ExxonMobil Chemical said Thursday it has completed several debottlenecking projects at its synthetics plant in Beaumont, Texas, that increase capacity to produce high viscosity SpectraSyn 40 centiStoke and100 cSt polyalphaolefins by 15 percent.
LubesnGreases magazine estimated the plants capacity to be 60,000 metric tons per year before the upgrades.A 15 percent increase would bring estimated capacity to 69,000 metric tons per year. ExxonMobil Chemical does not disclose PAO capacities,butwith combined U.S. and French production capacity of about 129,000 metric tons per year, it is the worlds second largest PAO supplier, after Ineos Oligomers (152,000 metric tons per year).
SpectraSyn high viscosity PAO products are used as blend components for increasing base stock viscosity and upgrading quality over a wide range of lubricant applications, the company says,and toachieveimproved flow at low temperatures and increased film thickness at high temperatures.
This high viscosity PAO capacity investment will help our customers meet the growing demand for high-performance lubricants, said Page Greenwood, PAO marketing manager, at ExxonMobil Chemicals Synthetics Global Business in Houston.
Typical lubricants that incorporate the high viscosity SpectraSyn PAO, Greenwood told Lube Report, include oils for high efficiency/higher load rating, such as worm gear boxes; wide temperature range greases for industrial, aviation and automotive applications; long-life air compressor and hydraulic oils; fuel-efficient, extended-drain automotive gear and heavy-duty transmission oils; land-based gas turbine oils; refrigeration compressor lubricants in severe service; and extreme pressure gear oils for enclosed and open gear applications.