Attention: TDR Forum Junkies Found this on the forum over at www.bobistheoilguy.com I thought it was noteworthy.
New Diesel Oil Approved On Time
By David McFall
Last Wednesday saw the birth of the latest diesel engine oil specification, API CI-4.
Equilon’s Ralph Cherrillo, chairman of Subcommittee B of ASTM’s Committee D-2 for Petroleum Products and Lubricants, presided over the approval of what had been known as Proposed Catetory 9 (PC-9) during its two-and-a-half-year gestation period.
The category upgrade was a remarkable achievement – produced on time, with universal satisfaction for the outcome. Marketers will begin to sell this new oil shortly, and API will begin licensing CI-4 oils on Sept. 5, 2002.
The on-time approval is a feather in ASTM’s cap but CI-4 arrived without a moment to spare. Diesel engine builders must meet stringent emissions requirements during 2002. Most new engines do this by incorporating Exhaust Gas Recirculation, a technology which reduces emissions but increases the oil’s soot content. The new oil makes significant improvements in soot handling, corrosive wear control and oxidation control.
CI-4 was officially launched by Subcommittee B, which is responsible for automotive lubricants. But all the nitty-gritty technical work was completed in the Heavy Duty Engine Oil Classification Panel, chaired by ChevronTexaco’s Jim McGeehan.
“This was a very successful ballot,” McGeehan pointed out with pride. “CI-4 was produced with an enormous amount of work and effort, in addition to $6 million in testing costs. ” Twenty-nine of the 31 votes (not including 11 abstains) voted full approval initially. The two negative votes were editorial, and both were changed to approvals after discussion.
API CI-4’s on-time achievement is doubly remarkable when placed against the two-year delay encountered by the latest passenger car engine oil, API SL/GF-3, prior to its approval earlier this year. New test development is generally conceded to be the single issue which causes most delay in finalizing a new engine oil category.
For GF-3 five new tests, an unprecedented number, were developed over 49 months. CI-4’s three new engine and two new bench tests were completed in about half that time. CI-4 has a total of eight fired engine tests and seven bench tests.
Two of the three new engine tests were sponsored by principal users – Volvo/Mack Powertrain and Cummins Engine Co. Both Volvo/Mack’s Greg Shank and David Stenhouwer, of Cummins, expressed satisfaction with CI-4’s major technical improvements over the current diesel oil, CH-4. Shank noted also, “the important inclusion for the first time of used oil low-temperature performance criteria. ” Stenhouwer cited tests ensuring elastomer compatibility as an important improvement.
New Diesel Oil Approved On Time
By David McFall
Last Wednesday saw the birth of the latest diesel engine oil specification, API CI-4.
Equilon’s Ralph Cherrillo, chairman of Subcommittee B of ASTM’s Committee D-2 for Petroleum Products and Lubricants, presided over the approval of what had been known as Proposed Catetory 9 (PC-9) during its two-and-a-half-year gestation period.
The category upgrade was a remarkable achievement – produced on time, with universal satisfaction for the outcome. Marketers will begin to sell this new oil shortly, and API will begin licensing CI-4 oils on Sept. 5, 2002.
The on-time approval is a feather in ASTM’s cap but CI-4 arrived without a moment to spare. Diesel engine builders must meet stringent emissions requirements during 2002. Most new engines do this by incorporating Exhaust Gas Recirculation, a technology which reduces emissions but increases the oil’s soot content. The new oil makes significant improvements in soot handling, corrosive wear control and oxidation control.
CI-4 was officially launched by Subcommittee B, which is responsible for automotive lubricants. But all the nitty-gritty technical work was completed in the Heavy Duty Engine Oil Classification Panel, chaired by ChevronTexaco’s Jim McGeehan.
“This was a very successful ballot,” McGeehan pointed out with pride. “CI-4 was produced with an enormous amount of work and effort, in addition to $6 million in testing costs. ” Twenty-nine of the 31 votes (not including 11 abstains) voted full approval initially. The two negative votes were editorial, and both were changed to approvals after discussion.
API CI-4’s on-time achievement is doubly remarkable when placed against the two-year delay encountered by the latest passenger car engine oil, API SL/GF-3, prior to its approval earlier this year. New test development is generally conceded to be the single issue which causes most delay in finalizing a new engine oil category.
For GF-3 five new tests, an unprecedented number, were developed over 49 months. CI-4’s three new engine and two new bench tests were completed in about half that time. CI-4 has a total of eight fired engine tests and seven bench tests.
Two of the three new engine tests were sponsored by principal users – Volvo/Mack Powertrain and Cummins Engine Co. Both Volvo/Mack’s Greg Shank and David Stenhouwer, of Cummins, expressed satisfaction with CI-4’s major technical improvements over the current diesel oil, CH-4. Shank noted also, “the important inclusion for the first time of used oil low-temperature performance criteria. ” Stenhouwer cited tests ensuring elastomer compatibility as an important improvement.
