Volume 3 Issue 94

Mystery Clouds Fuel-economy Test

Why would two distinct GF-4 passenger car motor oils – which earlier had passed the rigorous Sequence VIB (Six B) engine test for fuel economy – repeatedly flunk the same test now? That’s the mystery facing ASTM and its engine test stewards. The tests ASTM Surveillance Panel chairman, Charlie Leverett of testing company PerkinElmer, announced Sept. 17 that neither of two demonstration oils that motor oil companies had supplied as a potential reference oil for the Sequence VIB c...

D.A. Stuart Enters China J.V.

China is the lubricant industrys new frontier, and D.A. Stuart Co. is expanding there by tying up with a maker of cutting edges. The American industrial lube supplier announced last week that it has formed a joint venture with Shanghai Razor Blade Co. Stuart, which is based in Warrenville, Ill., will be responsible for the entire capital investment for the joint venture – $6 million that will be used to build a blending plant in a Shanghai suburb, breaking ground early next year. The comp...

Crompton Churns Out Antioxidants

Crompton Corp. announced yesterday that it plans to invest in a new alkylated diphenylamine antioxidant unit at its factory in Geismar, La., the fourth time in two years that it has boosted output of this family of products. The Middlebury, Conn., specialty chemical company said the new unit will use equipment that has been used to produce rubber chemical intermediates. Crompton said two months ago that it would scale back production of rubber chemicals intermediates made at Geismar by the end o...