Who determines add pack?

[TTK]

I believe the two largest add pack providers(developers?) are Lubrizol and Infineum. It is also my understanding they produce add packs for major motor oils such as Castrol, Penzoil, QS, Valvoline, etc. Uncertain about Mobil.

Do the providers(Lubrizol,Infineum) determine the add pack based on some parameters provided by the oil companies, such as, “here is the base oil”, “here is the carrier oil”, “and we want a GL4, API SM specification”?

Or do the oil companies determine the add pack composition and simply use Lubrizol and Infineum as providers?

 

[Nick R]

Quote:
Or do the oil companies determine the add pack composition and simply use Lubrizol and Infineum as providers?


Not positive, but I believe this is the case.

 

[Tom NJ]

It varies. The major additive companies offer complete approved formulations - buy the specified ingredients, blend it up and you have a qualified oil. If the oil company has sufficient volume, they can work with the additive companies to custom design and test a formulation around their preferred base oils or other components. In other cases, the oil companies may choose to buy individual additives and formulate & test their own oils in-house.

Tom NJ

 

[CourierDriver]

I get this vision of little molecules with brushes and rags polishing the bearings and cylinder walls , lol

 

[TTK]

Originally Posted By: Tom NJ
It varies. The major additive companies offer complete approved formulations - buy the specified ingredients, blend it up and you have a qualified oil. If the oil company has sufficient volume, they can work with the additive companies to custom design and test a formulation around their preferred base oils or other components. In other cases, the oil companies may choose to buy individual additives and formulate & test their own oils in-house.

Tom NJ

What would "other components" be, for example. The whole issue makes me think that many oils are basically the same product. Now, there may be differences between add packs provided by Lubrizol and Infineum, which might make one oil preferred over another.

 

[Wilhelm_D]

Originally Posted By: TTK
I believe the two largest add pack providers(developers?) are Lubrizol and Infineum. It is also my understanding they produce add packs for major motor oils such as Castrol, Penzoil, QS, Valvoline, etc. Uncertain about Mobil.


One of the two parties in the joint venture known as “Infineum” is ExxonMobil. The other is Shell.

Along with Lubrizol and Infineum, I would consider Chevron Oronite and NewMarket Corporation as major players.

Originally Posted By: TTK
Do the providers(Lubrizol,Infineum) determine the add pack based on some parameters provided by the oil companies, such as, “here is the base oil”, “here is the carrier oil”, “and we want a GL4, API SM specification”?


The additives are typically developed to meet a specification set by an OEM or a trade group.

They have to take into account what is available in terms of base stocks, what manufacturing capacity exists to make the components of the additive, the cost of the finished product (an additive that results in $30 a quart motor oil is not going to have a market), and a consideration of what patents and proprietary processes are available.

Since no one company can invent everything, cross-licensing agreements are common.

As a result the end products tend to be fairly similar and in many cases literally interchangeable.

 

[Tom NJ]

Originally Posted By: TTK
What would "other components" be


An oil company may want to use a specific additive(s) based on their performance targets or advertising campaign, or they may manufacture an additive that they want in the formulation.

Many formulation may be similar but few are identical among the major brands, as the VOAs show.

Tom NJ

 

[BBDartCA]

Its a combination of science, sales and marketing. Maybe more marketing than physics... Can't says much more than that ...

In terms of the simple question of who determines that necessary packages, this type of decision can vary a lot. The big lube companies will determine this on their own, with lots of cooperation with the ad pac supplier. Sometimes a savvy ad pac supplier with help drive certain industry approvals / standards around proprietary and patented additives of the supplier. Sometimes marginal lube companies will just get a complete formulation for the ad pac supplier / distributor. Lots of marketing ...