Lubechem — lubricant & grease
formulation consultant

Lubechem Consultant is an independent lubricant, grease and additive formulation R&D consultancy. We develop the complete formulation, bill of materials and BIS / API / ACEA documentation behind lubricant and grease brands — and transfer the IP to you. We work as a technical and business partner to manufacturers, blenders and entrepreneurs, not a one-off supplier.

Lubechem was founded in 2010 by Er. Manoj Kumar, a chemist and engineer specialising in lubricant, grease and additive formulation. The practice combines hands-on formulation R&D with testing, regulatory and plant-setup experience across the full lubricant lifecycle.

Nineteen focused services cover formulation, product development, testing, plant setup, process improvement and troubleshooting, plus technical training, manufacturing audits, inspection, laboratory readiness, used-oil analysis, lubrication management, metalworking-fluid management, EHS support and fractional technical leadership.

Engine oils (API SN / SP, CK-4), gear, hydraulic, transmission, compressor, turbine and metalworking fluids; every grease chemistry from lithium to calcium-sulfonate complex and polyurea; and custom additive (DI / VII / PPD) packages. We also formulate next-generation products — EV e-fluids, NSF H1 food-grade lubricants, full-synthetic API SP oils and biodegradable bio-lubricants to ISO 15380.

Yes. We are supplier-neutral — not tied to any additive house such as Lubrizol, Afton, Infineum or Chevron Oronite. We design packages from individual components and qualify two to three suppliers per component, so you get the right chemistry at the best cost with supply security, and you own the formulation IP outright.

Yes. We have supported lubricant and grease brands across India, the UAE and wider GCC, Nepal, Bangladesh, Africa and Southeast Asia since 2010. Engagements run remotely and on-site as needed, with formulations and documentation prepared to your target market’s standards — including biodegradable products for export buyers with environmental mandates.

BIS certification for lubricants in India is governed by the Bureau of Indian Standards under the relevant IS standard — IS 13656 for automotive lubricating oils, IS 1012 for transformer oils, IS 7623 for greases. The process involves: (1) testing at a BIS-recognised laboratory per ASTM and IS methods, (2) submitting the test report with an application to the relevant BIS regional office, (3) BIS factory inspection, and (4) licence grant. Lubechem manages the complete documentation and test coordination process — including reformulation if any test fails.

NLGI grade is a consistency classification for greases based on worked penetration at 25°C, measured by ASTM D217. NLGI 000 is the softest (semi-fluid, 445–475 dmm) and NLGI 6 is the hardest block grease (85–100 dmm). NLGI 2 (265–295 dmm) is the most common general-purpose grease grade. During formulation, NLGI grade is controlled by the soap/thickener concentration, the base oil viscosity, and the degree of working during manufacturing.

API SN (2010) and API SP (2020) are petrol engine oil standards — SP is the current highest, with enhanced LSPI protection and fuel economy requirements. API CK-4 (2017) is the current heavy-duty diesel standard, replacing CJ-4, with improved oxidation resistance and shear stability for Euro VI and BS6 engines. Lubechem develops all API-grade engine oil formulations — SN, SP, CF, CH-4, CI-4+, CJ-4, and CK-4.

Costs vary by country, but as an indicative guide: a small lubricant blending plant (500–2,000 L/day) typically requires ₹25–60 lakh (~US$29k–71k) for equipment, lab setup, and civil works. A grease manufacturing plant with a saponification reactor (200–500 kg/batch) typically requires ₹40–90 lakh (~US$47k–106k). A medium-scale fully automated lubricant blending facility (5,000+ L/day) can require ₹1.5–4 crore (~US$175k–470k). Contact us for a project-specific assessment based on your location, production target and product mix.

Yes — IP transfer is a core part of every Lubechem engagement. Upon project completion, you receive: the complete formulation with exact treat rates, raw material specifications, the manufacturing SOP, all ASTM test data, and certification documentation. Lubechem retains no licence rights or ongoing dependency. All engagements begin with a signed NDA. Your formulation is yours — no royalties or ongoing fees.

Low drop point in lithium grease typically results from: (1) insufficient soap concentration, (2) incomplete saponification — the reaction temperature was not maintained long enough, (3) base oil incompatibility — naphthenic base oils produce lower drop points, (4) contamination from water or incompatible additives, or (5) milling/working temperature too high during finishing. Lubechem diagnoses drop point failures and redesigns the saponification process to achieve specification consistently.

Yes. Lubechem is an independent formulator, not tied to any single additive house. We design custom DI (detergent-inhibitor), VII and PPD packages from individual components — ZDDP, PIBSI dispersants, sulfonate/phenate detergents, ADPA antioxidants, OCP/PMA VI improvers and MoDTC friction modifiers — that match the API, BIS and ACEA performance of commercial Lubrizol, Afton (HiTEC), Infineum or Chevron Oronite packages, typically at 10–25% lower per-litre treat cost. You own the formulation IP outright, with two to three qualified suppliers per component for supply security.

For blenders running more than ~25,000 L/month of a single grade, custom additive systems usually cut additive treat cost by 10–25% with no loss of specification compliance. The saving comes from treat-rate optimisation, multi-source component sourcing and multi-region procurement; the exact figure depends on your grade, volume and current package.

Yes. We formulate NSF H1 registered food-grade engine oil, hydraulic oil, gear oil, compressor oil and grease using USDA-approved white mineral oil, PAO and ester base stocks. These are designed for incidental food contact in food, beverage, dairy and pharmaceutical processing — manufactured at 30–40% lower cost than imported H1 products, with full registration and documentation support.

Yes — Lubechem has supported lubricant and grease brands across India, the UAE, Nepal, Bangladesh and African markets since 2010. We develop the complete formulation, obtain API licensing and BIS/relevant approvals, prepare TDS/MSDS and COA documentation, and hand over every product under your own white-label brand. We also formulate biodegradable HETG/HEES lubricants to ISO 15380 for export buyers with environmental mandates.

Yes. We develop EV-specific e-fluids and e-axle oils with high dielectric strength, copper compatibility and low traction coefficient, plus dielectric and polyurea motor greases for e-mobility. On the synthetic side we formulate full-synthetic Group III and Group IV (PAO) products to API SP, ACEA A3/B4 and A5/B5, and OEM specifications — in viscosity grades from 0W-20 and 5W-30 upward — so Indian manufacturers can compete in the premium segment where synthetic penetration is still below 20%.