Performance without compromise

Sponsored Content: Afton Chemical

Modern engines require an increasingly sophisticated lubricant. The latest designs, engineered to be more efficient, reliable, and environmentally friendly increase the stress on the oil in terms of wear protection and cleanliness and present new performance demands such as aeration and pre-ignition protection that push formulators to develop new technology solutions.

The new GM dexos™1 specification sets the performance standard for modern engines and is the industry benchmark for premium quality oils for all engines. The new standard will be official from 1^st September 2021 globally. Marketers wishing to introduce a product that meets the new standard must follow GM licensing rules and requirements to use the official dexos™1 logo on their products.

In designing the new specification, GM engineers identified the need to maintain and enhance performance in several areas to reduce warranty concerns. New tests have been developed to challenge the performance of the oil in three specific areas: wear (GM MTM), pre-ignition protection (GM SPI3), and fuel economy (GM OEE). GM have set the standard in these new tests to ensure significantly higher performance than previous versions of the dexos™1 specification. In addition, performance is enhanced or maintained when it comes to oxidation, piston cleanliness, sludge, aeration, corrosion, and turbocharger protection. The result is a new premium quality standard that demands the latest in lubricant technology and performance.

Understanding these new performance demands is the lubricant formulator’s role. Understanding the evolutionary path that engineers have followed to enhance the internal combustion engine’s efficiency in modern designs provides the key insight for formulators to design the optimum lubricant for those engines, performance without compromise.