An industrial lubricant is a substance that is used to reduce friction between surfaces that are in mutual contact with each other. It also transmits forces and acts as a coolant between the surfaces. The property of reducing friction is called lubricity. Lubricants contain around 90% base oil (crude oil) and less than 10% additives. Synthetic liquids that include polyolefins, esters, silicones, fluorocarbons, and others are often used as base oil. The additives play an important role in reduction of friction and wear and offer increased viscosity, resistance to corrosion and oxidation, aging or contamination, and others.

Market Dynamics

Industrial lubricants play an important role in reduction of wear and tear, and aids in increasing the durability of tools and moving parts, in addition to reduction in the time spent in servicing of the parts. These are some of the major factors that are expected to propel growth of the industrial lubricants market.

However, lubricants both new and recycled ones damage the environment on account of their high potential to cause water pollution. Furthermore, the additives that are present in lubricants are poisonous to the flora and fauna present. The oxidation products in recycled industrial lubricants are extremely harmful. An industrial lubricant’s degradability depends upon the base fluid, however very toxic additives can have a negative effect on the degradability of the industrial lubricants as well.

According to United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in 2016, around 50% of all lubricants sold worldwide ended up in the environment due to volatility, spills, discharges or accidents. Moreover, around 95 % of these lubricants had a mineral oil base. The high eco-toxicity and low biodegradable nature of mineral oil-based industrial lubricants are a major threat to the environment. Therefore, adoption of these is expected to reduce, in turn negatively affecting growth of the market. Moreover, the high cost of synthetic and bio-based lubricants as they need to be refined to be thinner than conventional industrial lubricants causes lesser wear on the machine part is a major factor that thwarts the growth of the global industrial lubricants market

Market Trends

Industrial lubricant market is experiencing an increase in the demand of dry and bio-based lubricants. Due to EU regulations bio-lubricants have been used in Europe for the past 20 years. Various regulations and schemes such as the EU Ecolabe in EU countries and growing environmental concerns has resulted in the growing adoption of industrial bio-lubricants

Dry industrial lubricants comprise of graphite and molybdenum, amongst others that offers excellent lubrication properties at temperatures of around 350 °C, which is greater than their liquid and oil-based counterparts. This has resulted in increased R&D activities in the field of dry industrial lubricants. For instance, the Technical Standards Development and Application Demonstration Base of Graphene-Modified Lubricant was launched at LiuGong’s global R&D Centre in Liuzhou, in July 2018. It was built by the China Innovation Alliance of the Graphene Industry in association with Guangxi Liugong Machinery.

Several additives are added to industrial lubricants in order to impart the required performance characteristics to the lubricants. Currently, automotive lubricants contain around 10 additives, which accounts to around 20% of the lubricant. Some of the additives used in lubricants include pour-point depressants, corrosion inhibitors, and friction modifiers, amongst others.

Market Outlook

The industrial lubricants market is expected to exhibit growth at a substantial rate. in Asia Pacific region. The Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing region in the global industrial lubricants market during the forecast period. This is due to growth of the automotive sector in the region. According to the Alliance of Automobile Manufactures, since 2006, Asia Pacific has witnessed significant increase in number of passenger cars, which accounted for around 50% of the world’s passenger cars in 2016. The Alliance of Automobile Manufactures also states that the Asia Pacific region was also dominant the market for motorcycles, which accounted for around 80-90% of the total motorcycle production and consumption, globally in 2015. These factors are expected to increase demand for industrial lubricants in the region.

Key Players

Some of the major players operating in the industrial lubricants market include British Petroleum Plc, Cargill Incorporated, Chevron, Total S.A., Binol Biolubricants, Conocophilips Company, Exxon Mobil Corporation, Fuchs Lubricants, Sinopec Corporation, Indian Oil Corporation, Miller Oils, Panolin International, Petrobras, Petrochina Company, Renewable Lubricants Inc., Royal Dutch Shell, and Statoil Lubricants, among others.

Key Devlopments

Various players are adopting growth strategies such as mergers and acquisition or new product launch in order to enhance their global presence.

For instance, in November 2017, German Mirror Lubricants and Greases, a lubricants manufacturing company, launched Mirr Oils catering to needs of marine, automotive and industrial applications in India.
In June 2015, GP Petroleums, a subsidiary of UAE Gulf Petroleum Group based in Mumbai, partnered with Repsol to launch comprehensive line of premium quality lubricants across India.
In December 2019, Croda Lubricants launched new group V base oil technology. Croda’s product finds its application in industrail lubricants sector.
In August 2019, Total Lubrifiants S.A., offers a range of engine and gear oils, metal working, brake fuilds, and other services, acquired Houghton International of its aluminum hot rolling oil (AHRO), steel cold rolling oil (SCRO) and tinplate rolling oil (TPRO) activities in the North American and European Economic Area markets. As per Vice president of the company, this acquisition will strengthen their position in the industrial lubricants market.
In July m2019, Brenntag Group announced its acquisition of B&M Oil Co., a distributor of lubricants to industrial, automotive, construction, commercial, and agricultural consumers throughout Oklahoma.

Market Taxonomy

Global industrial lubricants market is segmented into:

Base Oil

Mineral
Synthetic
Bio-based

Lubricant Type

Hydraulic Lubricants
Metal Cleaners
Gear Lubricants
Compressor Lubricants
Turbine Lubricants
Grease

Soap Thickener
Non-soap Thickener
Inorganic Thickeners

Applications

Automotive
Metal Processing
Construction
Marine
Power Plants
Chemical Processing
Food Processing
Industrial

On the basis of region, the global industrial lubricants market is segmented into:

North America
- U.S.
- Canada
Latin America
- Brazil
- Mexico
- Argentina
- Rest of Latin America
Europe
- U.K.
- Germany
- France
- Italy
- Spain
- Russia
- Rest of Europe
Asia Pacific
- China
- India
- Japan
- ASEAN
- South Korea
- Australia
- Rest of Asia Pacific
Middle East
- GCC
- Israel
- Rest of Middle East
Africa
- North Africa
- Central Africa
- South Africa

About Author

Vidyesh Swar is a seasoned Consultant with a diverse background in market research and business consulting. With over 6 years of experience, Vidyesh has established a strong reputation for his proficiency in market estimations, supplier landscape analysis, and market share assessments for tailored research solution. Using his deep industry knowledge and analytical skills, he provides valuable insights and strategic recommendations, enabling clients to make informed decisions and navigate complex business landscapes.