tribology (noun): a study that deals with the design, friction, wear, and lubrication of interacting surfaces in relative motion (as in bearings or gears)
Friction between moving parts in vehicles and industrial equipment is estimated to account for nearly one-quarter of the world’s energy consumption. The science dedicated to understanding and controlling friction, wear, and lubrication is called tribology. Better tribology leads to longer equipment life, improved efficiency, lower maintenance costs, reduced energy consumption, and a smaller environmental footprint.
Every lubricant begins with a base oil—whether petroleum, synthetic, renewable, or re-refined—but it is additive technology that transforms that oil into a high-performance lubricant. Viscosity modifiers, tackifiers, antiwear additives, corrosion inhibitors, friction modifiers, dispersants, and many other chemistries work together to deliver the performance modern equipment demands. Better additive technology enables better lubricants, helping formulators optimize friction, wear protection, grease performance, durability, and sustainability for demanding industrial and automotive applications.
For more than four decades, Functional Products Inc. has developed and manufactured polymer-based lubricant additives that help formulators solve tribological challenges across industrial, automotive, food-grade, and specialty markets. Our technologies support both conventional lubricants and next-generation Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants (EALs), including biodegradable, biobased, re-refined, and other sustainable formulations. Whether your challenge is friction, wear, viscosity, grease structure, or sustainability, we’re ready to help Make it FUNCTIONAL with innovative chemistry, manufacturing expertise, and practical formulation support.
Want to learn more? Explore our guide to Viscosity, the single most important property in lubricant formulation, and see how Functional Products engineers polymer technologies to deliver it.
How do we get involved?
ILMA’s Move the World Forward Initiative
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Mission
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Functional Products seeks to empower every customer in the lubricant and grease market with the latest additive technologies and education. We use polymer technology to provide renowned products and formulation services to everyone: from family-owned small businesses to Fortune 100 multinational firms.
Functional Products Inc. is committed to providing our customers with quality products and services that meet or exceed their expectations through use of continual improvement. Together, with our customers, we create Innovative Chemistry for Lubricants.
Products
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Functional Products provides a wide range of different lubricant and grease additives to suit the different needs of various industries and producers looking to make cost effective and higher performance formulations to compete in the global market. We offer a wide variety of ready-made off-the-shelf options, but something custom typically offers the best cost and performance.
For an introduction to what we have to offer, see our Products page.
Lab Services
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Custom products are our specialty. Our technical staff is available to provide advice and formulate products for your specific application. Functional Products operates a blending facility located in Macedonia, Ohio, with the capacity to meet your current and future needs. We have the expertise to ship worldwide through our network of distributors located in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
The Functional Products lab offers complementary in-house testing services and is also able to contract out to other labs to get the project done right.
Community
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Functional Products Inc. member affiliations:
STLE – Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers
