Some analysts say that electric vehicles will trend toward batteries that generate higher levels of heat and therefore that the industry will shift to more effective cooling technologies. An ester supplier told a recent industry event that esters are well-suited to serve as base stocks in the coolants used in such systems.

China recently halted land-based import of a variety of Russian products, including finished lubricants, after authorities found COVID-19 virus on some packaged Russian products. In its fight against the pandemic, China’s sanitary measures for trade are among the strictest in the world.

Residents in proximity to Lubrizol’s lubricant additive plant in Rouen, France, experienced elevated incidence of mood disorders such as anxiety and depression after a 2019 fire burnt the facility, according to results of a survey reported last month. The results of the survey, conducted in early 2021, are part of the controversy that continues more than two years after the incident.