Technical Specifications
| Property | Unit | Typical Value | Test Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Dark viscous liquid | ||
| Viscosity at 40 °C | mm²/s | 650 | ASTM D445 |
| Flash Point | °C | 220 | ASTM D93 |
| Total Sulfur | % | 11 | ASTM D4951 |
| Active Sulfur | % | 1 | ASTM D4951 |
| Copper Corrosion (100 °C, 3h) | rating | 1a | ASTM D130 |
| Solubility (Mineral Group I/II/III) | % | >3 |
* Typical values from batch production. Batch-specific COA available on request.
Technical content reviewed by the CheMost additives team · Specifications last reviewed
Molecular Structure
What Is Sulfurized Triglyceride (T3011)?
CheMost-T3011 is a sulfurized lard oil (CAS 61790-49-6) — a sulfurized animal triglyceride that acts as a chlorine-free extreme-pressure (EP) and lubricity additive, made by adding sulfur across the carbon–carbon double bonds of the natural fatty oil. It is supplied as a dark, viscous liquid with a high viscosity of 650 mm²/s at 40 °C, and is used where a lubricant must carry high contact loads while staying gentle to copper and yellow metals.
Sulfurized fatty oils are among the oldest sulfur carriers in lubrication: lard-oil cutting oils have been used for over a century, and sulfurized lard oil became the standard replacement for sulfurized sperm oil after that raw material was banned in 1971. It remains a recognised product class supplied by additive makers worldwide, and regulatory screening (Environment and Health Canada) has assessed sulfurized lard oil as low in ecological and human-health risk.
Sulfurized triglyceride belongs to the family of sulfur carriers — organic molecules that hold sulfur in sulfide and polysulfide bonds and release it at the hot, highly loaded metal contact to form a sacrificial iron-sulfide film that prevents adhesive wear, scuffing and welding under boundary lubrication. What sets the triglyceride type apart from olefin carriers is its polarity: the ester backbone wets and adheres to metal surfaces, so the additive contributes lubricity and a thick, load-bearing oil film as well as EP protection.
T3011 carries 11% total sulfur but only 1% active sulfur (ASTM D4951), which makes it a mainly inactive grade — low in corrosiveness and gentle to yellow metals, demonstrated by a 1a copper-corrosion rating (ASTM D130, 100 °C/3 h). For the high-activity, high-sulfur EP carrier used in closed automotive gear boxes, see the olefin-based sibling sulfurized isobutylene (T321); T3011 is the polar, yellow-metal-friendly, lubricity-rich counterpart for metalworking, greases and slideway oils.
How Sulfurized Triglyceride Works
EP iron-sulfide film
Under high load and the heat of boundary contact, the sulfur in the carrier reacts with the steel surface to form a low-shear iron-sulfide layer. This sacrificial film shears in preference to the metal, preventing scuffing, seizure and cold welding.
Lubricity from polarity
The polar triglyceride backbone physically adsorbs onto metal surfaces, giving the high lubricity that nonpolar olefin carriers cannot. This reduces friction under the low-speed, high-pressure conditions typical of forming and slideway duty.
High viscosity, thick film
At 650 mm²/s (40 °C) the product is highly viscous and forms a thicker oil film that keeps the metal surfaces further apart, reducing direct metal-to-metal contact and the resulting friction and material damage.
Mainly inactive — low corrosion
With only 1% active sulfur, T3011 releases little reactive sulfur at moderate temperature, so it is gentle to copper and bronze (copper corrosion 1a). Low-active sulfur carriers also help oxidation stability, particularly in low-sulfur Group II/III base oils.
Active Sulfur & Yellow-Metal Compatibility
Sulfur carriers are classed by how readily their sulfur reacts. Active sulfur gives the strongest EP but corrodes copper and yellow metals; inactive grades are gentler and protect yellow metals, while still delivering EP and antiwear through polarity and chemical structure rather than raw sulfur activity. T3011 is a mainly inactive grade — 1% active sulfur, copper corrosion 1a — so it is well suited to systems that contain copper, bronze or brass: worm gears, brass bearing cages and mixed-metal machine tools, where a high-activity carrier such as T321 would stain or attack the yellow metal.
| Property | T3011 · Sulfurized Triglyceride | T321 · Sulfurized Isobutylene |
|---|---|---|
| Base chemistry | Natural triglyceride (polar) | Synthetic isobutylene (nonpolar) |
| Total sulfur | 11% | 45% |
| Active sulfur | 1% (mainly inactive) | High activity |
| Copper corrosion (ASTM D130) | 1a (gentle to yellow metals) | 2e (aggressive) |
| Viscosity at 40 °C | 650 mm²/s (high) | Light fluid |
| Lubricity | High (polar film) | Low |
| Best for | Metalworking, greases, slideway & way oils — where lubricity and yellow-metal safety matter | Closed automotive & industrial gear boxes needing maximum sulfur EP |
Need maximum EP for a closed gear box where yellow-metal staining is not a concern? See sulfurized isobutylene (T321). For an even higher-activity metalworking carrier, the sulfurized olefin is the companion grade — and T3011 is often blended with an olefin carrier to combine EP with lubricity.
Applications
CheMost-T3011 is used as the EP / lubricity component in formulations targeting the duties below, where load-carrying capacity, lubricity and protection of yellow metals are all required:
Metalworking fluids
Cutting, forming and drawing oils — the polar triglyceride film extends tool life under boundary lubrication, while the low active sulfur keeps copper and brass components safe. A clean, chlorine-free route to the lubricity that chlorinated paraffins used to provide.
Greases
Inactive sulfur carriers are the norm in greases because yellow metals (brass bearing cages) are widely present and the activity cannot be masked long-term. T3011’s 1a copper rating makes it suited to EP/antiwear grease duty.
Slideway & way oils
Inactive sulfurized triglycerides reduce the coefficient of friction and help control stick-slip on machine-tool slideways, where smooth low-speed motion and yellow-metal compatibility are the priorities.
Industrial gear & hydraulic oils
A high-viscosity EP/lubricity additive for industrial gear oils and moderate-duty hydraulic fluids, especially where the system contains bronze components and a low-corrosion EP carrier is needed.
Finished-oil performance approvals (e.g. AGMA, FZG ratings, OEM metalworking approvals) belong to the fully formulated lubricant, not to an individual additive component.
Treat Rate
The data sheet reports physical and chemical specifications rather than a fixed dosage or a four-ball performance point, so the figures below are indicative — confirm the final level for your formulation.
First-order estimate. Sulfur-carrier EP/lubricity additives are typically dosed around 1–5% in gear, metalworking and slideway oils, trimmed up to the target load-carrying / lubricity result. Because T3011 is mainly inactive (1% active sulfur, copper 1a), the level is set by the EP and lubricity target rather than by a yellow-metal corrosion cap — so it can usually be used at the higher end of that window without staining copper.
In a finished package the sulfur carrier is balanced against a phosphorus EP/antiwear additive (the classic S–P synergy) and, where extra reactivity is needed, an active olefin carrier. The exact level depends on the load and lubricity sought, the metals present and the rest of the additive system — the data sheet does not state a dosage, so confirm the level for your formulation with our technical team.
Treat rates are indicative, not fixed dosages, and are not stated on the TDS. CheMost can provide formulation and treat-rate support on request.
Formulating With T3011 — Complementary Additives
Zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP)
ZDDP adds antiwear and antioxidancy and has a well-known synergistic effect that improves the copper-corrosion behaviour — and the odour — of sulfur carriers, reinforcing T3011’s yellow-metal compatibility in gear and hydraulic oils.
Phosphorus EP / antiwear (TPPT)
Sulfur and phosphorus chemistries act in synergy: the sulfur carrier handles extreme-pressure welding while the phosphorus additive builds the antiwear film — the backbone of every gear-oil EP/AW system.
Aminic antioxidant
Inactive sulfur carriers show a distinct synergy with aminic antioxidants such as alkylated diphenylamine, especially in low-sulfur base fluids — extending oil life while T3011 supplies EP, lubricity and its own mild antioxidancy.
Sulfurized isobutylene / olefin
Blending the high-activity olefin carrier with T3011 combines strong sulfur EP with the triglyceride’s lubricity and yellow-metal safety — the standard route to slideway and metalworking fluids that need both.
Documentation, Qualification & Regulatory Support
Standard documentation — Certificate of Analysis (COA, per shipment), Technical Data Sheet (TDS) and Safety Data Sheet (SDS, GHS/CLP) — is provided. The full TDS is available on request rather than as a public download. Additional support is available on request:
Regulatory documentation
REACH, TSCA and country-specific market-registration documentation support available on request.
Third-party inspection
SGS / Intertek / BV pre-shipment inspection can be arranged on request.
Custom grades & packaging
Custom sulfur/activity levels and packaging — metal drum, IBC, ISO tank.
Formulation support
EP/lubricity balancing and treat-rate guidance from our technical team.
Packaging & Supply
CheMost-T3011 is stocked and shipped worldwide, with a typical lead time of 1–15 days and a 36-month shelf life at ambient temperature. Samples and quotations are answered within 12 hours. It should be stored in a dry, clean, well-ventilated warehouse below a maximum storage temperature of 50 °C, with a maximum blending temperature of 70 °C. As the product is highly viscous and can partially solidify after prolonged cold storage, it is warmed to room temperature before use — it re-melts on warming with no loss of performance.
Packaging
200 kg metal drum · 1000 kg IBC tank.
Minimum order
1 drum or 1 IBC — no minimum order value.
Incoterms
FOB · CIF · EXW, to suit your freight arrangement.
Loading ports
All major Chinese ports.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is sulfurized triglyceride used for?
It is a chlorine-free extreme-pressure (EP) and lubricity additive used mainly in metalworking fluids, greases, slideway/way oils and industrial gear oils. Its sulfur reacts with the steel surface under high load to form a protective iron-sulfide film that prevents scuffing and welding, while the polar triglyceride backbone adds lubricity and a thick oil film. CheMost-T3011 is a sulfurized lard oil (CAS 61790-49-6) containing 11% sulfur (1% active), with a high viscosity of 650 mm²/s at 40 °C.
Is T3011 safe for copper and yellow metals?
Yes. T3011 is a mainly inactive sulfur carrier — only 1% active sulfur and an ASTM D130 copper-corrosion rating of 1a — so it is gentle to copper, bronze and brass. That makes it suited to greases with brass bearing cages, worm-gear oils and mixed-metal machine tools, where a high-activity carrier would stain or attack the yellow metal.
How is it different from sulfurized isobutylene (T321)?
T321 is a nonpolar synthetic olefin carrier with very high sulfur (45%) and high activity — maximum EP for closed gear boxes, but aggressive to copper (D130 2e) and with no lubricity. T3011 is a polar natural-triglyceride carrier with lower, mainly inactive sulfur (11% / 1% active), high viscosity and high lubricity, and is yellow-metal safe (1a). Choose T321 for sulfur EP in closed gear systems; choose T3011 where lubricity and yellow-metal compatibility matter, or blend the two.
Does it provide lubricity as well as EP?
Yes — that is the main advantage of the triglyceride type. Its polar ester backbone adsorbs onto metal surfaces, giving high lubricity and a thick load-bearing film in addition to its sulfur EP function. This is why sulfurized triglycerides are used to reduce friction and stick-slip in slideway oils and to improve lubricity in metalworking fluids, where nonpolar olefin carriers cannot.
How is it supplied, and how fast can I get a sample?
It is supplied in 200 kg metal drums and 1000 kg IBC tanks with a 36-month shelf life, and shipped worldwide. As a manufacturer and sourcing partner (Est. 2013), CheMost answers sample and quotation requests within 12 hours.