BOI and VGRA

[Solarent]

Lubes N Greases: The Science of Interchange and Read-Across

This new article contains some great information about the challenges of both base oil interchange and viscosity grade read across. For BITOGer's who are interested in some of the complications that formulators go through when certifying different kinds of products and technologies. These rules are also the basis for the single technology matrix techniques that allow formulators to use the same additives to certify multiple grades and base oils without repeating a lot of engine testing. Some changes can be predictably adjusted with bench testing, however for some just isn't possible to make large swings without repeating engine testing which can costs in the high hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The author also brings up the difficulty we see between differentiating the performance of Group II+ and Group III base oils or Group III+ and Group IV base oils. In many cases the performance can be similar and the BOI/VGRA rules may need to be rewritten to take this into account.

I foresee the day when less attention is payed to whether an engine oil is synthetic or not and more focus is put on the fuel economy enabling abilities, protective chemistries and renewable/sustainable content.
So instead of synthetic vs conventional or thick vs thin the BITOG community will have to find something else to argue about...

 

[DeepFriar]

It is always interesting to me how few people, in any number of fields, can have such an impact on the things the rest of us rely on all day long, every day. This author strikes one as being the kind of conscientious researcher and "gatekeeper" I would hope stands in the path of those who would, for what may seem like viable reasons at the time, be willing to "model" something for the sake of expedience.

 

[Joe90_guy]

Be aware that the read-across rules can and do create a certain amount of what I'll call formulators 'moral hazard'.

Say you need to pass Test X as a 15W50. You know that a 15W50 would be nigh on impossible to pass but the read-across rules say you can read a 10W30 Test X pass to cover the 15W50 position. You know that the 10W30 pass would be easy to achieve. What do you do?

 

[Solarent]

Depending on the grade (volume of projected sales, value proposition, importance to my brand position) I may or may not choose to accept the read-across pass. I wouldn't do it for a mainline product. BUT for a niche product, if it was a test that less important for the value proposition or branding then maybe. I'd also want to shore up my data with applicable bench testing.

What would you do?

 

[Joe90_guy]

This is just my personal opinion, but I would say 10 out of 10 formulators, from whatever company or background would take the easy read. In fact I would say if they could couple the easy read with some kind of favourable BOI dodge, they'd do that too.

 

[DWC28]

There are so many tests to run and I know of no formulators who plan on running any more tests than necessary to pass a category. For example if a 5W-30 reads to all of your grades, who is going to run a 10W-30, a 15W-40, a 10W-40, a 20w-50 and a 10W-60. If you ran all of those unnecessary tests you would not be formulating for me for very long.

 

[DWC28]

If you want to get the full scope go to API. Its free.
http://www.api.org/certification-programs/engine-oil-diesel-exhaust-fluid/publications

 

[Shannow]

That's a great article, should be compulsory reading for BITOGers before posting...not just on interchange guidelines.

 

[Benito]

Lower testing cost and time to market is another driver for specifying a 0wyy for all markets regardless of lowest expected temperature.

 

[Joe90_guy]

I think it's true to say that in the US, it's harder to abuse the BOI/VGRA rules It's almost like everything starts and ends with 5W30 because this is the big volume grade. Once you have 5W30 in the bag, everything follows for the minor grades. Also you get periodically inspected by API.

However outside of the US, things get, how shall I put this...'interesting'. The potential to 'game' the system is far greater.

Actually, the rules that really allow true abuse are the minor mod rules. It's not often that formulators get to know what their counterparts in other companies are doing. However a few years back we had some people come over to us from The Dark Side and they were quite ..(ahem)...accommodating. They explained how they were passing a particular seal test. When I saw what they were doing I was staggered! So brilliant yet so unethically wrong and so, so bad for the finished oil...yet, under the rules totally permissible.