News Release Details
Chairman inaugurates Synthetic Aviation Lube Base Oil Pilot Plant
New Delhi 03-Jul-2007
“Today marks the day when India has stormed the bastions of the foreign technology providers in the area of aviation lubricants. With the commissioning of the Synthetic Aviation Lube Base Oil Pilot Plant, India has joined the league of select countries that possess this technology,” said Mr. Sarthak Behuria, Chairman, IndianOil, while inaugurating the first Synthetic Aviation Lube Base Oil Pilot Plant at the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) campus in Hyderabad yesterday. Distinguished personalities such as Dr. J S Yadav, Director, IICT; Dr. K. V. Raghavan, Chairman (Research Advisory Council of Defence Research Development Organisation); Dr. K.S. Balaraman, Executive Director (Centre for High Technology), were present on the occasion. Mr. Behuria said, “The conventional mineral-based lubricants are not suitable for the lubrication needs of aviation gas turbine engines since their operability conditions span over an extreme temperature range of minus 500 °C to over 2500 °C bearing temperatures. So it was most appropriate for IndianOil’s Research & Development Centre to join forces with the IICT, National Aerospace Laboratories, Gas Turbine Research Establishment, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Centre for High Technology, Centre for Military Airworthiness & Certification, and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL), to develop and test a suitable synthetic aviation lubricant for the engine of the Light Combat Aircraft Kaveri.” This formulation of the synthetic aviation lubricant has been developed collectively by the consortium, and a special class of base oils - Polyol Esters / Diesters - which belong to API Group V base stocks and are in exact conformity with the stringent requirements of the Indian, UK and US Military specifications - have been adopted. Mr. Behuria appreciated the efforts and cooperation extended by our consortium partners and said that IndianOil feels extremely proud to be part of this revolutionary work due to which India can independently meet its future aviation lubricant requirements. Reflecting on the potential of the synthetic lubricants, Mr. Behuria said, “IndianOil will examine the possibility of commercialising the synthetic aviation lubricant in the near future”. ”IndianOil is also the first Indian and the sixth global company to have indigenously developed and commercialised Marine oil technology as SERVO Marine Engine Oils for shipboard application. It is the only company in the country to produce API Group-II Base Oils, and has recently joined the ivy league of global technology providers with the indigenously-developed IndMax Fluidised Catalytic Cracking technology”, he added.
New Delhi 03-Jul-2007
“Today marks the day when India has stormed the bastions of the foreign technology providers in the area of aviation lubricants. With the commissioning of the Synthetic Aviation Lube Base Oil Pilot Plant, India has joined the league of select countries that possess this technology,” said Mr. Sarthak Behuria, Chairman, IndianOil, while inaugurating the first Synthetic Aviation Lube Base Oil Pilot Plant at the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) campus in Hyderabad yesterday. Distinguished personalities such as Dr. J S Yadav, Director, IICT; Dr. K. V. Raghavan, Chairman (Research Advisory Council of Defence Research Development Organisation); Dr. K.S. Balaraman, Executive Director (Centre for High Technology), were present on the occasion. Mr. Behuria said, “The conventional mineral-based lubricants are not suitable for the lubrication needs of aviation gas turbine engines since their operability conditions span over an extreme temperature range of minus 500 °C to over 2500 °C bearing temperatures. So it was most appropriate for IndianOil’s Research & Development Centre to join forces with the IICT, National Aerospace Laboratories, Gas Turbine Research Establishment, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Centre for High Technology, Centre for Military Airworthiness & Certification, and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL), to develop and test a suitable synthetic aviation lubricant for the engine of the Light Combat Aircraft Kaveri.” This formulation of the synthetic aviation lubricant has been developed collectively by the consortium, and a special class of base oils - Polyol Esters / Diesters - which belong to API Group V base stocks and are in exact conformity with the stringent requirements of the Indian, UK and US Military specifications - have been adopted. Mr. Behuria appreciated the efforts and cooperation extended by our consortium partners and said that IndianOil feels extremely proud to be part of this revolutionary work due to which India can independently meet its future aviation lubricant requirements. Reflecting on the potential of the synthetic lubricants, Mr. Behuria said, “IndianOil will examine the possibility of commercialising the synthetic aviation lubricant in the near future”. ”IndianOil is also the first Indian and the sixth global company to have indigenously developed and commercialised Marine oil technology as SERVO Marine Engine Oils for shipboard application. It is the only company in the country to produce API Group-II Base Oils, and has recently joined the ivy league of global technology providers with the indigenously-developed IndMax Fluidised Catalytic Cracking technology”, he added.