Chinese Adco Eyes Foreign Markets

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Jiangsu Aorun Advanced Materials is a relative newcomer to the lubricant additives sector and is one of several Chinese companies looking to supply high-volume commodities, such as ubiquitous anti-wear additive zinc dithiophosphate or ZDDP, on the global market.

China is the world’s second-largest lubricant additives market and combined with finished lubricants is worth almost U.S.$20 billion per year, according to industry consultancy Kline & Co.

Tang Juan, founder and CEO of Aorun outlined the company’s growth strategy at a recent industry expo organized by the Asian Lubricants Industry Association and Fuels &L Asia magazine.

Tang explained the company intends to establish a new research and development center in Nanjing and to fully commercialize new additive components and licensable additive packages.

Although Aorun is a young company, members of its core technology team hail from Tianhe Chemicals, considered to be a pioneer of China’s additives industry and latterly embroiled in a financial scandal. This accounts for Aorun’s strength in developing sulfonates, its current major product, said Tang.

Tang, although aware that Aorun is a late comer, is confident Aorun will grow into a competent global additive supplier thanks to the veteran tech team and good financial support.

“We are already developing packages, and hopefully we will see the first batch of products some time next year,” Tang told Lube Report, adding the new packages will be for engine oils.

Aorun began producing a total base number booster in 2022 and opened a second line to make ZDDP in 2024. Now Aorun aims to produce 15,000 metric tons per year of phenate, a lubricant detergent that also has anti-oxidant properties. It also wants to produce 9,000 t/y of linear alkyl benzene sulfonic acid, an corrosion inhibitor. The company is also expanding its offerings to include dispersants and salicylates by 2026.

Many of Aorun’s clients are based in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, but the company is also actively seeking new clients in South America.

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