Base Oils Groups

PhosLube – Base Oils Analysis

A base oil is a finished petroleum lubricant stock that produces special purpose products such as engine oils when blended with other additives.

Almost every lubricant used in plants today starts off as a base oil. The American Petroleum Institute (API) has categorized base oils into five categories (API 1509, Appendix E).

Groups 1-3 are refined using petroleum crude oil. Group 4 base oils are fully synthetic. Group 5 oils are for all other base oils not included in groups 1 through 4.

Lubricating oils begin as one or more of these five API groups, prior to combination of additives. PhosLube offers a number of base oils analysis, delivering quick and accurate results, with quality assurance.