Nyco Adds Additives
Paris-based specialty lubricants firm Nyco has begun producing its first line of additives, from a new unit at its Tournai, Belgium facility. Expansion of the synthetic lubes and ester base stocks plant cost E2.5 million (U.S. $2.7 million) and added capacity to make between 2 and 2.5 metric tons of additives per batch, according to Nyco spokeswoman Carole Bersillon-Morris. Annual capacity will depend upon the chemicals being produced.
The unit will primarily make antioxidants and coking inhibitors, though it is also capable of making other additives, said Bersillon-Morris. The additives will be used in aviation and industrial lubricants, including some of Nycos own formulations, as well as sold to lubricant blenders. The company also produces synthetic ester base stocks and finished lubricants.
We are not competing with the well-known additive manufacturers, but are bringing to the market unique performance additives that have shown a tremendous synergy with our ester base stocks and are not available from other manufacturers, said Eric Piveteau, Nycos general manager.
Puralube Takes Aim at Group III
Puralube is throwing its hat into the API Group III ring by upgrading one of the units at its Troeglitz, Germany, rerefinery. Half of the sites current Group II capacity at the Zeitz Chemical and Industrial Park facility will be converted to make the Group III, which can be produced from standard used motor oils, said company president and CEO Andreas Schueppel. That will make its Group III production capacity 50,000 metric tons per year, alongside 50,000 t/y of Group II+.
The company plans to deliver product to existing customers in Europe by the first quarter of 2017, and will also consider exporting base oils out of the region. Frankfurt, Germany-based Puralube GmbH is a subsidiary of Puralube Inc. in Wayne, Pa.
Croda Boosting Renewables
A new surfactants manufacturing site in New Castle, Delaware, is closer to completion, says owner Croda International. The plant being erected at Atlas Point will be the first of its type in North America to produce the completely renewable non-ionic surfactants, and should be operational in 2017.
The main process reactor will produce ethylene oxide from bio-ethanol, allowing for the creation of the new surfactants, the company said. The chemicals are active emulsifying agents used to bind oil and water in products, and can be used in metalworking fluids and synthetic polyalkylene glycol lubricants.
European Production for IPAC
International Petroleum Products and Additives Company has begun production of a variety of additive packages at a new facility in Ghent, Belgium. IPAC additives are used in the global automotive, heavy duty, industrial, driveline, chemical and fuel additive industries. The Dublin, California-based company sells to independent blenders, multinational and state oil companies, and major oil marketers.
By expanding our presence to Europe, we can give current and future customers greater access to our high-quality additive packages and components, said Marcello Todaro, vice president of international sales.
USDA Backs Biosynthetic Plant
With the help of over $100 million in loan guarantees from the U.S. government, Biosynthetic Technologies says it will build a 20 million gallon per year synthetic base oil plant. The facility, costing around $150 million, will use fatty acids from high-oleic vegetable oils to produce base oil for use in automotive and industrial lubricants. The Irvine, California-based company has received USDA approval on its phase-one application for the loan guarantee under the agencys Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program, or 9003 Program.
Construction is expected to begin this year and wrap up in 18 to 20 months, followed by three or four months for commissioning, according to Biosynthetic Technologies CEO Allen Barbieri.
Specification Update
On Feb. 10, the American Petroleum Institutes Lubricants Group officially adopted the new CK-4 and FA-4 heavy-duty engine oil categories (previously called PC-11). The passing ballot firmly etched Dec. 1, 2016 as the first date licensees can display the two categories in the API donut.
Light-duty oils took their turn next, as the Automotive/Oil Advisory Panel met Feb. 11 to discuss the ILSAC GF-6 upgrade for passenger car engine oils. Because some key engine tests are still incomplete, AOAP Chairman Scott Lindholm, of Shell, has asked North American and Japanese automakers if they would prefer to take more time for test development. An affirmative answer, he said, could delay licensing by several months, possibly to August 2018.
Vertex Sells Bango, Aims to Blend
Vertex Energy has sold its Churchill County, Nevada, rerefining facility to Clean Harbors for $35 million. The sale will look good on the books for Vertex, it said, while allowing Clean Harbors to expand its operations in the region.
While the sale of our rerefinery in Nevada will lessen our footprint in the western U.S., said Vertex Chairman and CEO Ben Cowart, the swap agreement and base oil agreements that were entered into as part of the sale should allow us to improve logistic costs and provide us with a long-term off-take agreement for base oil and finished lubricants. He further explained that the company plans to put the cash from the sale toward reducing long-term debt and making new acquisitions.
Cowart has said that Vertex will launch a line of rerefined finished lubricants, following a pattern set by Clean Harbors subsidiary Kleen Performance Products, and Wichita, Kansas-based Universal Lubricants.
Freedonia Folds into MarketResearch.com
Industry researcher Freedonia Group has been acquired by MarketResearch.com. Jeff Weiss, CEO of the Freedonia Group since 1997, will continue to lead the business unit, supported by the Freedonia content team and MarketResearch.com sales and marketing management.
In its recent World Lubricants study, Freedonia projected that global lubricant demand will expand by 2 percent a year to reach 45.4 million metric tons in 2019. The study sees the fastest demand growth coming from the Asia-Pacific region, where an expanding vehicle parc and continued industrialization in large markets such as China and India will support rising demand. Process oils will be another bright spot, the study finds, along with bio-based hydraulic and metalworking fluids. However, it cautioned, more mature markets will likely remain flat as wider use of premium lubricants lengthens drain intervals and restrains volume growth. The 467-page study costs $6,500. Details: www.freedoniagroup.com
RelaDyne Reaches for More
Parker Oil Co. of Wichita, Kansas, is the latest company to be rolled up by snowballing lubricants distributor RelaDyne. Parker Oils network expands RelaDynes reach into northern Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri.
The mid-January announcement marked the third acquisition in as many months for the Cincinnati-based outfit. Other recent attainments include Automotive Service/Central Penn Oil, Mid-State Industrial Supply and J.B. Weimar. This transaction is the first of many for 2016 as we continue to create a national platform. said Jeff Hart, executive v.p. of business development for RelaDyne.
Krahn Chemie Sells for Oxea
Hamburg, Germany-based Krahn Chemie is now distributing Oxea specialty esters in France, initially through a local sales team operating from the French branch of sister company Albis Plastic, but Krahn plans to set up its own subsidiary in the near term.
Oxea, which is owned by Oman Oil Co., and Krahn Chemie have worked together to market specialty esters in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Eastern Europe. The Oxea products are used as synthetic esters in lubricants, among other applications.
Soybeans to Feed Bio-Refinery
Kingston, Ontario-based Altranex has partnered with Minnesota Soybean Processors to build a bio-refinery. The facility will employ Altranexs electrolysis process to produce renewable base oils, waxes, diesel and other products using soybean oil as the feedstock.
With MnSP, observed Altranex President and CEO Chad Joshi, we have a partner with significant bio-refinery manufacturing and operating experience, and a feedstock supply that will assure our customers we can deliver our high-grade, renewable lubricant base oils in meaningful volumes that will be impactful in their markets.
Briefly Noted
Ukrainian lube maker Agrinol and the United Arab Emirates East Petronics will open blending plants together in Georgia and Latvia.
Chevron Lubricants Pakistan will expand its blending plant in Karachi by more than a third, to 67,000 tons per year.
BP will cut 3,000 jobs from its downstream operations – including the BP and Castrol lubricants businesses – by the end of 2017.
Kraton Performance Polymers closed in early January on its $1.4 billion acquisition of Arizona Chemical.
Faces in the News
Fuchs Petrolub SE has tapped Apu Gosalia to be its vice president of sustainability and global competitive intelligence, a new position elevating these functions to the corporate divisional level. Gosalia joined Fuchs in 1999, focusing on global strategic marketing, and became chief sustainability officer four years ago at the Mannheim, Germany-headquartered company. He holds a Diplom-Kaufmann from the University of Mannheim and an MBA from Western Illinois University.
Kevin Smith is now senior vice president and president, Europe, Middle East and Africa for Houghton International. Based in the companys Manchester, U.K. office, Smith will be responsible for general management in the EMEA region and global leadership for major transportation industry segments.
Lane LeBert has joined the LubeMark division of ZXP Technologies as director of business development and technology. LeBert has 25 years of experience in the lubricant industry with several major oil companies, most recently as vice president of sales and marketing/lead chemist with Network Lubricants.
Additives International has appointed Darren C. Mylie as vice president of sales and operations. He was previously the executive vice president for Kimes Technologies International and worked in procurement for Sika Corp., Lapp USA and BASF. Mylie holds a B.S. in management and accounting and two MBAs in supply chain management and administration/business management.
Following the retirement of Keir McCartney, Jean-Pierre de Nes has been appointed managing director of Trans Ocean Bulk Logistics. De Nes will use his 28 years of experience in the logistics industry to set a vision, growth objectives and strategy for the Houston-based flexitank supplier.
Clarcor Engine Mobile Groups president Sam Ferrise has retired after 15 years with the company (including 13 years heading Baldwin Filters), and Jacob Thomas has been appointed his successor. Prior to joining Clarcor, Thomas served in leadership positions with IDEX, Terex and Navistar. He has also worked for Ford Motor Co. and Case Corp., and holds a B.S., M.S. and MBA.