Dec 13, 2024
Posted by Greg Reynolds, Marketing Manager, Lubrizol Additives
Performance parameters have long been decided. Technology demonstration periods are coming to an end. March 31, 2025—ILSAC GF-7’s first license date—is rapidly approaching.
Are you ready to begin blending and manufacturing GF-7-certified products? And are your operations properly optimized to do it efficiently and cost effectively?
As you make your preparations to go to market, here are some things you should be considering:
Viscosity Versatility
Like GF-6, GF-7 will be split into two separate categories:
- GF-7A: Covering viscosity grades 0W-20, 5W-20, 0W-30, 5W-30 and 10W-30.
- GF-7B: Covering 0W-16, a lower viscosity that certain OEMs have specified in new-model vehicles to drive premium fuel economy benefits.
This means oil marketers must determine how to best structure their product tiers for a wide range of viscosity coverage. The heightened performance demands of GF-7 will require oil marketers to ensure their selection of additive technology provides broad viscosity grades to best streamline formulation while achieving proper licensing for multiple product lines, driving greater value via complexity reduction.
Maximizing Value with Base Stocks
The global base oil supply landscape continues to evolve, and for oil marketers, base oil availability and pricing have varied. Access to the highest-quality options is not always a guarantee.
In the context of GF-7’s imminent arrival, this situation can pose a formulation challenge. The elevated performance of the new category necessitates the use of high-quality raw materials, and lower-tier base stocks may not be adequate for formulating GF-7-approved finished fluids.
To remain nimble, oil marketers should seek additive packages that can help meet the performance parameters of GF-7 across a range of base stocks and help oil marketers maximize value with the base oils that are most readily available.
Solutions for GF-7
It’s critical for lubricants marketers to keep formulation versatility and increased performance top of mind when selecting the right additive solutions for next-generation specifications.
For example: an optimal additive package should deliver the baseline performance required by GF-7 and have the ability to differentiate as required. That same additive package should have the flexibility and versatility to work across a range of base stocks and viscosities, without the need for boosters. By eliminating as much logistical and operational complexity as possible, oil marketers have an opportunity to optimize costs and maximize profits.
There are also testing considerations to be made. The right partner should be able to help you test and evaluate your product formulations in terms of both base oils interchange and viscosity read across and differentiate your brands for value gain.
For all of these reasons, Lubrizol developed its comprehensive Specification Readiness Program, providing oil marketers with exclusive access to technical expertise, testing capacity, portfolio management and marketing support, and of course, our additive technology. It’s how we help enable you to meet tomorrow’s requirements with ease and confidence. With broad coverage for a wide range of base oils and viscosity grades, it’s a streamlined way to help you grow your business.
To those ends, Lubrizol is committed to helping you prepare for both today and tomorrow with optimized additive chemistry to meet the right performance requirements. Learn more about how we can help with our Specification Readiness Program.
