The lubricant industry is entering a new era.
For decades, lubricant development focused primarily on reducing friction, protecting components and extending equipment lifetime. While these objectives remain important, electrification has introduced a new set of requirements that are fundamentally changing how fluids are designed.
From electric vehicles and battery systems to industrial equipment and power electronics, lubricants are increasingly expected to do more than reduce friction. They must contribute to thermal management, support electrical performance and help improve overall system efficiency.
For lubricant formulators, this creates a significant challenge: how can mechanical, thermal and electrical performance be combined in a single fluid?
The changing role of lubricants in electrified systems
Traditional lubricant systems were primarily designed around moving mechanical parts.
Electrified systems are different.
In electric drivetrains, power electronics, transformers, battery cooling systems and other electrified applications, fluids operate in close proximity to electrical components. This means that fluid properties such as dielectric performance, electrical resistivity, and thermal conductivity are critical performance parameters.
At the same time, manufacturers continue to push for lower energy consumption and higher efficiency. This has accelerated the demand for lower viscosity fluids.
However, designing a low viscosity lubricant without compromising thermal stability, safety or electrical performance is not always straightforward. Many conventional fluids perform well in one area but require trade-offs in another.
Why low viscosity matters
One of the key consequences of electrification is the growing demand for lower viscosity fluids.
Lower viscosity fluids can help reduce internal friction losses, improve energy efficiency and support better system performance. This is particularly relevant in electric vehicles, where even small efficiency gains can contribute to extended driving range and improved system performance.
Low viscosity fluids can also improve heat transfer and circulation, supporting more effective thermal management.
However, reducing viscosity alone is not enough. A fluid must also remain stable under thermal stress, operate safely in contact with electrical fields and across a wide temperature range and maintain performance throughout its service life.
The challenge of combining electrical and thermal performance
Electrified applications often require fluids that can simultaneously provide:
- Low viscosity
- Good dielectric performance
- Effective thermal management
- Thermal stability
- Operational safety
Achieving all of these properties in a single formulation can be difficult.
Many fluids with strong dielectric properties tend to have higher viscosities. Meanwhile, lower viscosity fluids can sometimes create challenges in thermal stability, volatility or other performance characteristics.
One building block attracting growing attention is caproic acid, also known as C6.
Why C6 fits the demands of electrified applications?
Caproic acid has historically been underutilized in lubricant formulations due to limited availability from conventional sources. New fermentation-based production routes are removing this supply constraint, making high-purity C6 available as a scalable building block for synthetic ester production.
Its relatively short carbon chain naturally supports the production of low-viscosity esters, making it particularly interesting for applications where efficiency, thermal management and electrical performance are increasingly interconnected.
To evaluate this potential, ChainCraft synthesized pentaerythritol esters using C5, C6 and C7 fatty acids and compared their performance.
The resulting C6-based ester demonstrated a combination of properties that are highly relevant for electrified applications.
Testing showed:
- A kinematic viscosity of 15–20 mm²/s at 40°C
- A kinematic viscosity of 3.6–4.6 mm²/s at 100°C
- Good dielectric characteristics
- High electrical resistivity
- Low dielectric dissipation
- Good thermal conductivity
Together, these properties indicate the potential for applications where thermal management and electrical performance must work hand in hand.
Beyond performance: the importance of supply security
For lubricant manufacturers, developing a high-performing formulation is only part of the challenge. The ability to secure long-term access to critical raw materials is becoming equally important.
As electrification accelerates across industries, demand for advanced lubricant chemistries is growing, increasing the importance of raw material availability, scalability and regional sourcing. This increases the importance of raw material availability, scalability and regional sourcing.
Caproic acid is a good example. While its potential for low-viscosity ester formulations has long been recognized, adoption has been constrained by limited availability through conventional supply chains.
ChainCraft’s fermentation technology changes this dynamic by creating a stable European source of high-purity C6 from agri-food residues. For lubricant manufacturers, this means greater confidence in both formulation performance and future supply availability.
Electrification goes beyond EVs
Beyond electric vehicles, electrification is reshaping industries such as renewable energy, industrial automation and advanced cooling technologies.
These applications increasingly require fluids that can manage heat, support electrical performance and maintain reliability under demanding operating conditions.
For lubricant manufacturers and base oil producers, this requires a rethink of traditional formulation approaches. Instead of relying solely on established raw materials, new building blocks can help deliver the performance characteristics increasingly required by modern electrified systems.
Sustainability becomes part of the equation
Performance will always be the primary driver of lubricant selection. However, sustainability is becoming an increasingly important consideration for manufacturers and end users alike.
ChainCraft produces caproic acid through a fermentation process that upcycles agri-food residues into high-purity fatty acids.
Compared to conventional palm-based and fossil-derived alternatives, this production route can significantly reduce carbon footprint while supporting the transition towards more circular supply chains.
For lubricant manufacturers, this provides a route to reduce environmental impact without compromising technical requirements.
Electrification requires a new approach to fluid design
Electrification is changing the role of lubricants. Fluids must do more than reduce friction: they must help manage heat, support electrical performance and contribute to overall system efficiency.
For base oil producers and lubricant formulators, this means adapting today to a different set of performance requirements. C6-based esters combine properties that directly address these demands, making C6 an increasingly relevant building block for electrified fluid technologies.
Unlock the potential of C6 in electrified lubricant formulations
ChainCraft’s X-Craft® 6 provides a high-purity, biobased source of caproic acid for lubricant applications.
Ready to evaluate C6 for your electrified lubricant formulations? Contact our team to discuss technical data, application opportunities or sample availability.
