Lubrizol - Check this out.

[buster]

quote:

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The Lubrizol Corporation is the world leader in designing, manufacturing and supplying performance additives, or components, for passenger car motor oils. We invented most of the components used in today's motor oils and our components are compatible with the widest range of the world's base oils.

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Many of you are probably well aware of this, but I didn't realize that they "invented most of the componets used in today's motor oils." Here is my question. Do other oil companies such as BP, Pennzoil etc use Lubrizol's additves as well, or are they like ExxonMobil and create there own. I know Amsoil works very close with Lubrizol and that Mobil uses there own additives, but if Lubrizol invented most of them, where does that leave ExxonMobil as a player in this market? Do they make similar additves, buy from them etc.??

[ August 15, 2003, 09:15 PM: Message edited by: buster ]

 

[Steve S]

Chevron ,I know is or owns Oronite ,they do additives .look on their website for the proper info . Seems big oil does what is necessary to keep the motor oil output going strong.

 

[MolaKule]

Here is what happens in many cases.

You have approx. a dozen independent additive suppliers and other chemical companies (such as Stauffer, Rohm and Hass, Ciba-Geigy, Olin, Edwin Cooper), with most additive suppliers specializing in a particular type of additive.

Now Chevron, Exxon/Mobil, Ethyl, Lubrizol, RTV, and others patent their additive formulations. If one company needs a type of additive they don't have in their line-up, a license agreement is made with one of the other add makers and the particular additive is marketed under that name. For the biggies like BP/Amoco, Texaco/Shell and Exxon/Mobil, they develop most of their own adds in their in-house labs. For those adds they may not deem cost effective to produce in-house, they would go to one of the independant additive suppliers for their product and/or license the patent for the additive.

Looking through the patents for all types of modern additives from about 1960 to today, here is a quick summary of additive patents (for IC engines) filings from most to least:

1. Exxon/Mobil
2. Chevron
3. Lubrizol
4. Texaco

Other listed are:

Ethyl, Stauffer, Rohm and Hass, Ciba-Geigy, Olin, Edwin Cooper, R.T. Vanderbilt, King, Omega, Ultra, Tomah, Stepan, Crompton, Functional Products, and other Chemical companies, both domestic and foreign.

So I would have to disagree somewhat with Lubrizol's marketing statement.

[ August 16, 2003, 05:32 PM: Message edited by: MolaKule ]

 

[buster]

Thanks MK!

You answered my question.

 

[Ken2]

Another huge additive supplier, based in Europe, is Infineum, owned by Royal Dutch/Shell and ExxonMobil.


Ken