond.

This reaction produces high molecular

weight hydrocarbons that are linked in groups

of 10 carbon atoms; thus, we can produce any

molecular weight in groups of 10. The initial

reaction involves a reaction of a linear alpha

olefi n to produce molecular weights in groups

of 10 carbon atoms. The fi nal reaction again in

the presence of another catalyst saturates the

double bond to produce a PAO. It is also possible

to react dodecene (which has 12 carbon atoms)

to produce increasing molecular weights in

groups of 12 carbon atoms. A dodecene is an

alkaline with the formula C10H21CH = CH2,

consisting of a chain of twelve carbon atoms

terminating with a double bond. PAOs are

classified in terms of viscosity at 100oC. By

blending different viscosities, there is a great

deal of fl exibility in creating different viscosity

grades with PAOs.

Key properties:• Excellent low-temperature fl uidity

• High thermal oxidative stability

• High viscosity index

• Low volatility

• Hydrolytic stability

• Highly compatible with mineral oils

• Low biodegradability

• Slight elastomeric seal shrinkage

• Low additive solvency

• Low lubricity

PAOs are formulated with 5-20% ester—

which is typically a diester—to overcome the

seal shrinkage and non-polarity, resulting in

good additive solubility and increased lubric-

ity. PAOs have the widest application of any of

the synthetics.

The main weaknesses are that PAOs have

limited biodegradability, limited additive

solubility and seal shrinkage risk.

Applications of PAO:PAOs are used in various applications like

engine oils, gear oils, bearing oils, compressor

oils, high temperature grease and fi lled for life

applications.

EstersTwo major groups of esters to be discussed

are diesters and polyol esters. Diesters are

produced by the reaction where a dibasic acid

and a mono-functional alcohol are reacted to

produce a Diester and water. This reaction is

reversible so, in the presence of heat and water,

a diester can decompose back to an acid and an

alcohol. The conditions need to be severe to

cause this reaction to reverse, but it will occur


under high-temperature and high-moisture

conditions.

Depending on the alcohol and acid selected,

a large number of diester types can be produced

and tailored to a particular application.

Key properties:• Low pour point

• Low volatility

• Good thermal and oxidative stability

• Excellent solvency and cleanliness

• Good metal-wetting properties, resulting in

good lubricity

• Good biodegradability

• Poor compatibility with some elastomers,

plastics and paints

• Hydrolyze under high-temperature, high-

moisture conditions

Polyol esters These synthetics are produced by reacting a

highly branched di-functional alcohol with a

mono-basic acid which produces an ester and

water. The main differentiating properties for

the POEs is being biodegradable.

This ester is highly branched, which results

in the following key properties:

Key properties:• Low pour point

• Low volatility

• Good viscosity index

• Miscible with mineral oils

• Excellent thermal and oxidative stability

• Excellent solvency and cleanliness

• Very good lubricity

• Highly biodegradable

• Slight tendency to hydrolyze under severe

conditions

• Nearly 50% more expensive than diesters

Applications:Compressor oils, bearing oils, gear oils, oil

mists, jet engine oils.

Polyalkylene glycol (PAGs)PAGs are quite versatile. Many different types

can be created, which allows for a wide vari-

ance in properties.

PAGs are produced by ethylene oxide and

propylene oxide reaction in an initiator which

can be water or alcohol to give the PAG.

Either 100% ethylene oxide, 100% propyl-

ene oxide or a combination of the two are used

to create many different types of PAGs with

unique properties and with many different

molecular weights.

PAGs can be made either water soluble

or insoluble. Increasing the ethylene oxide

(EO) ratio increases the water solubility and

decreases the oil solubility.

Water soluble PAGs are inversely soluble,

meaning that the solubility decreases with

increasing temperature.

Key properties:• Versatile with both water-soluble and

water-insoluble grades

• High viscosity indexes

• Hydrolytic stability

• Excellent lubricity

• Low volatility

• High oxidative and thermal stability

• Can be formulated to have limited gas solu-

bility

• Resistant to sludge formation

• Compatible with most elastomeric seals but

may cause slight shrinkage

• Incompatible with many paints and poly-

carbonate and polyurethane

• Incompatible with mineral oil and other

non-ester synthetics

Applications:Refrigeration compressor oils, brake

fl uids(water soluble), fi re resistant fl uids, gas

compressors, worm and high temperature

gears, chain lubes, metal working and quen-

chants and H1 food grade.

SiliconesThe silicones synthetic fl uid offers the highest

viscosity index among all the synthetics. Made

from a group of semi-inorganic polymers based

on the structural unit R2SiO, where R is an

organic group. It is characterized by wide-range

thermal stability, high lubricity, extreme water

repellence, and physiological inertness

Key properties:• High viscosity index

• High chemical stability

• Excellent seal compatibility

• Very good thermal stability

• Very good oxidative stability

Some of the weaknesses of silicone syn-

thetic fl uids include not being miscible with

mineral oils or additives as well as giving the

worst mixed and boundary film lubrication

properties.

Applications:High temperature fluids, speciality greases,

lubricant-contacting chemicals and some

brake fl uids.

ConclusionSynthetic fl uids are real problem solvers and

vital in improving equipment reliability.

Their usage is growing as equipment condi-

tions require higher performing lubricants.

This is coupled up by the increase in new

technology equipment and motor vehi-

cles requiring synthetic lubrication from

the factory fill to normal out of warranty

services. In the next part of this series, select-

ing the optimal synthetic lubricant, based

on the equipment and conditions will be

discussed. .

Base Oil Category Sulfur (%) Viscosity Index

Group I (Solvent refined) >0.03 80 to 120

Group II (Hydro treated) <0.03 80 to 120

Group III(Hydrocracked) <0.03 >120

Group IV PAO Synthetic lubricants

Group V All other synthetic base oils Esters, Silicone, PAGs, POEs

CLASSIFICATION OF BASE OILS


By Andre Adam

As producers of

“H1 food grade

lubricants” we

have an impor-

tant role in the daily

production and supply

of food, pharmaceuticals, and support mate-

rial to the general public as well as to the food

chain such as animal feed production and pet

food.

With our products we accommodate

the equipment builders to construct more

complex, faster working equipment often

at higher or lower temperatures enabling

greater output and better economy with the

food production. To achieve this we con-

tinue to look for new chemistry and techni-

cal solutions where the life of the lubricant is

combined with the equipment life resulting

in reliability and reduced maintenance cost.

The best lubricant for competitive pricing is

for many companies the main challenge, but

I believe that we as an industry have a larger

role to play. If we look at what has been hap-

pening in the market during the recent years

we cannot overlook the incidents that have

drawn attention from the general public and

subsequently the politics. Companies spend

much money to promote their brand but the

main issue they all face is when an incident

happens. An incident can damage or even

destroy a brand in a matter of days.

There are from our point of view four

parties involved in the food, feed and phar-

maceutical industry that have a common

interest; the food producers, the law makers,

the equipment producers and the lubricant

producers. The common interest is to avoid

attention from the general public by having

caused an incident that has negative impact

on public health.


SPEC IALTY PRODUCTS

What more can we do as an industry?

Low viscosity limit is determined by the lubrication properties of the oil and its resistance to cavitation

H1 food grade lubricants

Food producers: If a product comes into the

news connected to contamination, bacterial

ingress or seen as the cause of disease, the

damage to the brand is, at the least, very costly

from a marketing perspective and legal costs

are to be expected.

Law makers: If an incident happens, the

fi rst question that gets in the news always is:

why was nothing done about this and why

was it allowed to happen. Normally this trig-

gers an unwelcome desire from politicians to

demand action and to create laws that, most

importantly show their direct and immedi-

ate actions, rather than reviewing what has

caused the incident. However, when these

laws are made the industry has to deal with

them and that often increases work and cost

in the production process.

Equipment producers: The interest from

the equipment producers is not limited to

their brand value to avoid an incident, but

goes into the need for total equipment re-

design if incidents do happen and law makers

ban lubricants or demand different HACCP

plan input.

Lubricant producers: The lubricant pro-

ducers have an interest in avoiding incidents

route back to the lubricant because of the

other stake holders. Lubricant free equip-

ment is diffi cult to make and expensive (if at

all possible) but it could be the result of law

makers decisions. It is in our interest to create

lubricants that meet the technical properties

of the current and future equipment, but at

the same time are safe to use, for the operator

during production as well as for the consumer

of the fi nal produced product. Many standards

are in place to create the basic framework of

safer lubrication.

ISO9001 is common known and the basis of

all quality systems. H1 lubricants are the only

lubricants allowed into an application where

there is risk of “incidental food contact” like

Product coming off a conveyor belt at a carrot processing plant.


but takes a number of steps to safeguard the

production of the lubricant, from among

other things, contamination.

What more can we do as industry to sup-

port the users of our lubricants?

• H1 is from origin a US(DA) registration but

has evolved to a global recognized status.

It would be preferred to avoid usage, or

even ban usage of terms like food safe,

food lubricant and many variations used

by less responsible suppliers not having

H1 registration.

• H2 lubricants are confusing the market.

They give the impression that it is a varia-

tion to H1, but their use is strictly banned

from incidental food contact. Discontinu-

ation of the H2 would be a preferred option

but can only be done by the industry itself.

The original safety that was brought to the

market many years ago has been replaced

by more modern health and safety rules as

well as the current REACh initiative from

the EU.

• Continue training the users of H1 food

lubricants and help them with their

HACCP plans, including the use and lubri-

cant consumption. The FDA has stated

maximum levels of lubricant contamina-

tion in the food stuff and these vary per

chemical, but how to deal with this is not

outlined. Together with EHEDG (Euro-

pean Engineering and Design Group) we

work on best practice guidelines that will

include lubricant consumption measur-

ing.

• Expand the GMP and HACCP practices to

our own production by meeting the ISO

221469 quality standards and train the

market what it means for extra product

safety.

• Work together and train law makers

so they are aware of what we do as an

industry to make food production sager,

but also to help them to make laws that

are possible to execute against reasonable

expense rather than ad-hoc decisions that

create expensive problems for all stake

holders.

The end result will be that we have created

increased safety for all consumers by safer

production of better lubricants for food and

pharmaceutical producers that can make

better choices due to increased awareness of

what makes a better and safer lubricant and

where lawmakers realize that we take our

responsibility in society serious. .About the authorAndre Adam is currently the Global Sales Director at FRAGOL GmbH+Co. KG, a German based Specialty Lubricants producer. Originally graduated as Marine Engineer, he has more than 30 years experience in the lubricant industry with position at Castrol, Petro-Canada and Anderol. As current chair person of the H1 Global Food lubricants workgroup under the E.L.G.I., he continues to promote the interest of the lubricant industry in the food segment. Fragol produces and markets a complete portfolio of H1 lubricants produced under IS 9001, ISO 21469, Halal and Kosher. Fragol is a member of the EHEDG.

a gearbox above a conveyer belt where leak-

age could be a risk. H1 lubricants are made of

components registered by the USFDA under

21 CFR 178.3570 or as GRAS and when used

in the allowed quantities the fi nal product can

be registered as H1 lubricant. The registration

is done by non governmental bodies like NSF

or INS. The next step a lubricant producer

can do is to obtain an extended certifi cation

to his production facility and practice. This is

known as ISO 21469 and could be in simple

terms called an HACCP (Hazard Analysis of

Critical Control Points) plan for the lubricant

producer. The lubricant producer not only

uses safe components to make its lubricants,


I N O T H E R W O R L D SB Y J O S E P H N D U N G U

T he National Marine Manufacturers

Association (NMMA) has issued its

2013 lists of approved, or certifi ed,

TC-W3®, FC-W®, and Catalyst Compat-

ible FC-W® engine oils. TC-W3® oils

are recommended for use by two cycle

engine manufacturers. FC-W® lubricants

are required in today’s high performance

four-stroke engines. FC-W Catalyst

Compatible® lubricants meet the

catalyst-friendly four-stroke cycle marine

engine oil specifi cation that focuses on

limiting catalyst poisoning The lists can

be sorted by Registration Number, Oil

Name, and Registered Company.

Tom Marhevko, NMMA VP of

Engineering Standards, told OEM/Lube

News “These lists provide a boat owner

invaluable information for maintaining

their boat’s marine engine. The consumer

is assured that the oil brands listed here

have met the very rigorous requirements

of their marine oil specifi cations and are

specially made to handle the demands of

the marine environment.”

The long term objectives of the two

cycle engine industry have been to reduce

emissions which contain burnt and

unburned oil that has passed through the

engine, and to develop a quality of oil that

reduces the mixture ratio to fuel while

extending the life of the engine. That

means signifi cantly reduced emissions

to satisfy EPA requirements, less war-

ranty problems, and increased customer

satisfaction due to engines lasting longer

with less maintenance and overhauls.

TC-W3® lubricant, an NMMA owned

trademark, has evolved over the years

through much testing and research, and

has proven to be the level of quality to

satisfy the above objectives for two-cycle

water cooled engines. And, going a step

further, now that two cycle engines have

moved towards higher cylinder tempera-

tures and compressions, this lubricant

also meets the EPA emissions reductions.

TC-W3® has demonstrated the necessary

lubrication performance quality needed

for these more demanding cylinder/

engine conditions.

NMMA licenses those two cycle lubri-

cants that meet the stringent performance

tests conducted by sanctioned labora-

tories approved by NMMA to conduct

the tests. The tests include varied bench

tests for fl uidity, lubricity, viscosity, etc.,

plus the oil must meet minimum ring

sticking and carbon build up on pistons

in engine tests. The chemical make up of

the TC-W3® oils vary due to the various

additive packages involved with each oil

brand. Accordingly, it’s a performance

based qualifi cations program. The testing

process is comprehensive and expensive.

To view the complete 2013 TC-W3®

list, visit www.nmma.org/certifi cation/certifi cation/oil/tc-w3.aspx

With the widespread introduction of

the four-stroke outboard engine technol-

ogy, NMMA considered it necessary to

develop a marine engine oil category,

FC-W®, specifi cally for marine four-

stroke engines. With all of the major out-

board engine manufacturers producing

four-stroke outboards to further reduce

emissions and increase fuel economy,

the need for oil specifi cally designed for

the unique marine environment became

necessary.

Testing criteria were developed for this

marine four-stroke oil that include bench

tests for viscosity, corrosion, fi lter plug-

ging, foaming and aeration. In addition,

the oil must successfully pass a 100-hour

general performance engine test. Once

these oils have been tested by a sanctioned

test laboratory, NMMA issues licenses

for the oil’s formulation and registers

approved brands.

To view the complete 2013 FC-W® list,

visit www.nmma.org/certifi cation/certifi ca-tion/oil/fc-w.aspx

Approximately four years ago, the

National Marine Manufacturers Associa-

tion approved a new catalyst-friendly

four-stroke cycle marine engine oil

specifi cation that focuses on limiting

catalyst poisoning.

This specifi cation, indicated by an

FC-W Catalyst Compatible® designation,

was introduced into the marketplace in

2009.

To view the complete 2013 Catalyst

Compatible FC-W® list, visit www.nmma.org/certifi cation/certifi cation/oil/fc-wcat.aspx

Marhevko also confi rmed to OEM/

Lube News that the fee for the NMMA oil

registration remains at $1600 annually. .SOURCE; OEM/Lube News

NMMA issues its 2013 TC-W3®, FC-W®, and FC-W Catalyst Compatible® certified oils lists

STANDARDS

The long term objectives of the two cycle engine industry have been to reduce emissions which contain burnt and unburned oil that has passed through the engine, and to develop a quality of oil that reduces the mixture ratio to fuel while extending the life of the engine.

Cross-section of a two-stroke engine.


I f you own a vehicle, chances are it needs

some work, according to the Car Care

Council. The results of vehicle inspec-

tions held at community car care events

across the country during Car Care Months

in April and October 2012 reveal that 77

percent of vehicles need service or parts.

An annual analysis of vehicle inspection

forms found that the top three problem

areas posting the highest failure rates to

be engine oil (22 percent), engine cooling

systems (20 percent) and brake service (18

percent).

Eight percent of the vehicles inspected

had the “check engine” light on and new

air fi lters were needed in 19 percent of the

vehicles. At least one belt was reported as

unsatisfactory in 14 percent of the vehicles

inspected, and 10 percent required at

least one new hose. Battery cables, clamps

and terminals needed maintenance in 11

VEHICLE MAINTENANCE

Three out of four cars need service percent of the vehicles inspected, while 10

percent of the batteries were not properly

held down.

When checking lubricants and fl uids,

the three top failure rates were: low or dirty

motor oil at 22 percent; low, leaky or dirty

coolant at 20 percent; and inadequate brake

fl uid levels at 18 percent. Power steering,

coolant and transmission fl uids were also

checked and had failure rates of 14 percent

and below.

Approximately 14 percent of vehicles

had front windshield wiper failures, and

1 percent needed service to rear wipers. At

least 13 percent of vehicles needed lights

replaced, including headlights, brake

lights and license plate lights. Improperly

infl ated tires were found on 9 percent of

the cars and 10 percent had worn tread and

were in need of replacement. Tire pressure

failure rate has steadily declined after

recording the highest rate of 54 percent in

2003.

“Neglected vehicle care almost always

means much higher costs down the line in

the form of more extensive repairs or lost

resale value,” said Rich White, executive

director, Car Care Council. .SOURCE Car Care Council

Oil pressure lightSee also P.24

Neglected vehicle care almost alwaysmeans much higher costs down the line inthe form of more extensive repairs or lostresale value.


F E A T U R EC O V E R

OIL CONTAMINATION

Silicon, enemy number oneExternal contamination of lube oil by silicon (dust) is a major cause of accelerated wearBy WearCheck South Africa diagnosticianGARY BLEVINS


I wish to see a society of Tribologists started in Kenya as it happens in developed economies to develop professionalism in the lubrication industry in Kenya and the region as a whole. — Mr. Mohamed L. Baraka P.27

See story

After oxygen, silicon is the most

abundant element in the earth’s

crust. Silicon does not occur natu-

rally in elemental form but rather

combined with oxygen in a compound called

silica (silicon dioxide). Silica occurs in a free

form (quartz, sand, etc.) or combined with a

variety of metallic oxides, in which case it is

called a silicate (e.g. Felspar). Another class

of silicon compounds that should not be

confused with silica and silicates is silicones.

Silicones are man-made organic compounds

that fi nd extensive application in the polish,

paint and lubrication industries.

Silica and silicates make up a large propor-

tion of the earth’s crust and as such are pre-

sent at high concentrations in natural soils

and dusts. It is for this reason that silicon is

used as the main indicator of dust entry into

a component. There have been several studies

done on the causes of premature wear in com-

ponents. The fi gures vary from study to study

but one thing is clear: external contamination

of lube oil by silicon (dust) is a major cause of

accelerated wear.

The South African climate generally is

one of low rainfall with resultant high dust

levels. Particles of airborne sand and dust

vary in size, shape and abrasive properties.

In an engine the ingress of atmospheric dust

takes place primarily through the air intake.

Effi cient air fi lters remove 99% of the dust

that an engine ingests.

The 1% consists of very small dust particles

that pass through the air filter. These vary

between submicron size particles to particles

up to 10 microns in size. This dust will pass

between piston, rings and cylinder and even-

tually become suspended in the lubricating

oil.

It is the particle that has its smallest dimen-

sion of a similar size to the clearance involved

that does the maximum damage. A particle

smaller than the clearance will pass straight

through doing little harm; a particle larger

than the clearance will be unable to enter and

do any damage.

Dust particlesIn an engine the clearance between the

piston ring and liner bore is extremely small,

therefore it is the small light airborne dust

particles which are the biggest threat when a

leak occurs in an induction system.

Under ideal conditions the working sur-

faces of a component are kept apart by a thin

fi lm of oil. This oil fi lm prevents direct contact


between the surfaces, reducing the amount of

friction and the rate of wear. The oil fi lm will

also absorb shock loads and help distribute

the load over the whole surface. The introduc-

tion of even a small amount of dust into this

environment will seriously disrupt this. Once

the dust particle ahs entered the oil fi lm it

forms a direct link between the two surfaces,

nullifying the effect of the oil fi lm.

The fi rst and immediate effect is a “scratch-

ing” of the surface as the particle is dragged

and rolled across the surfaces. The second and

potentially more serious problem is that once

the dust particle is introduced in between the

two surfaces, it changes the loading of the

surface from an even distribution to a point

load concentrated on the particle with a tre-

mendous increase in pressure at this point.

The increase in pressure causes a defl ection

of the surface, which will eventually result in

metal fatigue and the surface breaking up.

The solution is to keep the dust out. To do

this, design engineers use air cleaners, breath-

ers and seals at any point that dust may enter .

Air cleaners filter air as it is drawn

through a system, e.g. in engines,

compressors, etc. They have to

deal with large volumes of

air, as an engine needs up to

2000 litres of air to burn 1

litre of fuel effi ciently. The

most common type of air

cleaners have three main

components: a centrifu-

gal pre-cleaner, a large

pleated paper element

and a smaller paper or

cloth “safety element:.

The pre-cleaner consists

of radial fi ns and a collection

bowl. The fi ns cause incoming

air to swirl rapidly around the

inside of the housing. The heavier

dust particles are thrown outward by

centrifugal force and are channeled into

the dust collection bowl. Some bowls have an

automatic discharge valve, other bowls have

to be removed from time to time to clean out

the accumulated debris before it overfl ows

into the fi lter housing.

The main fi lter element traps the remain-

ing dust particles as the air is drawn through

the paper pleats. The smaller safety element

is fitted after the main element in case the

main element is damaged in any way. Its

purpose is to trap any dust introduced when

the main fi lter is changed. It does not fi lter as

the atmosphere, the build-up in pres-

sure would force the air out at the

weakest point, normally the seals.

As the component cools down after

operation, air is once again drawn

in through the breather. If it is

unable to draw in air, for example

if the breather is blocked, then air

will be pulled in past the seals with

the danger that it may draw dust into

the seal at the same time.

Seals prevent oil from entering or

leaking out of a component wherever

there is a danger of this happening. There

are many different types of seals in use today,

but as a rule of thumb “if oil can get out, dust

can get in”. A leaking seal should always be

replaced.

Using oil analysis to detect dust earlyBefore the use of oil analysis, a dust entry prob-

lem would go undetected until a routine strip

down or a failure occurred. Even then, often

the wear would be attributed to lubricant

breakdown or normal wear and tear. With

the use of oil analysis the picture changes.

As soon as a dust entry problem occurs

F E A T U R EC O V E R

effectively, however, nor can it hold the same

volume of dust.

Air cleanerBreathers are used to allow air to flow in

and out of a component. As a component’s

temperature increases in operation, the

internal air expands with the increase in

temperature with a resultant increase in

pressure. If this air was not allowed to vent to

cleaners, breath

t dust may enter .

it is drawn

engines,

ve to

of

o

n

ng

the

heavi

utward by

hanneled into

me bowls have an

th

su

w

w

th

the

Se

leakin

there is a

are many d

but as a ru

can get in

ier


there is an increase in the silicon level of the

oil and an acceleration of the wear pattern.

As long as the oil samples are being taken at

regular intervals in the correct manner, the

dust entry will be detected at a very early

stage. If effective corrective action is taken,

the life of the component will be signifi cantly

increased, reducing maintenance costs.

It is beyond the scope of this article to dis-

cuss every possibility in all components, so

engines will be used as an example. Engines

are at high risk to dust entry as large volumes

of air are taken into the system and the close

tolerances make it susceptible to even the

smallest dust particle. When an engine has a

dust entry problem the type of wear that takes

place is related to the manner in which the

dust enters. Therefore by examining the type

of wear taking place it is possible to discover

how the dust is entering the system. When

studying an oil analysis report there are four

possible wear patterns:

Engine air cleaner system1. Normal wear

2. Increased top-end wear

3. Increased bottom-end wear

4. All wear rates increased.

1. Normal wearIt is unlikely that there will be a dust entry problem without an increase in wear rates. If normal wear patterns combine with high silicon readings, there are two main possibilities:1. A silicone sealant, grease or additive is in

use. 2. Accidental contamination of the sample.

ACTION TO BE TAKENCheck if an additive, grease or sealant has been used recently on this engine.

NOCheck if correct sampling technique was used.

YESPhone lab to confirm that additive can cause high silicon reading. If necessary, send sample to confirm.If there is still doubt as to what caused the high silicon reading, a check sample should be taken.

Was the oil changed when the first sample was taken?

NOSend a check sample and, as a precaution, change the oil.

YESSend a check sample only after the engine has run for 50 hours or 1000 km.

2. Increased top-end wearIncreased top-end wear is caused by airborne dust that has been drawn into the combustion chamber being forced down between the ring, piston and cylinder. This is caused by a defective air cleaner or a damaged induction system.

ACTION TO BE TAKENInspect the air filter element thoroughly, and check its seals and support frame for damage and distortion. Check the pleats for damage. If there is any doubt about a filter element, it should always be changed.Next, check the induction hosing for damage, cracks, etc. and make certain that all hose clamps are secure. The breather and compressor are often connected to the induction system but are frequently overlooked. Check that both are functioning normally and their hoses are sound and secure.Next, check the inlet manifold for cracks, and check that the gaskets are sound and secure.

Was leak found?

NORun the engine at idle and block off the air intake. The engine should stall within three seconds. If the engine does not stall, listen carefully at the joints for air being sucked in. Take a check sample after 50 hours or 1000 km.

YESDetermine the condition of the engine. Check compression and blowby. Repair the leak.

NORMALMonitor the oil consumption as a safeguard.

ABNORMALSchedule to have the piston rings replaced and the piston and liners examined.

3. Increased bottom-end wearThis indicates that dirt is getting into the lube oil directly and not past the pistons and rings. The likely sources are:1. Leaking seals 2. Defective breather 3. Damaged seal on oil filler cap or dipstick 4. Dirty storage containers and/or top-up

containers

ACTION TO BE TAKEN Any dust which is in the oil will be pumped through the oil filter before entering the bearings. Therefore the first step is to examine the oil filter for:1. Dust contamination 2. Bearing material

Was excessive dust found?

NOCheck the sampling technique. Examine the oil

filter at the next service.

YESThoroughly check all seals and breathers, etc. Check the oil storage containers and top-up containers for the source of contamination.

Was bearing material found?

NOMonitor oil pressure and inspect the oil filter at the next service.

YESDrop the sump and inspect all bearings. Replace as necessary.

4. All wear rates increasedThis is the worst case. Carry out all checks for top and bottom wear. Several other checks must also be done:1. Was any repair work done to the engine?It is possible that the increased wear rates are due to a “rebedding in” process and silicon comes from contamination while the engine was open for repairs.2. Piston torchingThis is a rare occurrence but if a piston is torched by a misdirected or badly timed spray from an injector nozzle, silicon is released from the piston itself and all the wear rates will be increased (silicon is alloyed to aluminum to reduce its rate of expansion).

Dust related engine wear types

The major causes of engine failures can be grouped into four categories namely; overheating,

lubrication failures, detonation or mis-assembly P.24See story


W ith an estimated global population

of 490 million units, accounting for

little under 3% of the global lubri-

cant demand, the near 1,080 kilotonnes two-

wheeler lubricants market’s potential reveals

itself as overlooked and underestimated.

However, ever greater mobility and dis-

posable income promise signifi cant growth

opportunities for this means of transport

according to the Lubricants for Motorcycles,

Scooters, and Mopeds: Global Market Analy-

sis and Opportunities report by global con-

sulting and research fi rm, Kline & Company.

Most of this growth is expected in develop-

ing nations throughout Asia, Latin America,

and Africa where poor infrastructure, demo-

graphics, and economic realities mandate

two-wheelers as indispensable means of

transportation. Although sales volumes are

forecast to remain fl at in North America and

Europe, both of these mature markets will see

higher premium product demand.

The Asia region encompasses seven of

the top 10 two-wheeler markets, with China

alone accounting for over 40% of global two-

wheeler production.

However, refl ecting both a growing affl u-

ence and the result of legislation curbing city

use, China’s two-wheeler sales are slowing

down, contrasting with rising sales in India

and Indonesia. Overall, the Asia-Pacifi c region

is the largest motor cycle oil (MCO) market

claiming approximately 76% of the global

market, followed distantly by South America,

Europe, and North America, respectively.

Kline’s Energy Practice analyst, Gabriel

Tarle, notes, “Despite the trends of extended

drain intervals and the continuing sharp

decline of the two-stroke vehicle population

leading to an uptake in four-stroke vehicles,

global MCO consumption is projected to

grow at just over 6% per year over the next

fi ve years. The strongest growth is expected in

Asia and South America where two-wheelers

are successfully penetrating rural and semi-

urban areas and the usage of two-wheelers

as taxis and for goods transportation has

increased.”

Engine oils account for over 95% of the

total MCO market, with the balance con-

sisting of products including fork oils, rear

suspension oils, greases, and chain oils. Glob-

ally, the top 10 suppliers, claiming 48% of

the two-wheeler lubricants market, include

Castrol, Shell, Idemitsu, Pertamina, Chevron,

and Total.

While Europe claims only 4% of the global

MCO market, it is a highly varied market

where, challenged by Euro zone austerity,

many suppliers are struggling to maintain

their market share and successfully promote

brand loyalty.

In contrast to Northern Europe where

two-wheelers tend to be used recreationally,

in the Southern European market, they are

primarily used for transportation. This con-

sequently growing MCO segment deemed the

“high-street” market emergence.

Tarle elaborates, “This channel consists of

corner or part-time owner-mechanics run-

ning their own independent service garages.

It’s called ‘high street’ because the initial

lubricant purchase is made through the retail

segment, either from mass merchandisers or

from auto part stores. The ability to provide

two-wheeler maintenance and repair services

at signifi cantly lower labor costs than fran-

chised dealerships is the major reason for the

growth of this segment.”

While the mature European and North

American MCO markets do not show dra-

MOTORCYCLE

Two-wheeler lubricants market growing in volume and value

F E A T U R EG L O B A L M A R K E T

matic growth in terms of volume, they are

expanding in terms of value. The market

penetration of synthetic lubricant products

is exceptionally high in Europe.

Semi-synthetics dominate with just under

50% of the market followed by full synthet-

ics, while conventional/mineral products are

the smallest segment of the market. Viscos-

ity grades 10W-30 and 10W-40 are highest

growing viscosity grades globally due to OEM

recommendations in their favor.

Kline’s Lubricants for Motorcycles, Scoot-

ers, and Mopeds: Global Market Analysis and

Opportunities is a comprehensive assess-

ment covering lubricant consumption for

two-wheelers in both the emerging world, as

well as developed nations including countries

like China, India, Italy, and Brazil. Lubricant

products covered include engine oils, chain

oils, and fi nal drive oils. .About Kline & Company:Kline is a worldwide consulting and research firm dedicated to providing the kind of insight and knowledge that helps companies find a clear path to success. The firm has served the management consulting and market research needs of organizations in the chemicals, materials, energy, life sciences, and consumer products industries for over 50 years. Source; Kline & Company, a worldwide consulting and research firm

Motorcycle enthusiasts in

rural Kenya.

23 February-April 2013 | LUBEZINE MAGAZINE 23February-April 2013 | LUBEZINE MAGAZINE

B rake fluid serves as a hydraulic fluid whose chief purpose is to transmit braking power from the

braking pedal to the wheels of the vehicle. Non-compressibility of the brake fluid is paramount for eff iciency.

Friction between the brake pads or brake shoes and the wheels of the vehicle causes an elevation in temperatures averaging 190 C.

Therefore, brake fluids are supposed to withstand over 190 C to work eff ectively. Now, brake fluid is hygroscopic meaning it naturally absorbs atmospheric water. Water deteriorates the quality of brake fluid since it boils at 100C upon which it changes to gaseous state.

A brake fluid that has absorbed a substantial quantity of water will boil while in operation and thus becomes compress-ible, leading to a phenomenon known as vapour locks that result in loss of braking power. Inevitably, an accident will occur with loss of braking power. It is for this reason that conventional brake fluids (DOT 4 and below) should be drained yearly irrespective of whether the vehicle has been in use or not.

The DOT standards are laid down by the Department of Transportation of the US National Safety Bureau grades brake fluids based on their boiling points as shown below:BRAKE FLUID AK DRY BOILING POINTDOT 3 205 Deg CDOT 4 230 Deg C DOT 5.1 260 Deg C Source: Department of Transportation (US National Safety Bureau)

Tips for everyday lubrication …360LUBRICATION

The need to replace brake fluid after every year

SAFETY T IPS

Change brake fluid regularly.


The dashboard has

several informa-

tive or warning

lights which commu-

nicate with the driver.

They are all important

but one that should

force the driver to stop

immediately it comes

on is the oil pressure

light. It indicates that

there is low oil pres-

sure. Assuming that

the oil pressure sensor

is working well and is

therefore sending the

correct message, if the oil pressure light or a low

pressure reading on the dash gauge is ignored,

the valves will start clattering, followed by

knocking noises from rod bearings and lastly

dead silence after the engine seizes.

The major causes of engine failures can be

grouped into four categories namely; over-

heating, lubrication failures, detonation or

mis-assembly.

Every engine needs oil between its moving

parts not only to reduce friction but also to

carry away heat. Oil is the primary means by

which the rod and main bearings are cooled,

as well as the pistons.

So any reduction in oil fl ow may cause these

parts to run hot, gall and seize. A lubrication

failure can result from oil starvation or low oil

pressure.

Oil starvation can be caused by low oil levels,

plugged oil pick up screen inside the oil pan or

a failed pump. Low oil level is due to oil leakage

or oil burning. Oil leaks through faulty crank-

shaft seals or valve cover and oil pan gaskets

while oil burning occurs when oil enters the

combustion chamber either past worn valve

guides and seals, or also past worn or broken

piston rings and worn cylinders.

The oil pump itself does not create pressure.

It produces fl ow and the resistance to that fl ow

produces pressure. Resistance is created by the

orifi ces in the engine block through which the

oil fl ows and the amount of clearance between

bearings and journals of the crankshaft and

camshaft. So low oil pressure can result from

reduced fl ow rate or a drop in resistance. See


lubrication diagram for clarifi cation.

The oil flow can reduce if the pump has

worn out and thus becomes ineffi cient. Restric-

tions in the pick up tube screen can choke the

fl ow of oil into the pump reducing the fl ow and

pressure.

The oil resistance can reduce if the clearance

between the bearings and journals increase

either due to high mileage wear or “loose”

assembly tolerances, aeration of oil due to air

take up or foaming of oil promoted by low level

or excessive oil in the crankcase respectively.

The action of a pressure relief valve which

is stuck in the open position either due to a

plugged oil fi lter thus triggering its operation

or mechanically restricted by contaminants in

the oil will continually vent oil back into the

crankcase thus inhibiting attainment of the

desired pressure.

Oil leaks (pressure drops) in the oil galleys,

galley plugs or between the oil pump and the

block can also cause a reduction in pressure.

Lastly, using a lower oil viscosity than the rec-

ommended one will be too thin for hot weather

driving to maintain good oil pressure. .

AUTOMOTIVE O IL C IRCULAT ION

Oil pressure light

There is a growing awareness that the use of current combustion technology and fossil fuels result in health hazards and global warming

By Ken Koskei Ken Koskei is a Lubricants Technical & Training Manager at Total (K) LTD


Did you know...Kenya enjoys a relatively more genuine market, partly due to the fact that

lubricants, in particular, are often sold through known oil company outlets

“Dealing in lubrication equipment can be made more promising with such government incentives as reduction of import duties”

— Dipak Nanji, Amity Equipment’s Technical Support Manager

Network with Senior Decision Makers & Deal Makers in one location. Held back to back with the MPGC/MEOW 2013 with 6 events in just 6 days with an expected attendance of over 500 participants!

Evolving Markets & Emerging Supply Hubs – Opportunities, Challenges & New Frontiers

24 - 25 APRIL 2013ABU DHABI

Distinguished Panel of Speakers Include: Dr Nadim Najim

Lubricants Technical Advisor

Ms Geeta S. Agashe Senior Vice President, Energy, Kline & Company Inc, USA

Dr H E Henderson President, K & E Petroleum Consulting, LLC, USA

Dr Valentina Serra-Holm Marketing Director, NYNAS AB, Sweden

Mr Thangavel Rathina Kumar Manager – Lubricants Technology, ENOC International Sales LLC, UAE

Mr Majid Safdari Planning Manager, Pars Oil Company, Iran

Mr Anant Bhargava Director, IFP Petro Products Pvt Ltd, India

Mr James Wakiru Deputy Managing Editor, Lubes Africa Ltd

Ms Minoti Makim Vice President, Petrosil Group, India

This is only a partial list of speakers. The final agenda will feature additional base oil industry specialists, speakers and sessions are however subject to change.

Key Topics to be CoveredSESSION I: Impact of Crude Oil Selection & PricingSESSION II: Supply & Demand Outlook for Base Oils & LubricantsSESSION III: Transportation and LogisticsSESSION IV: Evolving Trends & Innovation in Technology

Joint Attendance Discount Fee for BLM 2013 available if you are a registered delegate ofMPGC held from 21-23 April 2013.

MIDDLE EAST 2013

The Second

BASE OIL& LUBES

Strengthen Your Brand @BLM 2013

Riding on the success and strong performance of the 1st BLM 2012, BLM 2013 presents the ideal opportunity to boost your company’s presence and visibility through direct exposure to a highly targeted audience of senior level base oil and lubricant executives, in one location.

Half-Day (Post-Conference) Workshop:BASE OIL FUNDAMENTALS, PROCESSING AND APPLICATIONSBy: Dr. H E Henderson, President, K & E Petroleum Consulting, LLC, USA1.30pm – 5.45pm, 25 April 2013, Venue to be advised

Code

: Lub

ezin

e

Early Bird Fee Available if you register & pay by 7 March 2013!

Hosted by: Media Sponsors:Jointly Organised by:

THE CONFERENCE CONNECTION INC.Connec t ing Global Bus ine s s e s .

For Registration, Sponsorship & Exhibition:

Tel: (65) 6338 0064 Fax: (65) 6338 4090 Email: [email protected] or [email protected]


1. Tell us when you started your career in lubricants?I started my lubricants career 37 years ago at

the Caltex blending plant in Mombasa. I was

responsible for Quality Control of blended

lubricants and testing of used oils from our

customers.

2. How many companies have you worked for and in what positions?I have worked for three companies i.e. Caltex

for 28 years and held positions of Chemist,

Product Engineer, Consumer Manager,

Marketing Manager, General Manager and

Country Manager in Tanzania. In Gapco,

l worked as Managing Director from 2004

to 2008 and thereafter as a Director of

postings to work in foreign countries and at

times, posting to the head offi ce to under-

stand the company business philosophy.

4. Which were some of the most memorable moments in your career?In 1981, we launched Caltex CX-3 petrol that

shook the whole industry, earning us a trip

to an international lubricant conference

in Hong Kong where the entire Caltex top

lubricants experts meeting was taking place.

The other memorable days were when l

spent six months in Philippines and three

months in Australia. Thereafter, I was able

to convince customers to move from low

quality lubricants to high quality lubricants

and in particular Delo 6200 Oil. I worked

with General Electric staff to get Delo 6200

Oil approved for use under high sulphur

fuel and won a trip to G.E. Erie USA., where l

also visited General Motors EMD in Chicago,

Caterpillar Peoria, Mack Trucks, Allentown

and John Deere Rapid City. I also visited

Japanese manufacturers such as Komatsu,

Toyota, Isuzu, Nissan and Honda to assure

them that Caltex had good quality lubricants

in Kenya. Later, I was charged with the

responsibility of setting up an aviation

Corporate Affairs until 2011. Currently, I am

the Managing Director of Synergy Lubricant

Solutions Ltd although I still provide

consultancy services to Gapco. My work

experience has basically revolved around the

lubricant business.

3. How was the country developing lubricants profession-als in the past years?In the 70’s and 80’s most lubricant profes-

sionals were expatriates and they were

charged with the responsibility to iden-

tify and develop local technical staff. This

included on the job training and customer

visits, carrying out lube surveys and trouble

shooting. Once you were identifi ed as a good

worker, you would get opportunity to attend

international technical seminars, get cross

QUESTIONS10 FOR LUBRICANTS PROFESSIONALS

We trace lubricants professionals who have made immense contributions to the growth and development of the industry and get their opinions on various issues. MR. MOHAMED L. BARAKA is one such professional who has and still continues to make notable contribution to the industry. We asked him

10 questions concerning his journey though the industry and his views on where the industry is heading to.


Today the industry is liberalized and unregulated. The number of players are many, the quality of lubricants particularly in reseller market has deteriorated. Some of the players market lubricants made from recycled base oils

operation in Lokichoggio and facilitating in

the opening of Kanombe Airport in Kigali

after the massacre.

Thereafter, I started Caltex Tanzania as a

small operation in the back of a godown that

grew to be a major lubricant company in

Tanzania.

5. How was the lubricants industry then compared to now?The industry was controlled by a few

multinationals and was very orderly i.e. it

was self regulated. The quality of lubricants

was very low until mid 1980’s when the

motor industry started experiencing massive

failure because of the quality of engine oils.

It was then that the industry, led by Caltex

and General Motors (K) Ltd started country-

wide seminars to educate users on the value

of quality. Thereafter KEBS started setting up

minimum standards and since the marketers

were multinationals these standards were

adhered to.

Today the industry is liberalized and

unregulated. The number of players are

many, the quality of lubricants particularly

in reseller market has deteriorated. Some

of the players market lubricants made from

recycled base oils.

Others sell counterfeits made from local

recycled base oils. Lubricants are siphoned

in transit and many large customers have to

install weighing scales to determine if they

are getting full packages.

ERC has initiated a regulatory framework

to tame these malpractices and l hope order

can be restored to protect the consumer.

They will however need the support of other

stakeholders for order to be restored.

6. How competitive was the market then?The focus of the multinationals was on

fuel where they made a lot of money. As

a rule, lubricants accounted for 1% of the

total volume and upto 10% of the profi ts of

multinationals. At that time competition

was low and lubricant supply was a service to

fuel customers.

However as time progressed and the

margins on fuels started declining there was

a fi erce fi ght for market share. Reasonable

margins were however retained as the

playing fi eld was fairly level. All the players

observed standards and they all paid taxes.

7. What would you say has been the biggest changes that the industry has experienced through the years?The industry has undergone major changes.

Kenya was an exporter of lubricants to

the region and Caltex used to export up to

Yemen (Hodeida). The industry therefore

created a lot of jobs both in blending plants

and also in packaging, manufacturing and

transportation. Today the industry is a pale

shadow of the past as not only have we lost

the export markets, we have also become the

dumping ground for imported lubricants.

This l believe affects other industries. It is

important when the Government is looking

for ways of revamping the industry to also

consider the lubricant manufacturing

industry which can add value and create jobs.

8. Looking at the market then and now, what is your comment in regards to quality and regulations in the lubricants industry?On quality, l am impressed by the high level

of awareness in the major consumers and

the ability of the consumer to appreciate the

value of quality. On the retail side, things are

worse than they were then. A few operators

use quality lubricants but the bulk of them

use low quality lubricants some of which are

made from recycled materials and counter-

feits of major brands.

This is costing the economy billions of

shillings in repair costs, frequent oil changes

that damage the environment and accident

death resulting from use of sub-standard

brake fl uids.

And the destruction to the environment

is massive as frequent oil changes means

more used oil is dumped in the environment.

We also waste a lot of energy on engines

operating on sub-standard lubricant waste

fuel, then add on to that the downtime for

the frequent maintenance and you will

appreciate that the situation is a disaster.

It is also obvious that a lot of the imported

lubricants are not properly taxed due to

under declaration or diversion of transit

product. This results in very low prices

which kill legitimate business. Simply put, in

our early days the industry was regulated but

today it is free for all.

9. Currently, how actively involved are you in the lubricants industry?I am still active in lubricant business as a

Managing Director of Synergy Lubricant

Solutions Ltd, a job that includes making

sales calls to customers and providing

technical service. I train young lubricant

engineers as they will not have the exposure

we had with multinationals. I also train the

jua kali mechanics and run in-plant training

for our large customers. I chair the Industry

Lubricants Task Force which is trying to

bring some order in the lubricants industry.

I sit on KEBS Technical Committee that is

setting standards on lubricants.

10. What is your advice to young professionals thinking of starting a career in lubricants fi eld?The lubricant profession, sometimes called

Tribology is a highly respected profession.

If one has the right academic qualifi cation

in engineering or science and takes time

to learn, then the job is interesting. I have

enjoyed it and still enjoy it today. Every day

you are solving a problem and when your

customer appreciates, you get job satisfaction

and you also learn.

I wish to see a society of Tribologists

started in Kenya as it happens in developed

economies to develop professionalism in the

lubrication industry in Kenya and the region

as a whole. .


W e regularly

w i t n e s s

grisly road

accidents leaving one

to wonder whether

there is anything we

can do about this.

Whenever there is

an accident in South

Africa or in Europe and

two people or more are

killed, it is reported on

CNN,Al Jazeera ETC.

In Kenya, an accident

killing 20 people as it

has happened on New

Year is unfortunately

viewed as normal. I

think we should not

throw our hands up

in the air and say

“Ajali haina kinga”

(accidents have no

protection). We should

prevent accidents from

happening again.

We can protect ourselves if we learn from

our mistakes and take corrective action and

this requires thorough investigation of every

accident and the fi ndings made public so that

we can take corrective action. One finding

that will come out will be that brake fluid

contributes to some of accidents as some of

the brake fl uids on the market are instruments

of death. A good brake fl uid should be able to

transmit power to the brakes when you step

on the brake pad.

Seal compatabilitySome brake fluids in the market are not

compatible with seals. They cause seals in

the master cylinder to swell and start leaking.

As they leak they let air into the fl uid and this

results into an air lock. When one steps on

the brakes, it turns into a sponge. A proper

brake system does not require frequent top

up so when you notice frequent brake system

top up, please go to your “fundi’ to overhaul

the system and replace it with a good quality

brake fl uid.

Kenya has one of the highest brake fluid

consumption per car in the world, testimony

to the poor condition of our brake systems. It

is not a wonder if you engage mechanics and

spare parts shop dealers they will tell you the

brake fl uids that will cause seals to leak. One

dealer acknowledges when he sells good qual-

ity brake fl uid, he loses sales of seals and the

purchases of brake fl uid go down. Little does

he know that the more he sells the low quality

brake fl uid the more he exposes his clients to

accidents.

The Kenya Bureau of Standards standard

(KEBS) on brake fl uid requires that any brake

fl uid in the market must pass the seal swell

test, hence the big question is how these brake

fl uids get into the market. Most of the brake

fl uids in the market are imported and such

imports have to undergo pre-shipment inspec-

tion and the inspecting company ensures the

brake fl uid complies with KEBS standard.

Boiling point of brake fluidBrake fl uids must have a high boiling point

because when brakes are applied, the brake

system, including the fl uid gets hot and even

boils. When it boils it results in a vapour lock.

Brake fl uid minimum KEBS standard is DOT

4. It has a dry boiling point of 2300C. This

should suffi ce for most of our normal opera-

tions and if one needs extra protection there

are Dot 5.1 brake fluids with a dry boiling

point of 2600C. However, in the market there

are some brake fluids that do not meet the

Dot 4 requirement. This is either by design or

through counterfeits. The higher the boiling

point the more expensive it is to make it so to

cut costs some unscrupulous businessmen fi ll

Dot 3 and claim it is Dot 4. The boiling point

of the brake fl uid can also be lowered through

long storage. Brake fl uid is hygroscopic i.e. it

adsorbs moisture from the atmosphere and

the longer it stays on the shelves or in your

car the more moisture it adsorbs. It is recom-

mended that brake fl uid should be changed

every two years. It should also not stay on the

shelves for over two years .

The worst source of brake fl uid is through

counterfeit and this has become a cancer in our

society. Reused brake fl uid, water or soap and

water solutions are fi lled in top brand brake

fl uid packages and passed on to unsuspecting

motorists as quality brake fl uid.

When fl uid of low boiling point is used and

when emergency brakes are applied to speed-

ing vehicles, the brake systems get hot and

brake fl uid boils and evaporates. This creates

a vapour lock which relieves the brake and the

vehicle goes at an unstoppable speed and there

goes the head on collision.

Incidentally, the driver dies and nobody

knows the cause was brake failure. A similar

scenario exists when heavily loaded trucks

or buses are going downhill on brakes. Over

the prolonged period the brakes get hot and

brakes fail and the vehicle rolls.

When the police take the vehicle for inspec-

tion and the brakes have cooled they will look

normal and brake failure is discounted. And

so the accidents continue.

There is a lot we as motorists can do to

improve the quality of brake fluid we use.

Do not be tempted to save little money by

buying substandard brake fl uid, your life is

worth much more. The authorities, including

KEBS, Ministry of Transport, Police and the

anti-counterfeit should do a lot of surveillance

to get rid of substandard brake fl uid from the

market by supporting the work KEBS is doing

to track these sub-standard products.

If we achieve this, we shall use less brake

fl uid, less seals and reduce road carnage which

is causing untold losses to society. .

W O R DL A S T

ACC IDENTS

Brake fluid or deathfluid?

By Mohamed BarakaMohamed Baraka holds a Bsc. degree in Chemistry and Mathematics from Nairobi University.He is the Managing Director of Synergy Lubricants Solutions and has worked in the oil industry since 1975. [email protected].

Vapour lock.

29 February-April 2013 | LUBEZINE MAGAZINEFebruary-April 2013 | LUBEZINE MAGAZINE 292922292929929292929292922222222

lubezine magazine may 2013 20.05.2012 · helios each own 40 per cent of vivo energy, with shell...

Documents