East Midlands Lubrizol Visit

Following the presentation the large group of attendees was spilt into three smaller groups and embarked on a comprehensive tour of the laboratory and testing facilities hosted by key Lubrizol personnel.  The tour groups visited:

• Applied Sciences which focuses on knowledge and test development and problem solving including the:
  • Industrial and Driveline Laboratory where novel testing of solenoid longevity within gear casings was underway, wire resistance testing for corrosion effects, shear rig testing for emulsion stability, air entrainment rig for stability testing and a grease section for production of grease samples and testing.
  • Thermal Laboratory housing amongst other apparatus, the Differential Scanning Calorimeter for testing transition temperatures and heat flow properties, Thermogravimetric Analysis and Rheological Analysis for testing deformation and flow chemistry under shear conditions, and anti-oxidant testing.
  • Engine Oil Deposits Laboratory where the oils are tested to evaluate the level and nature of deposits likely to occur under actual use conditions.
  • Microscopy Laboratory with tabletop Scanning Electron Microscope equipment used for elemental analysis.
  • Tribology Laboratory where lubricating conditions are investigated using standard and novel tribological tests e.g. Mini-Traction Machine, Cameron Plint and measurement of oil layer thickness.
  • Colloid and Surface Analysis Laboratory – a new facility with ~ £0.5M invested in state of the art equipment for polymer studies including stop-flow UV/vis, IR and light scattering analytical equipment.
• Blend Test Services where blends are made to order in the laboratory or the larger batch blend room for on-site rig testing, or sent for vehicle testing at one of the global field test centres. There is also a fuel blending facility. The extensive analytical test laboratories associated with the Blend Test Services include:
  • Standard and non-standard industry tests e.g. corrosion testing, oxidation stability and pour point.
  • Rapid Cycle and Standard Cycle Testing services offered to internal and external clients. 
  • A dedicated Viscometrics Laboratory for kinematic and dynamic viscosity testing.
• Chemical Synthesis laboratory and pilot plant which employs ~ 11 full time chemists and 5 Year in Industry students, developing novel molecules and samples of new chemicals for testing and evaluation. The Chemical Synthesis group claims responsibility for 14-18% of Lubrizol patents globally (128 patents from January 2000 to February 2016, 75-80% of the site’s patent) and is responsible for development of the novel chemistry used in a recently launched fuel product.  The team work closely in collaboration with local universities and there are currently 18 PhD students associated with the Hazelwood site. The scientists use molecular modelling to predict the properties and activities of new molecules to assist in assessing health, safety and environmental issues prior to scale-up of production in the pilot plant. Patents may cover the new molecule or the production process as appropriate. A Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) testing facility is used for structure elucidation and shared with other groups.