Infineum introduces innovations in Fuel Economy

Singapore – Infineum, one of the world leaders in the formulation, manufacture and marketing of lubricant & fuels additives, launched two new major developments on fuel efficient lubricants at the 19th Annual Fuels & Lubes Asia Conference: Infineum SV600 viscosity modifier and Infineum D3495L HDD additive technology platform. Held from 11 March to 15 March as part of F+L Week 2013 in Bangkok, Thailand, the Fuels & Lubes Asia Conference is the premier convention in the region for the fields of oil, fuel, lubricants and additives.

With the growing link between fuel efficiency, energy security and economic sustainability, fuel economy was naturally the issue at the centre of this year’s discussion. Strong interest from political, economic and environmental quarters has prompted engineers to explore alternative ways of improving vehicular fuel efficiency, not only through traditional advancements in engine mechanics, but also via new breakthroughs in fuel technology. As a leading player in the field, Infineum brought two industry experts to share the latest developments in fuel efficiency research, and to showcase the culmination of their efforts in a range of innovative approaches to fuel efficient lubricants.

Stuart Briggs, chief scientist responsible for the viscosity modifier development programmes at Infineum spoke about lubricant viscometric profile for optimal fuel economy and wear performance, examining how engine lubricant can reduce frictional losses and thus fuel consumption without compromising engine durability. He demonstrated that specially designed viscosity modifiers can adapt viscosity at different temperatures in the typical driving cycle, minimising viscous losses or maximising engine protection as needed, thereby optimising fuel efficiency.

Jai Bansal, global technology advisor for engine oil additive systems at Infineum, shared the results of a six-year research and development programme that looked into the fuel economy benefits and engine wear effects of low viscosity heavy duty diesel lubricants. The programme led to the creation of several proprietary tools to study the mechanisms behind engine wear and fuel efficiency attributes, and also prompted new additive approaches to optimise these attributes. The final product is a new step-out technology platform that offers excellent performance for both fuel efficiency and engine durability in unprecedented low viscosity regimes.

These leading-edge technology developments underline Infineum’s multi-faceted approach to fuel efficient lubrication. Infineum SV600 utilizes a deep knowledge of polymer structure-property relationships to minimize the viscous losses in the engine over the range of critical operating temperatures while ensuring excellent shear stability (shear stability index of 5) and low polymer treat (typically less than 1%). Infineum D3495L technology, on the other hand, utilizes a fundamental understanding of the wear mechanisms to deliver additive systems with uncompromising engine durability in ultra low viscosity fuel efficient lubrication regimes.

In the words of our two leading technology experts, Briggs and Bansal, “As a world-class developer and formulator of petroleum additives, Infineum is pleased to do our part for the economy and environment by improving fuel economy and reducing fuel consumption. Our dedicated research and development units are committed to pushing the boundaries, and Infineum SV600 and Infineum D3495L represent some of our most exciting technological breakthroughs.”

Infineum is a proud participant and sponsor of F+L Week 2013. For more information, please visit www.infineum.com. (April 3, 2013)