Global Raw Material Giant #2 — Lubrizol: The Undisputed Leader in the Carbomer Field

Lubrizol Corporation, a specialty chemical company, was founded in 1928 and is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. It is a globally leading specialty chemicals company with manufacturing facilities in 20 countries and sales and technical centers spanning the globe. Lubrizol currently operates two main business divisions: Lubrizol Additives and Lubrizol Advanced Materials. In 1960, Lubrizol was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. It entered the Chinese market in 1990 and was acquired in March 2011 by Berkshire Hathaway—owned by U.S. investment legend Warren Buffett—for USD 9.7 billion (approximately RMB 68.635 billion) in cash, becoming its wholly owned subsidiary. Lubrizol Additives Lubrizol Additives provides professional technical services to global transportation, industrial, and consumer markets—including powertrain systems, industrial lubricant additives, fuel additives, engine oil additives, and novel formulations for electrical systems and battery applications. Lubrizol Advanced Materials This division encompasses engineering materials (engineering polymers and performance coatings) and life sciences (beauty & personal care, health, and home care solutions), serving diverse applications such as cosmetics, personal care, household cleaning, over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, medical devices, functional coatings, sports equipment, piping systems, and fire sprinkler systems. Today, Lubrizol has established a comprehensive daily-chemical raw material supply chain covering carbomers, polyquaternium-based high-molecular-weight conditioning agents, active ingredients, plant extracts, oils and fats, emulsifiers, and more. In particular, Lubrizol dominates the carbomer segment—its market share in China once exceeded 70%. Carbomer Lubrizol did not originally produce cosmetic raw materials. Its entry into the personal care industry occurred in 2002, when it acquired Noveon—a U.S.-based company and the inventor and ‘pioneer’ of carbomer. (In 1958, B.F. Goodrich—the predecessor of Noveon—commercialized Carbopol® 934, applying it to personal care products.) Carbopol® is actually the brand name for Lubrizol’s acrylic polymer products, whereas the phonetically similar term 'carbomer' is the INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) name for this class of substances, officially listed in the INCI International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary. Over time, 'carbomer' and 'Carbopol®' have become conflated in common usage—though they are not strictly synonymous: the Carbopol® product line also includes thickeners whose INCI names are *not* 'carbomer'. Carbomer is a series of water-soluble polymer resins composed of cross-linked polyacrylic acid with pentaerythritol allyl ether and sucrose allyl ether. It is widely used to adjust liquid viscosity (thickening), improve thixotropic behavior in gel systems (suspending), and enhance final-product stability. Applications span hand sanitizers and soaps, skincare, bath and haircare products, food, and pharmaceuticals.

Standard Transparency + Collaborative Innovation: Lubrizol’s Key Strategy to Address Pain Points in the Lubricants Industry

Regarding the background behind the development of the White Paper titled 'China Automotive Lubricants Industry: Breaking Through Challenges, Renewal, and Growth Vision', Ms. Rebecca Liebert stated that the global energy structure is undergoing profound transformation, while China’s automotive industry faces dual pressures from the national 'dual carbon' goals (carbon peak and carbon neutrality) and the rapid electrification trend. As a result, the lubricants industry is shifting—from generic products toward specialized systems, and from auxiliary support functions toward system-level collaboration. In this context, the industry urgently needs a transformation framework that balances global trends with local requirements. The White Paper was thus developed precisely to meet this need, with its core objectives being: redefining the role of lubricants amid energy transition; mapping out an upgrade pathway for the industry; and providing guidance for integrating global technologies with China-specific demands. On addressing differentiated market needs, Ms. Liebert shared Lubrizol’s observations and strategies. She noted that market priorities vary: mature markets like Europe and North America emphasize iterative optimization of established technologies, whereas China serves as a global 'testbed' for innovation—characterized by more complex, rapidly evolving demands. To respond, Lubrizol adopts a 'global vision + local action' strategy: leveraging its worldwide R&D network to deliver foundational technological support, while empowering its local Chinese R&D team to adapt global technologies for domestic conditions—and further ensuring successful implementation through localized technical expertise, testing capabilities, and supply-chain support. In areas closely aligned with global energy transition and China’s 'dual carbon' goals, Ms. Liebert highlighted Lubrizol’s innovative achievements, including low-ash additive technologies, extended-life formulations, and sustainable base oils. These innovations align directly with China’s 'dual carbon' targets—enhancing fuel economy for internal combustion engine vehicles while also meeting the unique requirements of new-energy vehicles, thereby supporting the broader transformation of China’s automotive industry. Dialogue with Mr. Liu Maoshu: Localized Deployment and Industrial Chain Collaboration as a Breakthrough Practice Shifting focus from global strategy to concrete practice in the Chinese market, Mr. Liu provided detailed insights into how new performance requirements for automotive lubricants—driven by China’s new-energy vehicle (NEV) market—are being addressed. He explained that different NEV types impose distinct lubricant performance demands—for instance, pure-electric vehicles equipped with 800-volt high-voltage platforms require lubricants with electrical insulation properties. Moreover, Lubrizol engages in collaborative innovation with OEMs and industrial chain partners, developing dedicated formulations for hybrid vehicles. By adapting these formulations locally to match real-world operating conditions—and optimizing fluidity—Lubrizol delivers targeted solutions tailored specifically to hybrid vehicle lubrication needs. Underpinning these new capabilities is Lubrizol’s localized deployment across the Asia-Pacific region. Mr. Liu emphasized that deep localization is both a core strategic pillar and a firm commitment. Lubrizol has built an agile, end-to-end local supply system integrating R&D, testing, and technical service. Leveraging world-class testing infrastructure and top-tier local technical talent based in China, Lubrizol now possesses full-cycle development capabilities—including fundamental research, formulation development, and experimental validation—enabling rapid response to domestic customer needs. Going forward, Lubrizol will continue increasing local R&D investment and deepen collaboration with domestic supply-chain partners to further strengthen its localized supply and innovation ecosystem. Furthermore, in response to persistent pain points within China’s lubricants industry—including fragmented standards, insufficient collaborative innovation, and intense 'internal competition' ('neijuan'), Mr. Liu outlined Lubrizol’s countermeasures.

Lubrizol and Unipec Petrochemical Deepen Global Strategic Cooperation

2 days ago

Lubrizol and Unipec Petrochemical announced a deepened global strategic partnership focusing on joint product development and supply chain synergy for industrial lubricants. The collaboration evolves from traditional procurement to a full R&D chain covering market research through application support.

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