TLT: How did you get involved in tribology?
Hong: I was about to finish my master’s of science degree in the School of Chemical Engineering at Georgia Tech. My advisor gave me an opportunity to work in a new field (tribology) for my doctorate. I was not aware of this field, but I was told it would require knowledge from multidisciplinary fields. I was intrigued by the idea of learning the disciplines outside of chemical engineering such as mechanical engineering, chemistry and physics to broaden my knowledge to become a better researcher.

TLT: You started your career as a researcher, then moved to commercial/business management, then back to technology. What brought you back to technology?
Hong: I moved into commercial/business management after seven years of research and research management roles at The Lubrizol Corp. It was intended to be a short assignment to learn business aspects of technology development that the company thought would be useful for my career in R&D. However, I liked the fast pace of the commercial side of the business, and Lubrizol gave me an opportunity to stay on the commercial side. Later, I moved to a global business management role, but I was still able to maintain my interest and improve my knowledge in technology because technology development was a part of the overall strategy for business growth and success.

When I was about to finish my second expatriate assignment in Seoul, South Korea, my wife wanted to live in a warmer climate. I also wanted to use my experiences in commercial and the OEM side of lubricants for a role in technology development. We found a perfect match in Chevron Lubricants. Most of my career before Chevron was spent on B2B sales, so the idea of developing products that would be on the shelf at the store and directly supplied to the end-users such as OEMs was interesting to me. The idea of living in the (mostly) sunny San Francisco Bay area in California was icing on the cake.

TLT: In the course of your career, you have seen many different parts of the lubricants business. What advice would you give young people today starting new in the industry?
Hong: I think the lubricants industry is under-valued despite its contribution to emissions control and fuel economy over the years. Lubricant technology is an enabling technology and gives OEMs and end-users the benefit of developing and implementing their new equipment and designs.

My advice to those starting out is to explore different ways of approaching the lubricants industry compared to those of us (old-timers!) in the field. Early in your career is the best time to try to develop your own ideas and, during the process, make a few mistakes as well. At that stage, your mistakes will be forgiven, and you will learn more from your mistakes early on.

Another bit of advice to young people is to continue to develop your skills and knowledge. Your development will stop when you think you are good enough to handle any challenges.

TLT: You have a number of technical publications and several patents. What areas of lubricant R&D do you feel are most critical for companies to pursue?
Hong: I was fortunate to work in R&D when the companies encouraged scientists and engineers to give external presentations and publications and also rewarded their efforts. I have more than 25 peer-reviewed publications and two patents, ranging from reaction film formation, axle and transmission efficiency, lubrication of non-metallic materials and EP/antiwear additives for environmentally friendly fluids.

I think improving fuel economy is the most important area for the lubricants industry. The viscosity of lubricants has come down a lot over the last decade to achieve better fuel economy. Now we need to be more creative if we want to achieve even further improvement in fuel economy without sacrificing durability.

Another area that really excites me is the development of fluids for hybrid and battery electric vehicles. I haven’t been this excited about any new development for a long time. We are at an early stage of development, but the lubricants industry could make OEMs’ innovative designs a reality and, by doing so, could make a huge impact on emissions control, if successful.


The viscosity of lubricants has come down a lot over the last decade to achieve better fuel economy. Photo courtesy of Chevron.

TLT: What effect has STLE had on your career?
Hong: When I joined Lubrizol as a research analyst a while back, the company encouraged researchers to be actively involved in the technical committees and present technical papers at the STLE Annual Meeting. So, I attended the annual meetings and was actively involved in the technical committees. Through formal presentations and discussions with industry experts and colleagues, I was able to broaden my knowledge and perspectives. Also, the networking aspects of being an STLE member should not be underestimated. Valuable advice and guidance I received over the years from my network through STLE have helped my career tremendously.

TLT: What challenges do you see in attracting new people into the industry?
Hong: I have two kids, and they think my field is boring because I work for an oil company. However, when I talked to them about the possibility of developing an e-axle fluid for electric vehicles, they said I am doing something fun and exciting. I think a key challenge is that younger generations don’t know what we do. Our industry is viewed as a “traditional field,” and younger generations are more interested in “high profile” fields such as the Internet of Things, software development, etc., especially in the San Francisco Bay area.

In my view, the lubricants industry hasn’t done a good job of communicating how technology advancement is a key contributor to the future of energy. For example, our technology developments that led to improved fuel economy also are reducing our customers’ emissions, which is a significant environmental impact as government legislation increasingly limits carbon dioxide emissions. However, the general public doesn’t know about the contributions made by the lubricants industry on the emissions reduction. And I know there are more exciting lubricant technology advancements on the horizon that will contribute to improving performance and reducing our carbon footprint.

I think we need to be more proactive in promoting what this industry has done and will do in the future to contribute to a better world and how tribologists and lubrication engineers can contribute to achieving our goals.

You can reach Hyun-Soo Hong at HYNH@chevron.com.