Lubricants Research Laboratory

Based on the concept of "supporting life and industry around the world," our research institute develops industrial lubricants that meet social trends and the latest customer needs. We develop No. 1 and only 1 lubricants that match the evolution of machinery, from large industrial machinery such as power generation equipment and construction machinery to home appliances such as air conditioners and DVD/BD. In recent years, we have been particularly focused on developing lubricants to help realize a decarbonized society. Among them, wind power generators, which are expected to be the key to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, use bearing/gear oil, hydraulic oil, and grease. In order to reduce the running costs of wind power generation and ensure stable operation over the long term, we believe that it is essential to extend the life of lubricants and to make mechanical equipment including lubricants maintenance-free. Recently, we have been working in collaboration with industry, academia, and government to develop lubricants that will contribute to the advanced use of wind power generation.

Various lubricants, including lubricating oil and grease, contribute to the performance and longevity of mechanical equipment by reducing friction and wear, cooling, and surface protection. In addition to carefully analyzing the properties of lubricants, changes in chemical composition during deterioration, film formation on friction surfaces, and micromorphological changes, we also use technology to measure and analyze the harsh conditions of friction surfaces to understand the lubrication mechanism. We provide quick feedback on estimation, base material selection, and performance evaluation, contributing to rapid product development.
Furthermore, in recent years, we have been working on the development of technologies that not only improve the efficiency of development operations but also contribute to improving the productivity of our customers, such as analyzing the causes of abnormalities using AI, searching for new compounds, and remote monitoring systems using the cloud. Masu.

Toward the realization of carbon neutrality society we must continually develop high-performance, high-value-added, and environmentally friendly products, but there are cases where commercially available base materials cannot meet these needs. Therefore, our institute is developing new base materials for high-performance lubricants quickly while investigating the "know why." We use organic synthesis, computational chemistry, and industrialization as our core technologies, and by combining these at a high level, we respond to the diverse and potential needs of our customers in detail. In our laboratories, we synthesize and evaluate various compounds, and use molecular modeling and simulation software to predict how the molecular structure is related to the physical properties and behavior of the base material, and design optimal compounds. We then use pilot plant facilities to manufacture tens of liters of samples of the optimal compounds found in the laboratory in a short delivery time and provide them to customers, responding quickly. Major achievements of our institute so far include the world's first high-performance traction oil installed in toroidal CVT vehicles, car air conditioner oil that boasts a high global market share, and air conditioner refrigeration oil, which are contributing to the realization of a fuel-efficient, low-carbon society.