The Science Behind Next-Generation Engine Oils

[Counterman]

A major change is underway for the bottles of engine oils that line the shelves of American auto shops and supply factory and service fill stations.

ILSAC GF-7—the next specification for passenger car engine oils—will see its first license on March 31, 2025. That means all factory and service fill engine oils must deliver new levels of performance across a range of criteria, most particularly fuel economy.

For auto service professionals, it’s worth staying educated on developments like these to best satisfy the wants and needs of your customers. In this article, we’ll explore the new performance requirements of GF-7 in more detail, as well as the science that goes into delivering next-generation performance.

A Focus on Fuel Economy: GF-7 Performance Requirements
The new GF-7 specification requires that next-generation lubricants contribute to enhanced fuel consumption rates, as well as enhanced fuel economy retention over the course of the oil drain. To the average driver, these fuel economy gains will likely go unnoticed. But taken across all cars on the road, they will have a major impact on emissions reduction for the American auto population.

But those aren’t the only new requirements. GF-7 will require lubricants to deliver heightened levels of overall engine protection and will measure the lubricant’s ability to prevent low-speed pre-ignition (LSPI), piston deposit control, and premature timing chain wear over extended periods. These are important attributes. For example, LSPI is a potentially catastrophic problem unique to modern gasoline direct injection (GDI) and turbocharged GDI (TGDI) engines.

The specification calls for advanced performance in several other areas, including deposit control, seal compatibility, wear and corrosion protection, oil pumpability, and catalyst compatibility. Taken comprehensively, the requirements of GF-7 will help to better protect cars on the road while enabling new-model engines to meet their full potential.

Elsewhere, it’s important to note that GF-7 will in fact be split into two separate categories: GF-7A, which covers legacy viscosity grades 0W-20, 5W-20, 0W-30, 5W-30, and 10W-30, and GF-7B, which covers 0W-16, a lower viscosity that some OEMs have specified in new-model vehicles to drive even higher fuel economy benefits than the GF-7A category. For auto service professionals, it’s worth knowing how and when to recommend GF-7B products to customers in conjunction with automaker recommendations.

The Science Behind Performance
To understand the technology that goes into GF-7 performance or other OEM specifications, it’s helpful to understand the anatomy of an engine oil. Formulations are composed of three primary component parts:

• Base oil. The base oil is the carrier fluid and delivers basic performance. It makes up the majority of the formulation and is a critical building block for formulating a high-quality lubricant.
• Additive. This is the key performance enabler, allowing the finished product to meet operational requirements when in use.
• Viscosity modifier and pour point depressant. This component ensures the final product will deliver consistent flow across a broad range of operational temperatures and climates.

These components complement each other to create optimized performance that will need new performance specifications. Generally, engine oil producers will utilize high-quality base stocks blended with additives and viscosity modifiers to deliver the required performance.

There can be some complexities here. Base oil availability and pricing can be inconsistent, and access to the highest-quality options is not always a guarantee for formulators. But by taking advantage of advanced additive technology, engine oil producers can typically meet the required performance standards with a range of available base stocks.

Additionally, elevated additive performance can enable the use of viscosity modifiers (VMs) that help maximize engine durability while achieving the necessary fuel economy requirements of new specifications. Typically, passenger car engine oils are formulated with VMs that maintain a shear-stability index (SSI) of 35. The higher the SSI, the more easily the finished product will shear, contributing to fuel economy gains. Lower SSI VMs, by contrast, may hinder some of those fuel economy gains, but will deliver higher levels of durability. For example, heavy-duty engine oils for commercial trucks are typically formulated using VMs with an SSI of 25.

Higher-performance additives, however, can change those considerations. Top-tier additives enable finished engine oils to achieve higher fuel economy gains in combination with lower-shear (25 SSI) VMs. This means no compromises when it comes to protection and durability while delivering meaningful fuel economy contributions.

GF-7 is nearly here, and it raises the bar for what modern lubricants can contribute to today’s and tomorrow’s vehicles. Ultimately, today’s additive science is the reason engine oils are reaching those loftier performance standards—and that is a positive thing for every car on the road today.

Padu Sreenivas is Product Manager at The Lubrizol Corporation and manages Lubrizol’s North American passenger car motor oil business. He has over 25 years of industry experience and has held numerous positions in technology, testing and commercial roles globally. 

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