Lubricants
Sustainable chemistry delivering advanced performance for Lubricant formulations.
Driving the transition to sustainable lubricants
The lubricant industry is transitioning toward more sustainable solutions. Although lubricants enhance energy efficiency and equipment lifetime, conventional formulations rely heavily on petrochemical feedstocks. The X-Craft products contribute to this shift with renewable, bio-based building blocks that enable lower-carbon lubricant formulations without compromising performance.
Why X-Craft®?
European supply
20 kt production capacity
Cost competitive
Stable pricing independent of feedstock volatility
Low carbon footprint
Up to 6x lower PCF
Unlock the potential
The ChainCraft products are used as building blocks for many different product lines, among in Polyol esters, Diesters, Mono-esters, Complex esters, Guerbet alcohols, Ketones, Amides and much more…
Besides Pentaethyritol tetracaproate ester, other products like 2- butyloctanol and 6-undecanone can be made from X-Craft® 6 (caproic acid).
The unique carbon chain lengths of ChainCraft products deliver a combination of performance and sustainability benefits, including:
- Low viscosity for improved low-temperature performance and energy efficiency
- Good thermal conductivity for effective heat transfer
- High thermal and oxidative stability
- Excellent biodegradability
- Favorable environmental and toxicity profile
- Outstanding Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) performance
These characteristics make ChainCraft-derived chemistries valuable components in advanced lubricant and fluid formulations for a wide range of applications. By combining renewable sourcing with outstanding technical performance, ChainCraft helps formulators develop next-generation lubrication solutions that meet both performance and sustainability objectives.
X-Craft® series
X-Craft® 4 (butyric acid)
X-Craft® 5 (valeric acid)
X-Craft® 6 (caproic acid)
X-Craft® 6-OL (hexanol)
X-Craft® 7 (heptanoic acid)
X-Craft® 8 (caprylic acid)
Applications across the lubricant industry
Automotive & EV
Suitable for ICE, hybrid, and BEV across evolving mobility applications in engine oils, transmission fluids, e-axle fluids, and battery thermal fluids.
- High lubricity and wear protection
- Low viscosity for efficiency and cold-start performance
- Strong solvency and detergency for cleanliness control
- Superior thermal conductivity and dielectric properties for EV battery cooling and fast charging
Aviation
Enables the development of high-performance aviation lubricants meeting the demanding requirements of modern aircrafts
- Outstanding low-temperature fluidity
- High chemical and thermal stability
- Resistance to acid formation, varnish, and deposits
- Strong detergency for system cleanliness
- Enhanced oxidation stability and wear protection
- Suitable for commercial and military aerospace applications
Marine
X-Craft® supports environmentally acceptable lubricant (EAL) development initiatives. Among applicable for thrusters, propulsion drives, and auxiliary marine systems
- Readily biodegradable and low-toxicity formulations
- Reduced bioaccumulation potential
- Enhanced tolerance to water ingress through water miscibility
- Excellent low-temperature performance
Energy
Applicable in formulation of gear oils, bearing greases, and hydraulic fluids for wind turbines and other industrial turbine systems.
- Biodegradable to minimize environmental harm
- Lower viscosity to reduced power consumption, and churning & windage losses
- Excellent cold-start and low-temperature performance
- Enhanced corrosion protection and extended service life
Refrigeration & Coolants
Thermal management fluids for Refrigerants and Immersion cooling.
- Low viscosity for reduced pumping energy
- Efficient heat transfer and thermal management
- Excellent dielectric insulation properties
- Reduced risk of current leakage, arcing, and ground faults
- Supports high-power-density computing, AI infrastructure, and cooling systems
- Enhances energy efficiency, system reliability, and thermal performance
Industrial applications
Bring unique performance in Metal working fluids, Hydraulics and Transformer fluids
- Low viscosity and low foaming for efficient machining operations
- Excellent wetting and favorable toxicological profile
- High precision and responsiveness in actuators and servo systems
- Good solvency for cleanliness and reliability
- Reliable operation in harsh and cold-climate environments
How ChainCraft supports lubricant innovation
Our biobased fatty acid and alcohol portfolio, developed using our proprietary chain elongation technology, provides lubricant manufacturers with versatile building blocks for high-performance ester-based formulations.
Esters derived from medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), such as caproic acid, can deliver low viscosity, low pour points, and high thermal and oxidative stability. Combined with excellent biodegradability and deposit-control performance, these properties make them particularly relevant for a wide range of lubricant and specialty fluid applications. These characteristics can also support the development of Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants (EALs) and formulations targeting EU Ecolabel requirements.
ChainCraft provides lubricant manufacturers with versatile building blocks for advanced ester chemistries, combining technical performance with a stable European supply of biobased raw materials.
Explore our lubricant insights
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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
The C6 opportunity: why caproic acid deserves a bigger role in ester lubricants?
For years, caproic acid has remained one of the lubricant industry’s hidden opportunities. Not because of its performance. But because reliable, large-scale supply simply wasn’t
