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Making industrial gear oil

Challenge: Gear systems today are increasingly complex, with highly accurate cut teeth and finely finished surfaces. They’re also smaller, placing higher loads on the teeth and bearings. These loads, along with vibration and shock loading, can cause frequent gear pitting (particularly micropitting) in surface-hardened gears. And the systems run at higher temperatures. All of these factors demand high-quality lubricant performance.

How we can help: While modern gear-oil lubricants based on mineral oils provide good performance, synthetic gear oils offer a number of significant advantages, including:

Improved thermal and oxidation resistance, enabling significantly longer oil life and operation at high temperatures
Improved viscosity-temperature behavior for better performance and wear protection at extreme temperatures.
Improved low-temperature properties for better wear protection and reduced churning losses
Increased gear efficiency, reducing power requirements and oil temperature while extending component life
Improved foam performance to control liquid lubricant and foam overflow

We also offer a range of formulation support including:

Review of key industrial standards and specifications
Guidance for base stock selection
A fully approved industrial gear oil formulation that meets key OEM and industry approval

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Market trends

1. Harsher environments, higher demands

Gear oils must provide higher performance than ever despite operating in harsher environments. The marketplace is demanding longer drain intervals, stronger protection against wear and micropitting, as well as better gearbox reliability, even as operating loads and temperatures increase. Formulators need to modify their formulation strategies to harness synthetic base stocks performance in their new industrial gear oils.

Higher performance requires synthetic base stocks pyramid.

2. Growth of synthetic base oils

Forecasts* predict approximately 0.5% annual growth in the global industrial gear oil market, reaching 1.1 MT by 2027. Synthetic industrial gear oils, however, are forecast to grow at nearly 5% per annum, from 128 kT in 2017 to 207 kT by 2027.

* Source: Kline Inc.

Synthetic industrial gear oils by region.

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Inside insights

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Suite of solutions

Explore the formulation and performance advantages provided by our suite of advanced synthetic base stocks
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Technical video – Why sacrifice wear protection for energy efficiency?

Find out how metallocene-based polyalphaolefins are building blocks for industrial gear oils and can help lower industrial energy consumption.
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Synthetic lubricants: case studies

Discover how manufacturers of industrial lubricants have succeeded with help from ExxonMobil synthetic base stocks and technical support.
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Broad portfolio of synthetic base stocks

SpectraSyn Elite™ mPAO

High-viscosity metallocene polyalphaolefin base stock provides high performance at a wide temperature range and exceptional low-temperature properties.
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SpectraSyn Plus™ PAO

Advanced low-viscosity synthetic base stock for low volatility and low-temperature fluidity to produce advanced lubricants.
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SpectraSyn™ Hi Vis PAO

High viscosity base stock especially suited for industrial oils requiring high stability under harsh operating conditions.
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SpectraSyn™ Low Vis PAO

Low viscosity base stock offering low-temperature fluidity, low volatility and improved thermal stability.
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Synesstic™ AN

Alkylated naphthalene base stock often used as blend component for additive solvency, seal compatibility and hydrolytic stability.
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Esterex™ esters

Organic esters are well-suited as a blend component for additive solvency, seal compatibility or biodegradability.
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