Overview of Issue Number 1
April 1999

The fuel and lubricant additives industry journal from Infineum International Ltd.

Face to face:

Tony Gaskell on the creation and future of Infineum.
In the words of Infineum's CEO, Tony Gaskell, the Paramins/Shell Additives joint venture is "the single biggest change to the additives industry in. I don't know how many years." Three months into the new company, Lesley Welbourne talks to him about the highs and lows of the joint venture and his view of things to come.

Industry Issues:

Banishing the Black Stuff
Do improving additive and lubricant formulations spell the end for black sludge? The changing technologies of evolving engine design can exacerbate the problem of black sludge and piston deposits in medium speed engines running on heavy fuel oils. Once considered merely a cosmetic problem, these deposits are now recognised as causing a catalogue of problems from filter clogging to piston seizure. Lubricant quality and additive technology are the key to cleanliness, but their developers face a tough task to meet the demands of modern engines.

The Trading Game
Currency in greenhouse gases provides new incentives to curb global warming. With climate change now a recognised issue, adhering to reduction mandates for greenhouse gas emissions has long been driving developments in fuel, lubricant and engine technologies. Now there is another option. 'Emissions credit trading' may mean that, emissions reduction is not only mandatory, but a goal encouraged by real commercial and technological gains for its participants.

Asia Pacific viewpoint:

The future for fuels
Improving fuel quality promises cleaner air for Asia With an ever-increasing global awareness of air quality and pollution issues, more and more countries are tightening their legislation on fuel-borne pollutants.

Variety in the spice-lands
Few world markets are changing and growing as quickly as the Asian lubes market, with trends being driven by a broad spectrum of market and OEM requirements.

Americas viewpoint:

Feeling the Squeeze
Developing new lubricant performance categories is an inevitable part of the continuing improvements in engine design, performance and emission control. But the time available for that development seems to be becoming increasingly brief. Now, current developments in heavy duty diesel performance categories are feeling the pressure.