LUBIMAX® 55XX
Solubilization Guide
Version 3.0
Issue Date: December 2022
LUBIMAX® 55XX Solubilization Guide
Table of Contents
1 Introduction of LUBIMAX® OCP Viscosity Index Improvers ..................................................................... 3
2 Cold Flow behavior ................................................................................................................................... 3
3 Solubilization Benefits of Solid Polymer by the Customer ....................................................................... 3
4 General Guideline to Solubilization .......................................................................................................... 4
5 Sample Solubilization (Laboratory Testing) .............................................................................................. 4
6 Plant Solubilization ................................................................................................................................... 5
6.1 Conditions ........................................................................................................................................ 5
6.2 Chopper, Cutter or Press to Increase Surface Area for Easier Solution Process.............................. 5
6.3 Blender Specification ....................................................................................................................... 5
7 Solubilization Procedure .......................................................................................................................... 6
8 Handling and Storage of LUBIMAX® 55XX Viscosity Index Improver Concentrates................................. 7
9 Dos and Don’ts ......................................................................................................................................... 7
10 Disclaimer ................................................................................................................................................. 8
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Research and Development Headquarters; Coraplus Pte. Ltd., Manulife Tower, Singapore Tel: +65 6694 8800
LUBIMAX® 55XX Solubilization Guide
1 Introduction of LUBIMAX® OCP Viscosity Index Improvers
All the products of LUBIMAX® 55XX series are amorphous Olefin Copolymer (OCP) Viscosity Index Improvers (VII) available
in solid bale form. These polymers can be easily dissolved in appropriate base oil to produce liquid VIIs which can be used
in formulation of multi-grade lubricants for various applications.
Same products are also available in dissolved form, like LUBIMAX® 55XX L which is supplied in drum.
The table below shows various types of LUBIMAX® 55XX polymer:
Thickening Power
LUBIMAX® VII Chemistry Form Kinematic Viscosity at 100°C1,
cSt
LUBIMAX® 5522 Amorphous OCP Bale 9.1
LUBIMAX® 5524H Amorphous OCP Bale 10
LUBIMAX® 5524 Amorphous OCP Bale 9.7
LUBIMAX® 5524S Amorphous OCP Bale 10.5
LUBIMAX® 5535 Amorphous OCP Bale 10.9
LUBIMAX® 5535S Amorphous OCP Bale 12.3
LUBIMAX® 5552 Amorphous OCP Bale 14.0
1) Measurements are performed on 1.0 wt.% VII in AP/E Core 150.
2 Cold Flow behavior
All the polymers of LUBIMAX® 55XX series exhibit Cold Flow behavior! It means the polymer is not really solid and presents
the behavior of a very high viscose liquid that can take the shape of its container.
For same reason, the cut polymers can easily agglomerate back together in room temperature in less than one hour, or
they can flow out of the damaged cartoons. So, it is important to make sure the packings are intact during storage and to
process the polymer after de-packing and cutting into smaller pieces, before they get the chance to agglomerate.
The polymer is also presenting very sticky behavior which makes it difficult to cut with an electric or hand saw. It easily
sticks to the cutting blade and makes the operation difficult. Manual or automatic guillotines are suitable tools for this
process.
3 Solubilization Benefits of Solid Polymer by the Customer
LUBIMAX® 55XX products are easy to solubilize in base oils Groupe I, II and III with kinematic viscosity at 100 °C from 4 to 6
cSt. While the oil blending temperature should not be less than 90°C, the recommended temperature is 105°C – 110°C.
Cutting the blocks of polymer into smaller pieces can drastically increase surface area and help to dissolve the polymer
faster. At elevated temperatures or longer dissolving time, nitrogen blanketing can help to minimize oxidation of the oil and
maintain the quality of the produced liquid VII.
Solubilization of LUBIMAX® 55XX by lubricant manufacturer provides the following benefits:
• Flexibility to choose the base stock for solubilization
• Lower cost of production with a readily available base oil
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LUBIMAX® 55XX Solubilization Guide
• Savings on freight costs via shipping solid polymer rather than a diluted product
• Savings from reduced liquid inventory
• Savings on total formulating costs
4 General Guideline to Solubilization
This solubilization information is based on our technical team’s experience and only provides general guidelines for the
required equipment and operating parameters for the solubilization of the LUBIMAX® 55XX series. The customer may need
to adjust the process based on available equipment and specific requirements of their production.
LUBIMAX® 55XX series of polymers are all in solid bale form. The bale must be shredded or chopped into smaller pieces by
mechanical means. After this mechanical process, solubilization of the chopped polymer can be easily accomplished by
using conventional blending vessels. This ease of solubilization has been proven in the laboratory, pilot plant and numerous
plant trials.
Solubilization is a function of time, temperature, chopped particle size, mixing ability, polymer concentration and base oil
type.
5 Sample Solubilization (Laboratory Testing)
The following summarizes the recommendations for solubilization in the laboratory:
• Temperature: 105°C – 110°C.
• Base Oil: LUBIMAX® 55XX polymers are recommended to be dissolved in commercially available API Group I, Group
II and Group III base oils of nominal SUS of 100N, 110N and 150N base stocks from various sources.
• Concentration: Between 7 – 13 wt.% of polymer is required to achieve a viscosity level of 1,000 – 1,200 cSt at 100°C.
The percentage of the polymer depends on the type of base oil and the type of the polymer. For polymers with
lower SSI, a higher wt.% of polymer is required to achieve the target viscosity. For LUBIMAX® 5552 with a high SSI
of 52, as low as 6.5 – 7 wt.% of the polymer can increase the viscosity to 1,000 – 1,200 cSt at 100°C.
• Stirrer: Paddle-type or high-speed, high-shear mixers. Magnetic stirrers are not recommended.
• Time Required: Complete solubilization is usually accomplished under the above conditions in 4 to 7 hours.
• Procedure:
• Slice the polymer into small pieces.
• Weight required chopped polymer.
• Preheat the oil to 105°C – 110°C add the polymer gradually while stirring the oil.
• Increase the temperature up to 110°C.
• During solubilization, avoid sticking of the polymer on the container walls by occasionally scraping the walls
with a spatula.
• Solubilization is complete when there are no solid particles of polymer in the oil and when a constant
viscosity at 100°C has been achieved.
Note:
LUBIMAX® 55XX grades usually solubilize in the plant easier than in small-scale conditions of the laboratory.
Solubilization time drastically reduces when the polymer is divided into smaller pieces.
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LUBIMAX® 55XX Solubilization Guide
6 Plant Solubilization
Solubilization in the plant is accomplished using conventional equipment found in many blending plants. The following
are recommended conditions, equipment, and procedures for the solubilization of LUBIMAX® 55XX polymers.
6.1 Conditions
Solubilization: Solubilization starts by heating the oil between 105°C – 110°C At the same time, the chopped polymer
should be added to the tank. After the appropriate quantity of polymer has been added to the oil, the solution
temperature should be stabilized at up to 110°C.
Base Oil: LUBIMAX® 55XX VIIs are recommended to be dissolved in commercially available API Group I, Group II and
Group III base oils of nominal SUS of 100N, 110N and 150N base stocks from various sources. Base oils are selected to
meet the requirements of multi-grade crankcase oils, considering the overall formulation base oil requirements.
The finished oil quality may be impacted by the choice of dissolving oil, and the formulation’s base oil composition may
need to be rebalanced to meet engine oil claims.
Recommended Treat Rates: Between 7 – 13 wt.% of polymer is required to achieve a viscosity level of 1,000 – 1,200 cSt
at 100°C. The percentage of polymer depends on the type of the base oil and type of the polymer. For polymers with
lower SSI, higher wt.% of polymer is required to achieve the target viscosity. For LUBIMAX® 5552 with high SSI of 52, as
low as 6.5 – 7 wt.% of the polymer can increase the viscosity to 1,000 – 1,200 cSt at 100°C.
Required Time: The process typically takes 5 – 8 hours per batch, although it depends on a given equipment
arrangement and other logistical considerations.
6.2 Chopper, Cutter or Press to Increase Surface Area for Easier Solution Process
Depending upon the capacity of the plant and requirements, different types of polymer chopping equipment can be
used. Because of LUBIMAX® 55XX tackiness, it is difficult to convey long distances once de-packaged. So, locating
material handling and chopping equipment directly above the dissolver is strongly recommended. This allows the
chopped polymer to drop to the dissolver by gravity.
It is also recommended that the polymer be guillotined or hydraulically pressed over a steel grid forming polymer bricks
and charged immediately into the dissolver. An intermittent oil spray may be used to prevent the polymer from sticking
to the steel surfaces while chopping.
6.3 Blender Specification
a. Size: The size of the polymer dissolver/blender depends on production capacity and requirements. Each batch of
production can take 6 – 8 hours to complete, which means almost one shift of operation. For example, a 6,000-
liter dissolving tank can only produce 6,000 liter of liquid viscosity modifier a day with one shift of operation. It’s
equal to 110 metric ton of viscosity modifier a month or 1,300 metric ton a year with one shift of operation.
b. Agitation: The dissolver should have multiple impellers that emphasize an axial pumping motion. Multiple right-
handed 45° pitched blade impellers rotating clockwise looking from the top of the dissolver are preferred.
Installation of a radial turbine at the bottom agitator shaft will assist in the disintegration of the polymer. Agitation
intensity ranges from 0.5 KW to 5 KW per 1000 liters (2 to 20 horsepower per 1,000 gallons).
c. Baffles: The polymer may have occluded air and moisture, causing the polymer to become buoyant relative to the
dissolving oil. Partial length and narrow tank baffles are suitable. Baffles are preferred to be truncated below the
dissolving surface to induce surface drawdown with moderate vortex.
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LUBIMAX® 55XX Solubilization Guide
d. Pumping: To pull polymer particles from the surface into the liquid bulk, and to keep them moving within the
dissolving oil, a good pumping action is necessary. This prevents the agglomeration of the particles into lumps on
the liquid surface. Agglomeration is highly undesirable because these lumps are difficult to mix and have low
dissolution rates due to the loss of effective dissolving surface area. If a given system is experiencing agglomeration,
feeding polymer intermittently over time can help.
The dissolver should be equipped with a positive displacement pump, such as a gear pump and a bag or cartridge
filter, to transfer the product to storage tanks.
e. Circulation line: A circulation line, by-passing a filter, has been shown to have good success breaking up a so-called
“pancake”. Pancaking is caused by the re-agglomeration of the buoyant polymer at the surface, which will lower
the dissolution rate caused by the loss of surface area available for dissolution. Pancaking can be mitigated by
having effective agitation with induced vortex, no baffles extended above the surface of the dissolving solution,
proper rotation of the mixer to induce downward axial flow, the slower addition rate of polymer to the dissolver,
and use of circulation with significant flow rate. It is also recommended to supplement the dissolver tank with an
external in-line mixer on the circulation line.
f. Heat Source: The dissolver should be equipped with a heating system. Heating the oil to 120 – 150°C is
recommended to dissolve the polymer. A set of external steam coils can be used to meet these requirements.
g. Inert Gas: Any oxygen entrained into the dissolver at a high temperature of more than 120°C and dissolving for an
extended time (more than 4 hours) can degrade the base oil and polymer. If inert gas is not used, the degradation
of the viscosity modifier is usually a function of the equipment setup and operating conditions.
The best practice for safety and product quality is to provide a nitrogen blanket and a provision for nitrogen
sparging the dissolver. A nitrogen blanket prevents the oil and polymer from oxidizing. A nitrogen sparge helps to
remove moisture from the solution. In addition to the nitrogen sparging, a small quantity (0.02 to 0.10 weight %)
of an oxidation inhibitor such as butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) is recommended to be added to the solution,
which will limit the darkening of the viscosity modifier. The amount of BHT added is dependent on base oil quality
and processing conditions. The nominal flow rate of nitrogen is about 3 turns of vapor headspace per hour or a
flow rate that lowers the oxygen content in the headspace below 1 volume percent oxygen. For safety, the dissolver
is vented to a safe location.
The polymer typically contains about 0.5 wt.% water, which is more completely removed from the viscosity
modifier with nitrogen sparging. A nitrogen sparger can be installed near the bottom of the dissolver for this
purpose. The moisture in the vented gas may condense in the vent piping. It is recommended to provide means to
prevent condensate refluxing back into the dissolver.
h. Filtration: Filtration is performed through a nominal 25-micron bag or cartridge filter. Filtration of viscosity modifier
is preferred to remove any extraneous matter which may intrude during processing. The preferred filter setup is
to have the capability of circulating the filter back to the dissolver. Then after the dissolving process is complete,
pass the viscosity modifier through the filter into a subsequent storage tank or clean and dry shipping containers.
7 Solubilization Procedure
The sequence of steps for dissolving LUBIMAX® 55XX VIIs in oil is:
1. Initiate the process by charging approximately 90% of the required quantity of base oil to the dissolver.
2. When the oil level in the tank is such that the mixer impeller is completely immersed, commence mixing and
nitrogen purge.
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LUBIMAX® 55XX Solubilization Guide
3. Add the appropriate quantity of oxidation inhibitor (BHT) to the oil: 0.02 wt.% BHT for viscosity modifiers made
with API Group II and Group III. 0.10 wt.% BHT for API Group I. It’s recommended to add 0.02 – 0.10 wt.% oxidation
inhibitor, such as LUBIMAX® L57, to the base oil to control oxidation during the process. While for group II & III
base oils, 0.02 – 0.04 wt.% of antioxidant is good enough, for base oil group I, it’s recommended to increase it to
as high as 0.10 wt.%.
4. Start heating the oil between 100°C to 110°C and purge nitrogen. At the same time, begin the addition of chopped
polymer to the tank.
5. Stabilize the solution temperature at up to 110°C after the proper quantity of polymer has been added to the oil.
The polymer addition rate may be a function of a given equipment arrangement and agitation level. If the polymer
is agglomerating on the surface of the dissolver, it is recommended to charge the polymer intermittently over a
longer period.
6. Maintain conditions for 5 – 7 hours until the polymer dissolves completely in the oil.
When commissioning a plant, measure the viscosity frequently to determine the time necessary to dissolve the
polymer. Dissolving time is dependent on polymer particle size, temperature, heat transfer process, equipment
geometry, and agitation intensity.
7. Obtain a sample of the polymer solution and measure its viscosity. Adjust to target viscosity with an additional
base oil, then mix for 30-60 minutes—Resample and measure for all analytical properties.
8. Pump the polymer solution into a storage tank through a 25-micron filter after ensuring the batch is within
specifications. Cartridge filters are generally more efficient at removing insoluble polymer (up to 300 ppm of the
polymer may be insoluble) that may extrude through bag filters.
The process typically takes 6-8 hours per batch, although it depends on a given equipment arrangement and other
logistical considerations.
8 Handling and Storage of LUBIMAX® 55XX Viscosity Index Improver Concentrates
Carbon steel storage tanks with suction heaters are recommended for liquid viscosity modifier storage. A gear pump
should be provided to move the product from storage to a tank truck. A bag or cartridge filter is recommended at the
outlet of the gear pump. The size of the storage tanks should be derived from annual volume and the highest estimated
off-take of product.
It is recommended that the storage tanks be blanketed with nitrogen to prevent air oxidation of the liquid viscosity
modifier, especially at higher storage temperatures. If nitrogen blanketing is not available, below are the
storage/handling temperature limits in the air:
o Maximum Short Term Storage Temperature: 95°C
o Maximum Long Term Storage Temperature: 70°C
o Maximum Handling Temperature: 120°C
o Maximum Skin Temperature: 175°C
9 Dos and Don’ts
• Cutting the blocks of polymer into smaller pieces can drastically increase surface area and help to dissolve the
polymer faster and relatively in lower temperature.
• Because of cold flow behavior of Amorphous OCP polymers, it is important to process the polymer after de-
packing and cutting into smaller pieces, before they get the chance to agglomerate.
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LUBIMAX® 55XX Solubilization Guide
• At a high temperature of more than 120°C and dissolving for an extended time (more than 4 hours) a nitrogen
blanket prevents the oil and polymer from oxidizing. A nitrogen sparge helps to remove moisture from the
solution. In addition to the nitrogen sparging, a small quantity (0.02 to 0.10 weight %) of an oxidation inhibitor
is recommended to be added to the solution, which will limit the darkening of the viscosity modifier.
• Filtration of viscosity modifier concentrates is preferred to remove any extraneous matter which may intrude
during processing.
• It is recommended that the storage tanks be blanketed with nitrogen to prevent air oxidation of the liquid
viscosity modifier, especially at higher storage temperatures. If nitrogen blanketing is not available, below are
the storage/handling temperature limits in the air:
o Maximum Short-Term Storage Temperature: 95°C
o Maximum Long Term Storage Temperature: 70°C
o Maximum Handling Temperature: 110°C
o Maximum Skin Temperature: 175°
10 Disclaimer
LUBIMAX® 55XX polymers are available in bale form, and solubilization of these polymers is easily accomplished using
conventional equipment. This ease of solubilization has been proven in the laboratory, pilot plant, and numerous plant
trials and through the many years of field experience in using and handling this product by clients throughout the world.
Solubilization is a function of time, temperature, particle size, mixing ability, polymer concentration and base oil type.
The information given here is based on LUBIMAX® experience and only provides general guidelines for the required
equipment and operating parameters for the solubilization of the LUBIMAX® 55XX series.
The above equipment, process and handling recommendations are only suggestions. Various methods and types of
equipment, including configurations less sophisticated than those described above, have been successfully utilized for
the production and handling of LUBIMAX® 55XX concentrates. Customer-specific blending and handling instructions in
greater detail will be provided as required.
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