Lubes'n'Greases Podcasts
Listen in as we talk through the ever-changing, sometimes challenging, industry issues.
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More to Innovation than the Chemistry
February 2025
The discussion about sustainability has so far largely focussed on products’ immediate environmental impact. But there is a more pertinent and useful avenue to pursue in their ability to reduce energy consumption. How, then, does the lubricants industry go about bringing end users onboard with this way of thinking when the easier route is to simply promote a product’s green credentials?
Bill Downey of Novvi joins Trevor Gauntlett to talk about shifting the focus away from the environmental aspects of the chemistry back to their ability to deliver on core principles.
Positive Outlook for 2025
December 2024
Depending upon your perspective 2024, the two major environmental conferences at the end of the year were either a crushing disappointment or were to be expected all things considered.
Defining the Arena of Value
November 2024
It’s time to stop measuring a lubricant business’s performance by the volume of product sold and the industry it occupies, argues Yana Wilkinson, Kline & Co.’s energy practice lead. We need much more intelligent management conversations, she says.
Water Everywhere and Nowhere
August 2024
Floods and drought will become more prevalent as anthropogenic climate change worsens. As Europe is deluged, the global South will desertification. Decisive action is needed. Our regular sustainability contributor Apu Gosalia returns to the podcast after a long hiatus to talk about the sustainability challenges ahead, the lay of the land with current European Union legislations such as the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive for supply chains and Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.
Regulation Over-REACH
August 2024
Regulating the production, handling and trade of chemicals, some of which are potentially dangerous, is unarguably a good thing. There are many ways to do it, as exemplified by the difference between the US system and the European system. Both have their advantages and drawbacks, but only one – the Regulation for the and Chemicals, a.k.a. REACH – is so mind-bendingly complicated that Europe’s biggest chemcial company BASF has a team dedicated to it. That team is headed by Stefanie Deuser. We welcome her to the podcast to discuss the architecture of regulations and to warn smaller players of even greater complexity to come in Europe.
Max Bright Stock Potential
July 2024
Trevor Gauntlet talks to industry veteran, Norman Sheppard, about ExxonMobil’s EHC 340 Max bright stock base oil. They look at it from three angles: technically, what is it and how does it match up, the economics and even aesthetics, in particular the color.
Growth for the Additives Business in IMEA
July 2024
In the West, the internal combustion engine’s days are numbered. But in the India, Middle East and Africa region, there’s still a large market for conventional-engine transport and automotive lubricants. Lubes’n’Greases welcomes to the podcast Nitin Mengi, Lubrizol’s vice president for the India, Middle East and Africa region.
The Good News about Lithium Thickeners
April 2024
In part two of this two-part podcast, Dennis Eijdenberg from Axel Christiernsson talks to Trevor Gauntlett about the numerous alternatives to this key metal in grease making. Their conversation outlines some of their benefits as well as pitfalls of a variety of thickeners. While some older technologies deserve to stay in the past, others are getting a new look as the search for alternatives continues.
The Bad News about Lithium Thickeners
April 2024
Dennis Eijdenberg from Axel Christiernsson talks to Trevor Gauntlett about electric vehicle battery makers gobbling up supplies of this key metal used extensively in grease making. Axel Christiernsson is the largest manufacturer of lubricating greases in the world, and the company invests significant resources in developing greases using this jack-of-all-trades thickener and its alternatives.
Five Sustainability Trends for 2024
January 2024
Apu Gosalia, our regular sustainability contributor, takes us through what he thinks are the five major trends in corporate sustainability in 2024. In addition to the CSRD and CSDDD, scope 3 emissions will come under greater scrutiny and robust data collection. Companies will have to incorporate climate risk management further into their operations. Climate fintech will take hold in financial markets to facilitate funding for green investment. Lastly, AI will help resource and energy optimization and data collection.