A mechanic fixing a car.
SOURCE | SHUTTERSTOCK |ONI ABIMBOLA
T
he double-edged sword of substandard and counterfeit lubricants is a challenge that bedevils the Kenyan lubricants industry. In this article, we delve deep into the challenges that are crippling the lubricants industry in Kenya and highlight a small fraction of the amount of revenue lost in this industry due to these challenges.
A good-quality base oil is made by fractional distillation of crude oil, and distillation products are very pure. Agood-quality lubricant must use virgin base oil obtained by fractional distillation and blended with chemical additives whose performance has been tested in the intended equipment. A high-quality lubricant must also be made in a quality blending plant with a well-calibrated laboratory. Both blending and testing must be manned by qualified and experienced staff. The process that guarantees quality must be managed through written procedures.