- What are ISOCRACKING, ISODEWAXING and ISOFINISHING?
- What do Group I, II, and III mean, and what's so great about Group II and Group III?
- What's so good about all-hydroprocessed base stocks?
- What makes Chevron base oils more resistant to oxidation?
- Can I use my current additives with Chevron base oils? Can I use less additive?
- Are Chevron and KIXX LUBO branded base oils technically interchangeable?
- Why do Chevron base oils have better low-temperature performance, e.g. Brookfield viscosity or pour point?
- What about solvency of Group II base oils? Is it true that formulations that use these stocks have problems with rubber seals swelling properly?
- Can Chevron base oils help formulators meet future specifications?
- Why is VI important?
- Why should I use Chevron base oils?
What are ISOCRACKING, ISODEWAXING, and ISOFINISHING?
ISOCRACKING, ISODEWAXING and ISOFINISHING technology and catalysts are used in the sequence of refining processes employing hydrogen at high pressure to make high-quality lubricant base oils. ISOCRACKING technology is a hydrocracking process used to improve VI (Viscosity Index) and remove impurities. ISODEWAXING technology converts wax molecules into high quality lubricant components. ISOFINISHING technology is a final, high-pressure polishing process for Chevron base stocks.
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What do Group I, II, and III mean, and what's so great about Group II and Group III?
These groups, along with Group IV and Group V are broad categories of base stocks developed by the American Petroleum Institute for the purpose of creating guidelines for interchanging base stocks when blending licensed engine oils. Typically, solvent-refined base oils fall into Group I, while hydroprocessed base stocks fall into Group II. Unconventional Base Oils (UCBOs) are more severely hydroprocessed to make Very-High VI stocks and are normally categorized as Group III. Group IV are polyalphaolefins, PAO's, and form the basis of many traditional synthetic lubricants. Group V are oils that do not fall into any of the first four groups. This chart, from API publication 1509 provides a simple way of remembering the properties of each of the Groups:
| Group |
Sulfur, Wt% |
|
Saturates |
V.I. |
| I |
>0.03 |
and/or |
<90 |
80-119 |
| II |
≤0.03 |
and |
≥90 |
80-119 |
| III |
≤0.03 |
and |
≥90 |
≥120 |
| IV |
All Polyalphaolefins (PAOs) |
| V |
All Stock Not Included in Groups I-IV
(Pale Oils and Non-PAO Synthetics) |
Group II+, though not an official API designation is a term used increasingly to describe Group II stocks of higher VI (110-119) and lower volatility than comparable group II stocks. Group I oils contain high levels of sulfur and aromatics, which are compounds that can diminish performance. Group II & III oils have almost none of these impurities, which result in enhanced oxidation performance for fully-formulated lubricants. Thanks to Chevron's proprietary ISODEWAXING technology, Chevron's Group II and II+ base oils also have very low wax content, which delivers better low-temperature performance compared to many other base oils. Due to their high level of purity, Chevron Group II & II+ base oils provide additional benefits in crankcase applications. For example, in heavy-duty engines, motor oils made with Chevron base oils have demonstrated a soot dispersancy markedly higher than those made with Group I base oils.
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What's so good about all-hydroprocessed base stocks?
Because all-hydroprocessed Group II & II+ stocks are manufactured with no solvent refining steps, they far surpass in purity base oils made in "hybrid" plants that maintain some solvent processing. In fact, they contain the lowest levels of impurities currently available in mineral-based oils, which, in turn, gives them a significant performance advantage.
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What makes Chevron base oils more resistant to oxidation?
Chevron base oils contain lower levels of reactive compounds than solvent-refined Group I base oils and, in some cases, other Group II base oils. These "impurities," which include aromatics, sulfur and nitrogen compounds, are much more susceptible to oxidative attack, and some of them are capable of catalyzing oxidative attack. Once oxidation starts, a complex chain of reactions occurs that ultimately causes both the base oil and the additives to degrade. The virtual absence of these "bad actors" means Chevron base oils deliver exceptional resistance to oxidation.
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Can I use my current additives with Chevron base oils? Can I use less additive?
Chevron base oils provide manufacturers many formulating options since they are compatible with a wide array of additives and additive systems. To fully leverage the exceptional properties of Chevron base oils and gain the highest performance levels available, the additive system should be optimized for all finished lubricant products. Any changes to treat rate should be discussed with your additive supplier. All the major additive suppliers are experienced in formulating with Chevron base stocks. In some cases, the higher purity and enhanced oxidation resistance of Chevron base oils may allow lower treat rates of specific additives in fully-formulated oils. For example, many products can use lower levels of oxidation inhibitors while maintaining or improving oxidation resistance. Or, a heavy-duty engine oil may be able to achieve better dispersancy of soot particles while using somewhat less dispersant. Of course it is important to test the fully-formulated lubricant to assure that the desired level of product performance is achieved.
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Are Chevron and KIXX LUBO branded base oils technically interchangeable?
No, they cannot be treated as the same. The Yeosu, South Korea plant produces two differently-branded base oils, Chevron and GS Caltex KIXX LUBO. Chevron and GS Caltex market their base oils separately, and the KIXX LUBO brand is not technically interchangeable with Chevron-branded base oils. Chevron’s substantial list of globally-approved lubricant formulations are based on Chevron-branded base oil properties and specifications. Chevron does not have any control of the GS Caltex KIXX LUBO product line, their specifications, or their product claims. KIXX-LUBO and Chevron-branded base oils are separate brands, so it is necessary to qualify lubricant products with those these two base stock slates using separate qualification programs.
The Chevron-branded base oils that are sold from the Yeosu plant meet Chevron’s stringent specifications and performance requirements. Through rigorous testing, Chevron-branded base oils from our California and South Korea facilities have been shown to be technically substitutable and therefore included in Chevron’s Global Group II Base Stock Slate.
When the new Chevron US Gulf Coast plant in Pascagoula, Mississippi, is producing base oils, additional testing will be carried out to demonstrate that the Pascagoula base stocks can also be included into Chevron’s Global Group II Slate. Chevron ensures that Chevron-branded base oils sold from our facilities continue to have this demonstrated fungibility.
Customers who purchase Chevron-branded products are supported by a long history of comprehensive technical support, product consistency and security of supply.
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Why do Chevron base oils have better low-temperature performance than Group I base oils?
Compared with solvent dewaxed base oils, Chevron base oils contain virtually no normal paraffins (wax), and they are very responsive to pour point depressants (PPDs). Therefore, under low-temperature, low-shear conditions, lubricants formulated with Chevron base stocks are not as prone to solidification, as are typical' Group I base stocks.
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What about solvency of Group II base oils? Is it true that formulations that use these stocks have problems with rubber seals swelling properly?
While they do have slightly lower solvency than Group I base oils, Chevron Group II base oils exhibit a level of solvency compatible with the vast majority of additive components and systems. Furthermore, Chevron base oils have higher solvency than most synthetics and many Group III base oils. When properly formulated, lubricants made with Chevron base oils have proper seal swell characteristics. In a few applications, such as automatic transmission fluids, it may be necessary to add small amounts of a synthetic seal swell agent to achieve the proper performance.
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Can Chevron base oils help formulators meet future specifications?
Chevron base stocks can be tailored to meet specifications. This "designed-for-performance" concept delivers cost-effective base oils to our customers. In many cases, Chevron base oils can provide significant benefits when formulating next-generation products. For example, the outstanding oxidation stability of Chevron base oils plays a pivotal role for many formulators, helping them to pass stringent tests such as the Mack T-11 or the Sequence IIIG, required for the latest generation of heavy duty engine oils and passenger car engine oils, respectively. Formulators can also take advantage Chevron neutral oils, such as our new 110RLV to further optimize their products.
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Why is VI important?
Viscosity Index (VI) measures the resistance of an oil to viscosity change as temperature changes. The higher the VI, the more stable the viscosity over a wide temperature range. In other words, the higher the VI, the less an oil will thicken as it gets cold and the less it will thin out at higher temperatures—providing better lubricant performance at both temperature extremes. This characteristic is essential to good performance in multi-grade engine oils, such as SAE 5W-30 or 10W-40. Our new Group II+ base oil, 110RLV, has VI approaching that of Group III levels, enabling optimization of both cost and performance.
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Why should I use Chevron base oils?
All Chevron base oils offer exceptional product performance tailored to a broad range of lubricant applications. This results in greater oxidation and thermal stability, soot dispersancy in diesel engines and low temperature performance. In addition to these benefits, Chevron 110RLV, also has very high VI and low volatility. Chevron base oils can be formulated with a wide variety of additives to achieve the latest industry specifications and produce the extra measure of performance required for premium lubricants. Chevron base oils can help to meet challenging future lubricant specifications cost-effectively, whereas Group I oils often cannot. To make sure our customers get the most from our premium base oils we provide technical support both before and after the sale. Contact us.
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