From Crude and Chemistry to a Film That Holds: How Lubricating Oil Is Made
In short: How lubricating oil is made: crude-derived and synthetic base stocks are refined or built, graded and blended with additives. After use, they can be re-refined into base stock again.
A 2:17 short film in the series “How Things Work”, narrated by intellect_voice_01.
Sources used in this film: DoITPoMS (Dissemination of IT for the Promotion of Materials Science), Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, “Lubrication - additives”; US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Managing Used Oil: Answers to Frequent Questions for Businesses | US EPA”; American Petroleum Institute (API), API 1509 Appendix E, revision dated 1 September 2011, “APPENDIX E—API Base Oil Interchangeability Guidelines for Passenger Car Motor Oils and Diesel Engine Oils”; Springer Nature (Tribology Letters, peer-reviewed journal); article by K. Ademi, W. Wijanarko & N. Espallargas, published 16 April 2025, open access, “Toward Cost-Effective Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants: Influence of Synthetic Ester and Low-Viscosity Polyalphaolefin Blend Type on Additive Performance”; Taylor & Francis (Tandfonline), peer-reviewed review article, “A comprehensive review of sustainable approaches for synthetic lubricant components”; Heliyon (Elsevier), via PubMed Central / US National Library of Medicine; authors from Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology, “Advancing sustainable lubricating oil management: Re-refining techniques, market insights, innovative enhancements, and conversion to fuel”; Energy & Fuels (American Chemical Society), peer-reviewed article by University of Warwick and Hyundai Motor Group authors (2022), hosted on PubMed Central, US National Library of Medicine, “Characterization of Mineral and Synthetic Base Oils by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry and Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry”; Elsevier (Fuel Processing Technology, peer-reviewed journal; Wang, Ling, Shen, Li and Ng, December 2006, vol. 87, issue 12, pp. 1063–1070), “Evaluation of hydroisomerization products as lube base oils based on carbon number distribution and hydrocarbon type analysis”; Springer (chapter by R.L. Stambaugh in 'Chemistry and Technology of Lubricants', eds. R. M. Mortier et al., Blackie and Son Ltd, 1992), “978-1-4615-3272-9_5”; Argonne National Laboratory, Energy Systems Division (report ANL/ESD/TM-5x, July 1993, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy; via OSTI), “10188694”.
Sources used in this film
- DoITPoMS (Dissemination of IT for the Promotion of Materials Science), Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge — Lubrication - additives · View →
- US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) — Managing Used Oil: Answers to Frequent Questions for Businesses | US EPA · View →
- American Petroleum Institute (API), API 1509 Appendix E, revision dated 1 September 2011 — APPENDIX E—API Base Oil Interchangeability Guidelines for Passenger Car Motor Oils and Diesel Engine Oils · View →
- Springer Nature (Tribology Letters, peer-reviewed journal); article by K. Ademi, W. Wijanarko & N. Espallargas, published 16 April 2025, open access — Toward Cost-Effective Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants: Influence of Synthetic Ester and Low-Viscosity Polyalphaolefin Blend Type on Additive Performance · View →
- Taylor & Francis (Tandfonline), peer-reviewed review article — A comprehensive review of sustainable approaches for synthetic lubricant components · View →
- Heliyon (Elsevier), via PubMed Central / US National Library of Medicine; authors from Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology — Advancing sustainable lubricating oil management: Re-refining techniques, market insights, innovative enhancements, and conversion to fuel · View →
- Energy & Fuels (American Chemical Society), peer-reviewed article by University of Warwick and Hyundai Motor Group authors (2022), hosted on PubMed Central, US National Library of Medicine — Characterization of Mineral and Synthetic Base Oils by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry and Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry · View →
- Elsevier (Fuel Processing Technology, peer-reviewed journal; Wang, Ling, Shen, Li and Ng, December 2006, vol. 87, issue 12, pp. 1063–1070) — Evaluation of hydroisomerization products as lube base oils based on carbon number distribution and hydrocarbon type analysis · View →
- Springer (chapter by R.L. Stambaugh in 'Chemistry and Technology of Lubricants', eds. R. M. Mortier et al., Blackie and Son Ltd, 1992) — 978-1-4615-3272-9_5 · View →
- Argonne National Laboratory, Energy Systems Division (report ANL/ESD/TM-5x, July 1993, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy; via OSTI) — 10188694 · View →
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: DoITPoMS (Dissemination of IT for the Promotion of Materials Science), Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, U: Lubrication - additives
- Also: US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Managing Used Oil: Answers to Frequent Questions for Businesses | US EPA
- Also: American Petroleum Institute (API), API 1509 Appendix E, revision dated 1 September 2011: APPENDIX E—API Base Oil Interchangeability Guidelines for Passenger Car Motor Oils and Diesel Engine Oils
- Also: Springer Nature (Tribology Letters, peer-reviewed journal); article by K. Ademi, W. Wijanarko & N. Espallargas, publishe: Toward Cost-Effective Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants: Influence of Synthetic Ester and Low-Viscosity Polyalphaolefin Blend Type on Additive Performance
- Also: Taylor & Francis (Tandfonline), peer-reviewed review article: A comprehensive review of sustainable approaches for synthetic lubricant components
- Also: Heliyon (Elsevier), via PubMed Central / US National Library of Medicine; authors from Chittagong University of Engineer: Advancing sustainable lubricating oil management: Re-refining techniques, market insights, innovative enhancements, and conversion to fuel
- Also: Energy & Fuels (American Chemical Society), peer-reviewed article by University of Warwick and Hyundai Motor Group autho: Characterization of Mineral and Synthetic Base Oils by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry and Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry
- Also: Elsevier (Fuel Processing Technology, peer-reviewed journal; Wang, Ling, Shen, Li and Ng, December 2006, vol. 87, issue : Evaluation of hydroisomerization products as lube base oils based on carbon number distribution and hydrocarbon type analysis
- Also: Springer (chapter by R.L. Stambaugh in 'Chemistry and Technology of Lubricants', eds. R. M. Mortier et al., Blackie and : 978-1-4615-3272-9_5
- Also: Argonne National Laboratory, Energy Systems Division (report ANL/ESD/TM-5x, July 1993, sponsored by the U.S. Department : 10188694
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