From patents for electric bicycles in the 1890s to battery-powered skateboards and sleek Teslas in the 21st Century, transport technologies based on electrification continue to transform the way we move. Now, a Canadian biobased chemicals company has harnessed electrification to convert vegetable oils into hydrocarbons with claims that performance compares to or exceeds API Group III+ and IV base stocks for automotive lubricants.

Chad Joshi, co-founder and CEO of Advonex International, spoke with LubesnGreases about the companys 4 centistoke fluid called Entrada-Base and how electricity can make stable hydrocarbons from vegetable oils.

Despite their good inherent lubricity, vegetable oils fall short of the thermal and oxidative stability required for use in automotive engine and transmission oils. Joshi and Glenn Horner developed an electrochemical method that can produce hydrocarbons from vegetable oils. They co-founded Advonex to commercialize sustainably sourced hydrocarbons chemically like those obtained by refining petroleum or synthesized from petroleum derivatives.

In its Brockville, Ontario pilot plant, Advonex uses soybean oil but its process can also produce hydrocarbons from canola, coconut and palm, which means facilities can be established globally using locally sourced feedstock.

There are three major steps in the patented process to make Entrada-Base. Natural oils are reacted with water (hydrolyzed) to produce fatty acids. Then an electric current is applied (electrolysis) to remove oxygen atoms from fatty acids and react them to form longer hydrocarbon chains. Finally, hydrofinishing removes impurities and produces saturated branched hydrocarbons for lubricant base stock.

In the Lab

Entrada-Base is a clear, colorless fluid consisting of a narrow distribution of C26 to C34 alkanes, which are saturated hydrocarbon molecules that contain no oxygen atoms or double or triple carbon-carbon bonds that can limit stability. (See Figure 1)

According to Joshi, Entrada-Bases chemistry has purity and performance advantages. Its narrow molecular weight distribution means fewer relatively volatile, low-molecular weight components that raise the Noack volatility of Group III and IV oils. The viscosity index of a representative Entrada-Base is superior (150) to Group III and Group IV products (122 and 130, respectively). The pour point of Entrada-Base is similar to Group III but is not as low as polyalphaolefins. (See Figure 2)

Advonex has synthesized other versions of Entrada-Base with a V.I. as high as 220, according to Joshi. However, there appears to be a trade-off, since oils with higher V.I.s also have higher pour points. A version with a V.I. of 150 and a pour point of minus 18 degrees Celsius provides the best compromise and is in line with commercial Group III and other base oils, he explained.

Scientists at Advonexs strategic partner Valvoline measured the traction of Entrada-Base and Group II, III, III+ and IV base oils with a lubricated ball-on-disc contact. They found Entrada-Bases traction coefficient data were lower than the other oils over a range of slide-to-roll ratios. (See Figure 3) Low traction, or internal friction, among molecules in a thin fluid film contributes to lubricant performance and energy efficiency.

Additive compatibility is another advantage of Entrada-Base. In contrast, Group IV PAOs, have a problematic track record with regards to dissolving certain additives commonly used in mineral oils. Formulators can use a wider range of conventional additive packages with Entrada-Base than with PAOs without separation, according to Joshi.

Advonex and Valvoline also assessed Entrada-Bases potential in car engine oils.

Valvoline blended it with a Group III+ base stock and an additive package to formulate two synthetic SAE 5W-30 motor oils. They evaluated these formulations against international specifications for automotive lubricants, including ACEA, API and SAE, for low viscosity, environmentally advantaged engine oils.

In high-temperature, high-shear viscosity tests, which measure a lubricants resistance to flow under shear and temperature conditions that model those in an engine, both 5W-30 oils satisfied API FA-4 requirements for XW-30 oils (between 2.9 and 3.2 centipoise). Lower HTHS generally corresponds to higher fuel economy and, in some cases, faster wear. Results for API FA-4 covers oils formulated for use in select diesel engines designed to meet recent greenhouse gas emission standards by means of enhanced fuel economy. The ACEA 2016 oil sequences specifies a minimum of 3.5 cP (categories A3/B3 and A3/B4) and a range between 2.9 cP and 3.5 cP (A5/B5) for passenger car, light duty van gasoline and diesel engines with extended drain intervals, for regular and low viscosities, respectively.

The cold crank simulator measures oil flow under conditions that simulate starting a cold engine. Valvolines results for both oils were well below the maximum specified value for SAE 5W-XX engine oils of 6,600 cP at minus 30 C, as per the SAE J300 standard for the viscometric properties of mono- and multigrade engine oils.

The two engine oils also easily complied with the maximum of 60,000 cP, as per SAE J300 in the ASTM D3829 MRV test, which uses a mini-rotating viscometer to estimate the lowest temperature at which an engine oil can continuously flow to the oil pump inlet of an engine. (See Figure 4)

The performance of these two lubricants in standard laboratory tests supports the potential value of Entrada-Base as a base stock for next-generation high fuel economy automotive engine oils.

Under the Hood?

Before Advonex can commercially roll out Entrada-Base, the company will need to earn the confidence of formulators and engineers who will expect to see data from additional laboratory tests, as well as ACEA and OEM engine sequences. Additionally, major additive and lubricant companies test engine oils in field trials, for example, in fleets of Las Vegas taxis, a notably severe environment where conditions are stop-and-go driving at an average of 13 miles per hour during extreme heat in the summer and much cooler temperatures in the winter.

Entrada-Base will need to prove its value in head-to-head comparisons with PAOs, Group III mineral oils and other new environmentally advantaged oils such as those under development by Elevance Renewable Sciences; a joint venture between Novvi LLC and American Refining Group, Inc.; and Biosynthetic Technologies, an acquisition of Calumet Specialty Products.

Advonex will also face challenges securing raw materials, setting up manufacturing facilities, complying with the European Unions chemicals control regulations called REACH and making sure they have everything in place to provide a secure, consistent, reliable stream of base stock to ship to future customers.

Market Pulls

Most market demand for high-performance automotive lubricants comes from Japan and Korea, where OEMs are focusing on building smaller engines to power more fuel-efficient vehicles, according to Joshi.

Smaller engines run hotter and faster, which increases the demands on lubricants versus larger engines. A lot of OEMs in Korea and Japan are moving more and more to Group III engine oils for this reason. While Group IV PAOs are useful, their price-performance ratio is not quite where it needs to be for this application at this time, he said.

He went on to claim that Entrada-Base is an ideal alternative for automotive crankcase lubricants because it provides Group III-level performance with the good solubility of standard additive packages developed for Groups II and III and sustainable sourcing.

Technologies to reduce power loss, such as lubricants, are competing for priority with things like turbochargers, extremely high-pressure direct fuel injectors and variable valve timing for internal combustion engines, alternative fuel vehicles and biofuels and will be expected to perform capably and compatibly with those new engineering technologies that will dominate in each major market.

Future sales of Entrada-Base will also depend on how well it aligns with complex, evolving market forces, including transportation, energy and agriculture policies. ExxonMobils 2018 Outlook for Energy: A View A to 2040 predicts, A significant energy transition is underway, and many factors will shape the worlds energy future … Advances continue to reshape the energy playing field.

What will the future hold for Entrada-Base and the lubricant and automotive industries in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region? Lubricant formulators, markets and emissions policies worldwide will all have a hand in deciding the future development of this technology and its competitors.

Mary Moon is a chemist with hands-on R&D and project management experience formulating, testing, manufacturing and marketing lubricating oils and greases and other specialty chemicals. Contact her at mmmoon@ix.netcom.com or (267) 567-7234.