Ministry of Science and Technology issues national typical on lubricant for internal combustion engine

Facing the chaos of the lubricant market, the Ministry of Science and Technology recently issued a national technical regulation on internal combustion engine lubricant QCVN 14: 2018/BKHCN.

According to this regulation, internal combustion engine lubricants must comply with technical regulations such as viscosity classification, compulsory physical and chemical criteria and limits, additives. In particular, the regulation requires that internal combustion engine lubricants circulate on the market to ensure labeling according to current regulations.

Lubricants must ensure technical requirements and product characteristics and do not cause safety for humans, animals, plants, environment and property.

Previously, according to a survey of the Department of Product and Goods Quality Management, there are a lot of types and brands of lubricant in Vietnam but the quality of these products seems to be unmanaged.

Some enterprises re-cook the discarded lubricant, then mix it with additives and self-public the quality data without the management of authority agencies.

According to the evaluation of the experts developing the regulation, in the past, Vienam has not issued any national standard on technical requirements of engine lubricants. Meanwhile, manufacturers and importers build their own standard or build foundation standard, or apply standards of other organizations and declare the applied standards.

Previously, the Technical Center of Standards, Metrology and Quality No.1 (Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality) tested 6 lubricant samples which is randomly taken in some shops and motorcycle repair garage in Hanoi.

In total of 6 pilot samples, including the samples of branded enterprises and small-scale facilities, there are 3 samples not conformed with declared standards for application. Most of the samples do not meet the standards mainly in the aspects of kinematic viscosity, total alkalinity, total metals (Ca, Mg, Zn), viscosity index, etc.

According to Mr. Vu Dai Duong, Deputy Director of Legal Inspection Department (Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality), the issuance of QCVN

According to this new regulation, the internal combustion engine lubricants which is manufactured, prepared and imported, must be declared in comfort with the regulations and must be marked with CR before being put on the market. The conformity announcement of lubricants is implemented following Circular No.28/2012/TT-BKHCN and Circular No.02/2017/TT-BKHCN amending and supplementing a number of articles of Circular 28. The conformity announcement of lubricant must be based on certification results of certification organizations registered under Decree No.107/2016/ND-CP of the Government.

The promulgation of the national regulation for engine lubricants is essential and urgent in order to ensure the provisions of the Law on Standards and Technical Regulations and the Law on Product and Goods Quality, contributing to uniform quality management as well as activities of manufacturing, trading and mixing engine lubricants, creating a healthy and transparent business environment for prestigious and serious production and business establishments, helping the engine lubricants market operate in accordance with regulations and rules and increase the  engine performance as well as contribute to environmental protection, health and safety, Mr. Duong affirmed.

Productivity and Quality Office