Chain lubricant covers three formulation families — motorcycle O-ring / X-ring chain (sprayable wet-then-dry with PTFE), industrial roller chain (drip-feed penetrating + tacky), and food-grade conveyor chain (NSF H1 white oil + aluminium complex). All three need to penetrate the pin/bush gap initially then leave a sustained tacky boundary film. This guide gives BOMs for all three plus O-ring compatibility, India brand map and pricing, and sits within our broader lubricant & grease formulation services.
| Component group | Typical role | Typical share |
|---|---|---|
| Base fluid | Carrier (mineral / synthetic / bio as required) | ~70–90% |
| Additive package | Core performance chemistry | ~8–15% |
| Performance additives | VI improver, corrosion inhibitor, anti-foam, demulsifier (as applicable) | balance |
Indicative high-level composition only. The exact components, treat rates, performance additives and approved suppliers are shared under NDA as part of a Lubechem formulation engagement.
Process: dissolve PIB + polyisoprene + paraffin wax in solvent + PAO at 60 °C; cool; add PTFE with high-shear dispersion; add EP / AW / FM / AO / CI / dye / fragrance. Fill in 200-500 ml aerosol can with LPG/DME propellant. Ex-works concentrate cost ₹520-720 / kg; full filled aerosol retail ₹280-650 / 400 ml can. NBR O-ring compat >90% volume retention after 168 hr immersion at 80 °C.
| Component group | Typical role | Typical share |
|---|---|---|
| Base fluid | Carrier (mineral / synthetic / bio as required) | ~70–90% |
| Additive package | Core performance chemistry | ~8–15% |
| Performance additives | VI improver, corrosion inhibitor, anti-foam, demulsifier (as applicable) | balance |
Process: dissolve PIB + polyisoprene in warm base oil + thinner at 60-70 °C; cool; add EP / AW / AO / CI / dye. Drip-feed delivery to chain pin gap, or manual brush application. Ex-works cost ₹130-185 / kg in 200 L drum or 1 MT IBC. Scaling this blend to drum volumes is covered under our lubricant process optimisation and lubricant & grease plant setup support.
Motorcycle O-ring/X-ring chain lube — semi-fluid sprayable formulation that penetrates pin/bush gap initially then becomes tacky after solvent evaporation. BOM (%): mineral spirits / kerosene 45%, PAO 6 cSt 18%, PIB tackifier 12%, paraffin wax 8%, polyisoprene 4%, sulphurised olefin EP 3%, ZDDP 1.5%, PTFE micro-powder 2.5%, MoDTC 0.3%, phenolic AO 0.4%, ASA + TTA CI 0.4%, NMP / DPM solvent 4%, anti-rust amine 0.5%.
Wet-spray application, solvent flash in 5-10 min, residual tacky waxy film penetrates O-ring chain pin/bush gap and stays on outer plate.
Industrial roller chain lube for conveyor, drive, sprocket chain. BOM (%): Group I SN500 65%, PIB tackifier 8%, polyisoprene 3%, sulphurised olefin EP 4%, ZDDP 2%, phenolic AO 0.5%, aminic AO 0.3%, MoDTC 0.3%, ASA CI 0.5%, TTA 0.05%, Ca sulfonate 0.5%, Ca nitrite 0.3%, mineral spirits 15%, dye 100 ppm.
Drip-feed or brush application onto chain pin/roller. Sustained boundary lubrication 24-48 hr depending on speed and ambient temp. The same tacky boundary-film approach underpins our lubricant oil formulation consultant work and the chain greases used in our railway lubricant formulation range.
PTFE micro-powder at 1-5 µm particle size, treat 1-3% in motorcycle chain lube. Forms a low-friction (μ 0.04-0.06) solid-lubricant film inside the chain pin/bush gap that supplements the wax + tackifier oil film. PTFE works at boundary lubrication regime where oil film breaks under high pin-bush contact pressure.
Critical for high-mileage chain life — PTFE-loaded chain lube gives 2-3x chain life vs straight tacky-oil chain lube. Premium motorcycle chain lubes (Motul Chain Lube Road, Wurth Dry Chain Lube, Castrol Chain Lubricant) use PTFE.
Motorcycle O-ring and X-ring chains (DID, RK, EK) have NBR (nitrile rubber) or HNBR (hydrogenated nitrile) sealing rings between the link plates. The chain lube must NOT attack the O-ring rubber — solvents like aromatic xylene / toluene attack NBR. Compatible solvents: mineral spirits (low aromatic), kerosene, naphtha. Compatible base oils: PAO, paraffinic mineral, some esters (TMP-trioleate OK, adipate ester attack).
Compatibility tested by 168 hr immersion of NBR O-ring at 80 °C — volume swell <10%, tensile strength retention >80%.
NSF H1 food-grade conveyor chain lube uses white oil USP food-grade base + aluminium complex thickener + H1-approved AW/EP (amine phosphate). BOM (%): white oil USP 65%, aluminium isostearate 4%, isostearic acid 2.5%, sulphurised triglyceride EP (food-grade) 6%, amine phosphate AW 2%, BHT 0.5%, naphthalene-based CI 0.5%, microcrystalline wax 8%, PIB tackifier 4%, NSF H1 dye 100 ppm.
NSF H1 registration mandatory — we handle the dossier through our lubricant compliance service. Premium pricing — ₹650-1,200 / kg.
Motorcycle chain lube — fastest-growing segment with India's 20M+ annual 2W sales. Brands: Motul Chain Lube Road, Wurth, Castrol, IPONE, Liqui Moly, Bardahl. Aerosol can 200-400 ml sold via 2W workshop and online. ₹280-650 / 400 ml can.
Industrial chain lube — bulk drum sold to factory maintenance. ₹140-280 / kg. Lubechem custom motorcycle chain lube (LC-CHAIN-MOTO) ex-works ₹520-720 / kg of concentrate; industrial chain lube (LC-CHAIN-IND) ex-works ₹130-185 / kg in bulk. A chain lube is an easy entry product if you want to start a lubricant business in India, and a biodegradable variant fits our bio-lubricant and bio-grease formulation range.
Share your application (motorcycle / industrial / food-grade), volume and pack format (aerosol can / drum / IBC). We respond within one business day with the BOM and ex-works cost.