Volume 3 Issue 18

Indias Lithium Buyers Come up Dry

More than 75 percent of the worlds lubricating grease is thickened with lithium hydroxide or lithium complex soap - but over 90 percent of the grease made each year in India is. Now Indias grease manufacturers say lithium hydroxide has been priced beyond their grasp, as electric cars and consumer electronics devour every available kilogram.

Yushiro Builds Two MWF Plants in China

Japanese metalworking fluids manufacturer Yushiro Chemical Industry Co. expects to complete construction of two plants in China in the second half of this year, a company official told Lube Report Asia last week.

Challenges Rise for Industrial Lubes

Industrial lubricants such as turbine oils, hydraulic fluids, and gear oils face rising performance demands because of significant changes in the machines that use them, an official from Indian Oil Corp. Ltd. said at a recent industry conference.

Idemitsu and KPI to Set up JV in Vietnam

Japans Idemitsu Kosan Co. and Kuwait Petroleum International Ltd. plan to set up a joint venture to distribute petroleum products, including lubricants, in Vietnam.

BASF Opens Amines Plant

BASF announced the start-up last week of a new specialty amines plant in Nanjing, China. The facility will make dimethylaminopropylamines primarily for personal care applications, but they are also used in the production of lubricant additives.

Briefly Noted

New Zealands competition regulator has granted Z Energy Ltd. approval to acquire Caltex fuels and lubricants marketer Chevron New Zealandprovided it divests some assets, including 19 retail sites. Asia-Pacific is projected to see a 5.8 percent annual increase in alpha olefin demand by 2022 due to growth in the construction and automotive sectors, according to a report by Grand View Research. Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways selected U.S.-based lubricants supplier Eastman Aviation Solutions for a conversion of the airlines main engine oil fleet-wide.