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Stricter Emission Rules Require New Oils, Lubricants
A major challenge facing the trucking industry as it copes with tighter emission standards from the Environmental Protection Agency is choosing the right type of oil to ensure that engines continue to perform to their maximum capability.
When EPA decided in 2004 to mandate the use of diesel fuel with no more than 15 parts per million of sulfur, engine manufacturers, oil companies and carriers worked together to develop a successor to the class of oils known as CI-4. As a result of that collaboration, oil companies in 2006 introduced the CJ-4 class of petroleum products specifically to ensure that the oils would not produce too much sulfur, which can clog diesel particulate filters. Another EPA-mandated goal of this class of oil was to reduce the production of sulfated ash, a byproduct of burning oil.For the full story, see the Jan. 15 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.