A NEW MODEL

FOR METALWORKING
Wisura Introduces Theory of How Fluids Work

BY RICHARD BEERCHECK

18
 C onventional theories about
metalworking fluids state
that they react chemically with
Out with the Old
Schulz agrees with one
aspect of conventional
theories on metalwork-
the surfaces of metal work- ing fluids: Additives must
be interacting with the
pieces during the short time that workpiece in some way to
the two are in contact. These make it more amenable to
the metalworking process.
reactions supposedly form metal Without fluid, metalwork-
chlorinate, metal sulfide or metal ing tools generally wear
out faster, the finish on
phosphor layers that are more
workpiece surfaces ends up
easily removed by the machine rougher and the likelihood
of adhesion between tool
tool.
and workpiece increases.
Researchers at a German [S]ome type of reaction
supplier of metalworking fluids is essential to ensure long
tool life and to produce an
challenged that model recently, optimum surface finish,
contending that, in most met- he said.
According to Schulz,
alworking operations, the fluid research supporting the
and part are not in contact long conventional theories has
basic flaws. One diffi-
enough for the complex reac- culty with commonly held
tions necessary to form these theories about metalwork-
ing operations, he said,
layers. In a January presenta- is that most published
tion at the OilDoc conference literature describes tests in
which the additives have a
in Rosenheim, Germany, Wisura lot of time, often hours, to
GmbH Research and Develop-
Photo Neha Bhargava/Dreamstime; Illustration by Ricardo Lianez
react with the metal. In
addition, most studies do
ment Director Joachim Schulz not differentiate between
proposed a new theory based different kinds of metals.
But there is a big differ-
instead on the premise that ence, for example, in the
additives adsorb to workpiece way carbon steel and stain-
less steel react, he noted.
surfaces. The new theory, he Because they were ques-
said, will lead to new approaches tioning models of interac-
tions with workpieces,
to formulating metalworking Wisura researchers began
fluids. by studying the atomic
LUBESNGREASES EUROPE-MIDDLE EAST-AFRICA MAY 2013
structures of various met-
als used in metalworking.
Using secondary ion mass
spectroscopy and second-
ary neutral particle-mass
spectroscopy, they found
different types of molecules
covering surfaces of differ-
ent metals. Iron surfaces
are typically covered with
hydroxyl groups, Schulz
said, while carbon steel
is covered with a layer of
hydroxides and oxides.
Oxides either cover the
entire area or create island-
shaped patches. Stainless
steels generally are covered
by chrome-oxides and
nickel-oxides, with the ratio
between the two dependent
on the specific alloy. And
aluminum is covered by
a tenacious oxide layer.
Thus, steel, stainless steel
and aluminum have quite
different surfaces and,
therefore, react differently
with additives.
Additives interact with
oxides, hydroxides or metal
ions, said Schulz. Gener-
ally, additives are classified
as ionic (acidic phosphoric
acid esters and passive
extreme pressure (PEP)
additives) or nonionic
(chlorinated paraffins and
polysulfides). Tests show
that ionic additives react
preferentially with metal
ions while nonionic addi-
tives react with oxide and
hydroxide groups, he said.
Wisura studied the
19
 effectiveness of chlorine- and sulfur-
containing additives on various met-
alworking processes. Chlorinated
oils work in every kind of forming
process and with all kinds of materi-
als, especially stainless steel, he said.
In addition, chlorinated oils work
well in high-speed processes like
tube or bar drawing. Chlorine-free
oils, however, typically do not work
on stainless steel, even if the oil and
metal are in contact for a long period
of time.
Thus, chlorinated paraffins and
sulfur-containing compounds work
well on stainless steel, but not PEP
additives or acidic phosphoric esters.
On the other hand, PEP additives
combined with sulfur-containing ways in which chemicals can interact long time longer than interactions
compounds perform well on carbon and noted that interaction does not such as adsorption, where materials
steel, as do chlorinated paraffins. necessarily mean a chemical reac- with free radicals or ionic charges
tion in which one or more reactants bond or stick to another.
Keeping Time are transformed into new molecules. In light of this fact, Schulz posed
Schulz talked about the different These reactions require a relatively the question: How much time does

AIR

How do you turn

Hot Dry lubricating grease into
profitable business?

FIRE EARTH By taming the forces of nature. A tough challenge,

we know. But as always when something is tough,
the reward is great. We have taken on a myriad
of grease challenges ever since we were founded
in 1888, and today we have more than 200 active
product formulations for hot, dry, wet and cold
Wet Cold
conditions.
No matter what grease challenge you are facing,
chances are high that we have the right product
for you. We label it with your brand, according
WATER to our Customised Label strategy. Contact us.
We promise you its worth it.

www.axelch.com info@axelch.com

20 MAY 2013 LUBESNGREASES EUROPE-MIDDLE EAST-AFRICA

 Researchers at m/min., and grinding machines at adsorption effects of additives. This
Wisura concluded
circumferential speeds of 100 m/ model looks at the chemical nature
that metalworking
fluid additives are second or more. Wire and tube draw- of metal surfaces in a very different
not in contact with ing processes operate at over 50 m/ way.
workpieces long min. Therefore, an average machin- In the new model, additives adsorb
enough for complex ing time of 60 m/min. means that a to metal surfaces in three possible
chemical reactions.
1-millimeter diameter tool contacts ways, two for nonionic additives
a specific area on a part for only a and one for ionic additives. The first
millisecond. mechanism is for the sulfur or oxygen
Photo Suttiporn Suksumek/Dreamstime

Since that is too little time for full-
blown chemical reactions, conven-
tional theories describing the interac-
tions of metalworking fluids must
be invalid, and a new one is needed,
Schulz said. The current model is
based predominantly on the forma-
tion of reaction layers on the metal
surface, and surfaces of different
an additive molecule have to interact metals are assumed to be chemically
with the metal surface? Average ma- homogeneous, consisting primarily
chining time depends on the process. of oxide layers. In contrast, the new
For instance, broaching machines model minimizes the effects of reac-
work at speeds from six to 30 meters tions between additives and metal
per minute, turning machines at 100 surfaces and relies mainly on the
atom of a nonionic additive to bond
with a hydroxide group on the metal
surface, forming a so-called hydrogen
bridge. Under the second, an ionic
additive replaces the hydroxide group
on the surface. The third mechanism
has a nonionic additive adsorbing
onto to the metal atoms of an oxide
group.
The first and second mechanisms
act on the same molecule group
and, therefore, compete with each
other for sites. If the metal surface
contains both hydroxide and ox-
ide groups, reactions vary between

High Purity +
Premium Performance
Synthetic Ester Basestocks for:
Metalworking Fluids
Chain Lubricants
Greases
Compressor Fluids
H1 Food Machinery Lubricants

For inquiries call:

+1- 800-521-9891
or +1-215-271-0800
email: lubeinfo@inolex.com

Download our paper on Synthetic Esters:

www.inolex.com/pdfs/whitepaper.pdf

LUBESNGREASES EUROPE-MIDDLE EAST-AFRICA MAY 2013 21

 Additives Interacting with Metal Surfaces
Mechanism 1
Hydrogen Bridge Bond
H H
C O
O O
Fe
C O
Iron hydroxide Functional group of
nonionic additive
Source: Wisura
Mechanism 1 and 3 or Mechanism 2
and 3. In either case, a synergistic ef-
fect should be observed, Schulz said.
These findings show that classical
theories of chemical reaction have
only limited application to metal-
working processes, Schulz con-
cluded. The dominant interaction
for metalworking fluids is adsorption
of the additives to the metal surface.
Therefore, cleavage and recombina-
tion of molecules are not critical for
metalworking operations.
Wisuras research shows that long-
chain chlorine- or sulfur-containing
paraffins do not react with the metal
at the surface temperatures produced
and in the time interval common for
metalworking operations. Rather,
said Schulz, the reaction depends on
the molecular structure of the metal
surface, the type of additive and
whether the additive finds an attach-
ment point.
Schulz explained that other re-
search has shown that surface-active
additives greatly reduce the energy
required for the forming process. This
is further evidence that adsorption is
the dominant interaction. Specifi-
cally, he said, surface-active addi-
tives increase the flow rates of metals
and reduce their fatigue strength. In
cutting operations, the additives were
22
Mechanism 2
Hyrdoxide Group Replacement
(+)
C C
Fe (-) O
Iron hydroxide Functional group of
ionic additive
shown to stabilize the micro-cracks in
metallic materials, preventing them
from rewelding, thereby producing
smaller chips.
All metalworking processes, includ-
ing forming, generate fresh metal
surfaces, Schulz continued. If these
surfaces are not covered immediately
by additives, the tool and part can
weld together. This effect has been
observed most often with stainless
steel, aluminum and titanium ma-
terials covered by pure oxide layers
and less frequently with carbon steel
or yellow metals. Adhesion occurs
because the freshly machined metal is
in a highly reactive state and readily
forms new chemical bonds. Adhe-
sion can be avoided only if additives
quickly adsorb onto the new surface.
Testing the Theory
To test the validity of their new
theory, Wisura researchers formu-
lated fluids consisting of triglycerides,
fatty acid esters and complex esters
in a mixture with 60 percent naph-
thenic base oil. Ester-based addi-
tives were used because they do not
react chemically with other additives
or metal surfaces and should work
according to both the old and new
theories, said Schulz.
The results showed low adsorption
Mechanism 3
Adsorption onto Oxide Group
(-)
(+) Fe
Functional group of
nonionic additive
O
Fe Sulfur or oxygen
Iron oxide
C
rates on stainless steel except for the
complex esters. A possible explana-
tion for this finding is that the elec-
tron density and the higher viscosity
of the molecules aid adsorption,
Schulz explained. Saturated fatty acid
esters showed the lowest adsorption
because their molecules have fewer
binding sites.
On carbon steel, complex esters
showed better adsorption because
their molecules have more binding
sites. Schulz added that the influ-
ence of viscosity cannot be totally
excluded although higher viscosity
fluids do not always show higher
adsorption.
To provide more insight into the
impact of esters, they were combined
with other additives: a polysulfide,
which prefers to bond with oxide
groups and to a lesser degree create
hydrogen bridge bonds, and over-
based sulfonates, which prefer to
form ionic bonds.
In theory, the polysulfide should
bind preferentially with oxide groups
on metal surfaces, thereby inhibiting
the adsorption of esters. Surprising-
ly, Schulz said, adsorption values
showed the opposite effect, rising
with the addition of only 2 percent
polysulfide. This means that esters
and polysulfides do not compete for
MAY 2013 LUBESNGREASES EUROPE-MIDDLE EAST-AFRICA
the same surface areas, but
are complementary in their
effects. It also indicates
that esters work mainly by
creating hydrogen bridge
bonds and not by adsorp-
tion to the oxide groups.
Schulz said that higher
values on stainless steel are
due to the adsorptive effect
of the polysulfide because
the additive cannot react
chemically with the high-
grade steel surface.
To corroborate the new
theory, mixtures that more
closely match commercial-
ly available coolants were
examined. The highest
adsorption values were
produced by triglycerides
on carbon steel. The results
show that the performance
of esters depends on how
their oxygen atoms bond
with hydrogen atoms of
the hydroxides, Schulz
said. The same effect was
observed on stainless steel.
In the test matrix, the
active polysulfide was re-
placed by a different active
polysulfide and in a third
trial by an inactive polysul-
fide. Researchers kept sul-
fur levels steady in all three
cases. The results show that
changing the polysulfide
had no significant influence
on the results. This means
that the rate of adsorption
depends not on the activity
of the polysulfide, but only
on the sulfur content itself.
Moving Forward
Schulz concluded by say-
ing, The results of these
LUBESNGREASES EUROPE-MIDDLE EAST-AFRICA MAY 2013
tests show that the theory
of homogeneous metal
surfaces is no longer valid.
We distribute
Recognizing the presence
of hydroxides and oxides
on the surface leads to
good predictions about the
behavior of additives or
for you
their mixtures. Synergistic
and antagonistic effects can
now even
be explained by the differ- more products
ent affinity of additives to
certain surface structures.
Generally, oxide sur-
Group I / II / III,
faces on stainless steel,
aluminum, and titanium
PAO, PIB, esters
are unable to react with
ionic additives; rather,
specialties
they interact only with
nonionic additives. The
bond between oxygen and
iron, chromium or nickel is
very stable and cannot be
severed by metalworking
additives. They can only
adsorb onto the surface.
A surface more or less
covered with hydroxides
can react with both non-
ionic and ionic additives,
Schulz said. Reactions
between hydroxides and
ionic additives replace the
hydroxyl-group with the at-
tacking ion. Reactions with
nonionic additives create
hydrogen bridge bonds.
Finally, Schulz said,
More work is required
to describe the activity of
other additives such as
antiwear compounds. It is
to be hoped this investiga-
tion can be helped along by
transferring the knowledge www.mogoil.com | info@mogoil.com
compiled here about how Tel. +49 30 240 88 29-0 | Fax +49 30 240 88 29-29
different additives interact MOGoil GmbH | Rother Strae 17 | 10245 Berlin | Germany
with various surfaces. o
23
 BY BORIS KAMCHEV

BUCKLING DOWN
IN THE BALKANS
REGIONS LUBE COMPANIES COPE WITH TOUGH TIMES

The Balkans is known for its tough terrain and tough political history. Fortu-
nately, this area of Southeast Europe is currently enjoying a period of relative
calm. But things are still difficult for its lubricant industry, according to an
official from one supplier in the sub-region.
Speaking in March at the Argus European Base Oils Conference in Istanbul,
Mirjana Kolb, of Serbian oil company Nis-Gazprom Neft, said lube demand in the
region is bogged down in a weak economy. In addition, she said, local companies
find it difficult to compete against international brands. Kolb also discussed Nis-
Gazprom Nefts plan to build an API Group II and naphthenic base oil plant.
The boundaries of the Balkans are subject to interpretation. For the purpose of
her presentation, Kolb defined them as Romania, Bulgaria and Albania, plus the
seven nations that formerly made up Yugoslavia Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Kosovo. (Serbia still considers
Kosovo part of its territory, but more than 95 nations have recognized it as an
independent nation.)
Small Share of Europe is nothing to stir excitement.
Kolb, who is Nis-Gazprom Nefts director of After a weak recovery in 2011, the market
marketing and research and development, said slowed down last year, due to the Euro-zone
the Balkans is a sliver of Europes lubricant crisis. But we are optimists. This market will
market, accounting for just 3.5 percent of the rise and develop.
continents demand. She cited estimates by Three countries account for nearly three
Kline and Co. consultancy that Europe con- quarters of overall lube demand in the Bal-
sumed approximately 7 million metric tons of kans. By volume, Romania and Bulgaria are
lubes in 2012, compared to just 245,000 tons the regions biggest lubricant consumers, with
for the Balkans. annual consumption of 87,700 tons and 50,000
The Balkans share of the European market tons, respectively, followed by Serbia, with
should increase, since lubricant demand in the 37,500 tons. Next come Croatia (24,500 tons),
Balkans is increasing while in Europe it is fall- Bosnia and Herzegovina (18,400 tons) and Slo-
ing, but Kolb said the trend for the Balkans still venia (11,200 tons), then Albania (9,300 tons),

24 MAY 2013 LUBESNGREASES EUROPE-MIDDLE EAST-AFRICA

 Source: Kline & Co.

Lubricant Demand in the Balkans

= 2,000 tons/year

SLOVENIA
C R O AT I A

ROMANIA

BOSNIA
AND
HERZEGOVINA SERBIA

BULGARIA
MONTENEGRO

MACEDONIA

ALBANIA

Demand Breakdown by Product Small Share of European Market

Lubricant Demand in Europe
and the Balkans
Heavy-duty diesel Light-duty European total: 7 million tons/year (2012)
engine oils engine oils
20% 18%

Gear & transmission oils Others 5%

8%
Process oils 7%

Hydraulic oils 16%

Grease 5%

Industrial oils 14% Metalworking fluids

7% Balkans Rest of Europe
Source: Nis -Gazprom Neft Source: Kline & Co.

LUBESNGREASES EUROPE-MIDDLE EAST-AFRICA MAY 2013 25

 Base Oil Plants of Central and Southeastern Europe

Country Location Company Capacity (t/y)

Group I Group II Group III Naphthenic

Bosnia & Modrica Oil Refinery Modrica 52,000

Herzegovina

Hungary Szazhalombatta Mol 200,000

Greece Aghii Theodori Motor Oil Hellas 215,000

Czech Republic Kolin PKN Orlen 110,000

Pardubice PKN Orlen 20,000

Poland Gdansk Lotos 245,000

Plock PKN Orlen 160,000

Planned Project*
Serbia Novi Sad Nis -Gazprom Neft 100,000 - 80,000
120,000

* Scheduled to open 2015

Source: LubesnGreases, Nis-Gazprom Neft

Macedonia 5,100 tons), Kosovo (4,200 tons)
and Montenegro (2,200 tons).
Kolb described the sub-regional market as
crowded. It is a highly competitive market
with nearly 70 lubricant producers, ranging
from multinational oil companies to small
independent lube manufacturers.
The Balkans lubricant market is segmented
into two categories: premium and regular.
Leaders in the premium segment are the
traditional brands of BP Castrol, Mobil, Total,
Shell, Selenia and Valvoline. In the regular
segment are the brands of two Russian oil ma-
jors, Lukoil and Zarubezhneft [which owns Oil
Refinery Modrica in Bosnia and Herzegovina
and operates in the region under the trademark
Nestro], Hungarys MOL, Bulgarian producer
Prista Oil, Polands PKN Orlen and the Croa-
tian company Optima Group, Kolb said.
Tough Competition
Kolb acknowledged that companies in the
latter group would like to gain footholds in
the premium segment, but to date they have
generally not succeeded. The companies that
control that part of the market are all from
Western Europe or are large international
companies, she said, noting that their brands
are well-known around the world. Large
companies from Eastern Europe or the Middle
East will be [viewed] with great caution and
suspicion and are not very popular.
Companies in the standard segment, she con-
tinued, are trying to push low-grade, cheap
lubes many of them not even branded.
Numerous small companies try to enter the
segment, but find it difficult to compete even
there.
People in this region are oriented toward
premium brands or popular domestic com-
panies, Kolb said. End users are afraid of
buying fake oils, which were common in past
years. As a result, small, unknown companies
are hardly acceptable.
Kolb confirmed that Nis-Gazprom Neft is
not among the sub-regions leading suppliers,
but she claimed that the companys lubricant
business is expanding, primarily in Serbia. The
company markets lubes under the Nisotek
brand. Nis is experiencing very steep growth
on the local market and is becoming a key
lubricant brand, she said. The company has
already established distribution channels in the
region. Besides its network of gas and service
stations in Serbia, Gazprom Neft has its own
branches already up and running in Roma-
nia, Bulgaria and Bosnia, we are also eyeing
the Greek market. The biggest volume of our
finished products will be offered through these
Continued on page 28

26 MAY 2013 LUBESNGREASES EUROPE-MIDDLE EAST-AFRICA

 In a world of what ifs Defoamers

180 years of problem solving FOAM BAN

Metalworking Fluids
Non-Aqueous Lubricants
Industrial Cleaners
Surface Treatment

At Mnzing, we can handle any "what if" that comes our wayand weve been solving foaming issues
for longer than any other additives company. In addition to offering an exceptional product line, our expert
formulators can duplicate your problem and then create, test and recommend a balanced defoamer for
almost every system. Mnzing: its where innovation and technology meet.

To try our FOAM BAN defoamers and take advantage

of our unlimited technical service, call 973-279-1306.

www.munzing.com I info@munzing.us
 Continued from page 26
distribution channels and a smaller volume
will be offered through open international
tenders.
Nis-Gazprom Nefts competitor in Serbia
is Fam, an independent lubricants manufac-
turer from Krushevac, a town in central
Serbia. In this past decade, Fam has estab-
lished a firm foothold in the sub-regional
lubricant market.
According to Kolb, most lubricant compa-
nies in the Balkans have done little to explore
export markets outside the sub-region. Nis-
Gazprom Neft is making plans to do so, how-
ever. In the future we expect more exports to
Turkey and Africa, as well as Central, Eastern
and Southern Europe, she said.
Like most places, lubricant demand in the
Balkans depends mostly on economic activity
and demographics. That being the case, it does
not look like the market should expect much
help in the next few years. The population in
the sub-region, currently 52 million, is growing
at an average annual rate of just 0.28 percent.
28
After a series of armed conflicts, including the
civil wars that accompanied the break-up of
Yugoslavia and the Kosovo War, the economy
in the Balkans is less developed than anywhere
in the European Union.
Like much of Europe, the sub-region has
been slow to recover from the recession and its
subsequent economic crises. Largely because
of this, lubricant demand is not expected to
return to pre-recession levels until 2016.
Base Oils from Serbia
Base oil capacity in the Balkans and the rest
of Central Europe, has received few upgrades,
but Nis-Gazprom Neft says it is pushing
through with one despite the uninspiring lubes
outlook. Gazprom has said it will invest 75
million to build a base oil plant at the Novi Sad
refinery. Officials say the new plant will have
capacity to make 180,000 to 200,000 tons per
year and will open by the second quarter of
2015.
Around 100,000 to 120,000 t/y of that
capacity will be for paraffinic Group II stocks,
MAY 2013 LUBESNGREASES EUROPE-MIDDLE EAST-AFRICA
while 80,000 t/y will be naphthenic base oil.
When the project comes online, Novi Sad will
be one of just two virgin Group II or III pro-
ducers in the Balkans and Central Europe, the
other being Oil Refinery Modricas 52,000 t/y
Group III plant in Modrica.
The trend in Europe right now is that
Group I will be replaced with Group II plants
because of the lower production cost for
Group II base oils, Kolb said. Some Group I
plants will survive, she said, but it will be those
that are efficient, as well as larger plants with
bright stock and wax production.
Nis-Gazprom Neft says demand for naph-
thenics is also rising as plant closings drive
Group I users to turn to pale oils for replace-
ments. To make naphthenic base oil, the Nis
plant will use Velebit crude, a highly naph-
thenic oil pumped from Serbia.
Due to its unique physical and chemical
properties, it is optimal for the production of
naphthenic base oils, Kolb said. She con-
tended that the European naphtenic base oil
market needs an additional player because the
LUBESNGREASES EUROPE-MIDDLE EAST-AFRICA MAY 2013
continents only producer of this kind is the
Swedish company Nynas.
The Group II portion of Nis-Gazprom Nefts
base oil plant will use wax isomerization and
hydrofinishing technology licensed from Chev-
ron Lummus Global. For feedstock, the plant
will use heavy hydrocracker residues from the
companys second fuel refinery, in Pancevo,
Serbia.
[T]he synergy between the refineries al-
lows us to offer competitive prices on the Euro-
pean base oil market. Also, the project will fill
a gap of base oil supply that we have right now
in the Balkan region, Kolb said.
Nis-Gazprom Neft hopes to supply lube
blenders in the sub-region that are seeking
to meet tougher specifications and that want
to optimize formulation of automotive and
industrial oils. Nis Group II/II+ and napht-
enic base oils will be excellent alternatives for
them, she said.
Perhaps the company will find the base oil
market less difficult than the one for finished
lubes. o
29
 Newsmakers
Gulf Opens UAE Plant
Gulf RAK Oil in March opened a
grease and lubricants plant in Ras
Al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates.
Officials said the facility will be used
to make lubes marketed in the Middle
East, North Africa, Pakistan and East-
ern Europe.
The lubricant blending operation is
a joint venture between Gulf, which
is part of Hyderabad, India-based
conglomerate Hinduja Group, and the
government of Ras Al-Khaimah. The
grease plant is a joint venture between
the government, Gulf and Standard
Greases and Specialties, a grease pro-
ducer based in India.
Gulf said it chose the location be-
cause of its proximity to Saqr Port, on
the Persian Gulf. Officials noted that
Gulf sister company Ashok Leyland
already operates a grease plant in Ras
Al-Khaimah.
The economic environment is very
attractive and supportive, Gulf Inter-
national Vice President Frank Rutten
said. Theres a good fiscal arrange-
ment, good inter-regional trade, and
many businesses, including cement
companies, based in the region.
The facility has capacity to make
10,800 metric tons per year of grease
and 20,000 t/y of lubricants.
Gazproms Eye on Northern Europe
Gazprom disclosed in March that
it plans to buy or build a lube blend-
30
A blending tank at Gulf RAK Oils new lubricant and grease plant, decorated
for opening ceremonies.
ing plant in Scandinavia or the Baltic
region. Officials also said the company
aims to boost lubricant sales over the
next 10 years, largely through growth
in international markets.
Our foreign lubricants sale analy-
ses have shown that there is a great
interest for the companys premium
products, Alexandar Truhan, Gaz-
prom Neft-SMs general director, told
Lube Report. Lubricants produced in
our production facilities in Bari [Italy]
and in Moscow, have been shipped
in increased quantities to northern
Europe. Gazprom Neft-SM is the lube
division of Russian oil major Gazprom
Neft.
In 2012, the Bari lubricant blend-
ing plant produced 30,000 tons, and
the Moscow (Fryazino) plant produced
more than 30,000 tons. Together, the
two blending plants shipped 20,000
tons of finished lubricants to Finland
MAY 2013 LUBESNGREASES EUROPE-MIDDLE EAST-AFRICA
last year.
The company wants another plant
the same size in Scandinavia or the
Baltics and would expect to pay 30
million to 40 million to acquire or
construct one, according to some local
reports in Estonia. But Truhan said its
too early to provide the final sum be-
cause the company is still investigating
the market specifics of owning and op-
erating a production facility in Finland,
Estonia or Latvia.
The company also places a priority
on expansion in the Middle East using
its distribution channels in Turkey. For
example, last year we managed to
start to ship lubricants to Kurdistan [an
autonomous region in northern Iraq],
Photo courtesy of Gulf Oil
and there is an increasing demand
there for both the companys premium
finished products and for the base
oils, Truhan said.
Continued on page 32
 infineum.com/marine

Spend more time on the water

With Infineum additive protection.

The harsh conditions faced by marine engines can lead to lubrication problems
such as cylinder liner bore polish and poor water shedding. Using Infineum
advanced marine lubricant additives helps to keep your engine clean, leading
to less downtime and reduced maintenance costs.
Our extensive knowledge base and close collaborative work with OEMs
enables us to provide tailor-made solutions for our customers, allowing you
to take future challenges in your stride.
To find out more visit us at CIMAC stand W4001

Performance you can rely on.

INFINEUM, and the corporate mark comprising the interlocking ripple device are trademarks
of Infineum International Limited. INFINEUM INTERNATIONAL LIMITED 2013.