Engine oils
PCMO and HDDO packages at 8 to 15 % treat rate, formulated to API SP / CK-4, ACEA and OEM levels, plus a viscosity modifier and pour-point depressant chosen for the base oil group.
Base oils, additives & catalysts
Lubricant additives
Performance packages and single components for engine, gear, hydraulic, industrial and marine lubricants, sold against the manufacturer’s specification.
Additives are the 1 to 30 % of a finished lubricant that give it its performance: they keep engines clean, protect metal surfaces, hold viscosity across temperatures and slow oxidation. We supply complete performance packages and single components to blenders and industrial users.
Each product is sold against the manufacturer’s specification and certificate of analysis. The parameters that typically matter are:
Specification parameters
- Treat rate and the performance level it delivers (API, ACEA, OEM approvals)
- Kinematic viscosity and density
- Total base number (TBN) for detergent packages
- Elemental content — calcium, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, sulphur, nitrogen
- Flash point and pour point
- Shear stability index, for viscosity modifiers
- Compatibility with the chosen base oil group
Components
The additive families
A performance package combines most of these in one product at a set treat rate. Single components let a blender top-treat or build a formulation.
| Family | Typical chemistry | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Viscosity modifiers | Olefin copolymers (OCP), polymethacrylates (PMA), styrene block copolymers | Thicken the oil at high temperature so a multigrade stays in grade |
| Pour-point depressants | Polymethacrylates, alkylated naphthalenes | Keep wax crystals small so the oil flows in the cold |
| Antioxidants | Aminic (alkylated diphenylamines) and phenolic (hindered phenols) | Slow oxidation, sludge and viscosity increase |
| Anti-wear | Zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP), ashless phosphorus compounds | Form a protective film where metal meets metal |
| Detergents | Calcium and magnesium sulphonates, phenates, salicylates | Neutralise acids and keep hot surfaces clean; set the TBN |
| Dispersants | Polyisobutylene succinimides (PIBSI) | Hold soot and sludge in suspension |
| Friction modifiers | Organic molybdenum compounds, glycerol monooleate, esters | Lower friction for fuel economy |
| Extreme-pressure agents | Sulphur–phosphorus compounds, sulphurised olefins | Protect gears under shock load |
| Antifoam and corrosion inhibitors | Silicones, polyacrylates; benzotriazole, sulphonates | Stop foaming; protect yellow metals and steel |
Applications
Where each package is used
Gear, transmission and hydraulic
Sulphur–phosphorus gear packages for GL-4 and GL-5, ATF packages, and zinc or ashless anti-wear hydraulic packages at 0.5 to 2 % treat.
Industrial and marine
Turbine, compressor, metalworking, transformer and marine cylinder packages, where oxidation stability, demulsibility and TBN retention matter more than fuel economy.
Market prices
How lubricant additives are priced
Additives are priced per tonne or per kilogram, usually under an annual contract with quarterly reviews, and by spot quotation for smaller lots. There is no public assessment: prices follow the cost of the base oil the package is carried in, of petrochemical feedstocks such as polyisobutylene, ethylene and alkylphenols, and of metals such as zinc and molybdenum.
Treat rate matters as much as unit price. A package that costs more per tonne but is dosed at 9 % instead of 12 % can give a cheaper finished oil. We quote the package and its treat rate together, with the performance claim it supports.
Related insight Base Oil Prices 2026 — Why Group III Costs Almost Three Times Group I Read the analysisBrent crude — live price
Market data: TradingView. Indicative and possibly delayed; not for trading.
Additive prices follow base oil and petrochemical feedstock costs, which in turn follow crude. All live markets
Base oil, additive and catalyst prices are assessed by price-reporting agencies and by producers’ postings. Those assessments are licensed and are not reproduced here. We send written price indications on request, indexed to the published assessment of the buyer’s choice.
We do not publish price lists or “available allocations”. Offers are issued in writing only, from an @alupetra.com address, once KYC is complete for both parties.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an additive package and a component?
A package (or DI package, for detergent–inhibitor) is a finished blend of several components designed to be mixed with base oil at a stated treat rate to meet a performance specification. A component is a single chemistry — one antioxidant, one dispersant — used by blenders who formulate themselves or top-treat a package.
Can a package approved in Group II base oil be used in Group I or Group III?
Not automatically. Performance approvals are tied to the base oil the formulation was tested in, and base oil interchange rules set which substitutions are allowed without retesting. Group III and PAO also have lower solvency, so some packages need an ester or Group I co-base to stay in solution.
Are additive prices published anywhere?
No. Additives are sold under commercial contracts and there is no public price assessment. We quote in writing against the manufacturer’s specification, and indicate how the price is linked to base oil and feedstock costs.
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Send us the grade or product, specification, quantity, packaging, delivery terms and destination. We will respond after the KYC stage.