API SP

To ensure engine oils are certified to provide the added performance benefits required to meet the demands of modern engine technology – including, engine downsizing, gasoline direct injection (GDI), turbocharging and gasoline particulate filters (GPFs) – the American Petroleum Institute (API) announced the adoption of API Service Category SP, available for licensing on May 1, 2020.  

Engine oils meeting the requirements of API SP will deliver several performance advantages versus current API SN and API SN PLUS categories for spark-ignited internal combustion engines, including:

• Low-speed pre-ignition (LSPI) mitigation throughout the drain interval
• Engine and chain wear performance
• Corrosion protection
• Emissions system compatibility 
• Oxidation stability
• Deposit control
• Sludge and varnish protection

The development of API SP, as well as ILSAC GF-6A and GF-6B, was done over the course of seven years. In that time, seven new tests were developed, evaluated and measured for precision, and additive companies ran tests to demonstrate that oils can meet the more stringent requirements. 

Today, oil marketers are working to bring API SP engine oils to market to ensure current and future engines perform as designed. 

For more information on API SP, contact your Lubrizol representative.

For a deeper dive into specifications, see the Lubrizol Ready Reference Guide, the industry's go-to resource for understanding fuel and lubricant performance principles and requirements.