Citing a need to find alternatives to increasingly expensive lithium, Lubrizol Corp. last week opened a grease laboratory outside Mumbai to develop formulas for products made with calcium sulfonate thickeners. About two-thirds of the world’s greases are made with lithium soap or complex lithium soap thickeners, but lithium costs shot up the past few years because of rising demand from electric vehicles, most of which run on lithium-ion batteries.

Japan’s consumption of finished lubricants jumped 28%, and its lubricants production increased 17%, while lube imports dropped 37% in January, according to data released Tuesday by the Japan Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Volatility in key factors – including base oil and crude oil prices, additives costs and the Indian rupee – made margin-balancing challenging for Indian companies in the quarter ending Dec. 31, leading to lower profits for some, while others, including Castrol India and Gulf Oil Lubricants India, touted adjustments made to weather the volatility storm.