Technical Specifications
This grade family is available as 2 CheMost grades — the differences are in the columns below.
| Property | Unit | PPD02 | PPD02S | Test Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Colorless or light yellow liquid | Colorless or light yellow liquid | Visual | |
| Density at 20 °C | kg/m³ | 855 | 855 | ASTM D4052 |
| Viscosity at 100 °C | mm²/s | 450 | 2800 | ASTM D445 |
| Flash Point | °C | 170 | 170 | ASTM D93 |
| Pour Point (0.3% in Group II base oil) | °C | 18 | 18 | ASTM D97 |
| Also raises viscosity index | No | Yes | — | |
| Solubility (mineral Group I/II/III) | % | >5 | >5 | — |
* Typical values from batch production. Batch-specific COA available on request.
Technical content reviewed by the CheMost additives team · Specifications last reviewed
Molecular Structure
Molecular structure · polymethacrylate pour point depressant
Polymethacrylate (PMA) comb copolymer — long (C≥14) wax-interactive + intermediate alkyl methacrylate side chains
A comb-shaped polymethacrylate: long waxy side chains cocrystallise on the edges of growing wax plates to disrupt the three-dimensional wax-gel network; shorter neutral side chains act as diluents.
What Is a Polymethacrylate (PMA) Pour Point Depressant?
CheMost polymethacrylate pour point depressants (grades PPD02 and PPD02S) are oil-soluble polymer additives that improve the low-temperature flow of mineral-oil lubricants. A pour point depressant (PPD) does not stop wax from forming — it controls how the wax crystallises, so the oil keeps flowing at temperatures where it would otherwise gel.
Paraffinic base oils contain waxy, long-chain hydrocarbons. As the oil cools, these waxes crystallise into plate-like structures that interlock into a three-dimensional gel network, trapping the liquid oil and stopping flow. A polymethacrylate (PMA) is a comb-shaped polymer whose long, wax-like side chains (14 carbons or more) cocrystallise on the edges of the growing wax plates. This sterically blocks the plates from joining into a network, so the wax stays as a dispersion of tiny crystals and the oil remains fluid. PMA has been the predominant PPD chemistry since the 1940s.
Both grades are supplied as a colorless-to-light-yellow liquid that does not affect the colour of the finished oil and is soluble in API Group I, II and III base stocks. The difference between them is molecular weight: PPD02 is the standard, lower-viscosity grade for light base oils; PPD02S is a higher-viscosity grade that, besides depressing the pour point, also lifts the viscosity index — useful in multigrade oils.
How PMA Pour Point Depressants Work
Cocrystallises with wax
The polymer’s long C≥14 alkyl side chains are wax-like, so they incorporate into the edges of growing paraffin-wax crystals as the oil cools.
Blocks the gel network
Once attached, the bulky polymer backbone sterically hinders the plates from interlocking into a three-dimensional wax-gel matrix — the structure that would otherwise trap the oil and stop flow.
Keeps the oil pumpable
Wax is preserved as a dispersion of small crystals instead of a rigid network, so the lubricant keeps flowing and pumping at low temperature (measured by ASTM D97 and low-shear pumpability tests).
Matched to the base oil’s wax
Performance depends on matching the polymer’s waxy side chains to the wax in the specific base stock; the optimum PPD and treat rate are confirmed on the finished blend.
Choosing Between PPD02 and PPD02S
Both grades are the same polymethacrylate chemistry and depress the pour point the same way; they differ in molecular weight — shown by their viscosity at 100 °C in the specification table above (PPD02 ≈ 450 mm²/s, PPD02S ≈ 2800 mm²/s).
PPD02 is the standard choice when you simply need pour-point control in a light or low-viscosity base oil, low-temperature industrial oil or multigrade engine oil, with no effect on colour. PPD02S is the higher-molecular-weight grade: it gives the same wax-crystal control and contributes a measure of viscosity-index lift, so it can do double duty in multigrade oils where you want both low-temperature flow and a VI boost from one additive. The trade-off is the usual one for polymer additives — higher molecular weight means a larger contribution to viscosity but greater sensitivity to mechanical shear, so for a pure pour-point job in a light oil, the leaner PPD02 is often the better fit. Our team can help you pick and confirm the dose on your formulation.
Applications
CheMost PMA pour point depressants are used as the low-temperature flow improver in formulations targeting the duties below:
Engine oils
Multigrade passenger-car and heavy-duty engine oils, where a PPD is needed to meet low-temperature pumpability targets on the fully formulated oil.
Industrial & circulating oils
Low-temperature industrial, hydraulic and circulating oils that carry a simple ASTM D97 pour-point requirement — typically a low PPD dose.
Hydraulic & tractor fluids
Multigrade hydraulic and tractor fluids with additional low-temperature low-shear (Brookfield) requirements.
Gear & transmission oils
Gear oils and automatic-transmission fluids that must stay fluid and pumpable in cold service.
Finished-oil performance approvals belong to the fully formulated oil, not to an individual additive component.
Treat Rate
The data sheet specifies the product but not a per-application dosage, so the figures below are indicative — derived from the chemistry and our formulating experience — and should be confirmed on the finished oil.
First-order estimate. PMA pour point depressants work at low treat — roughly 0.05–0.5 wt%, with the optimum for many oils near 0.1–0.3 wt%. The data sheet notes that 0.5% lowers the pour point by about 15 °C, and reports the ASTM D97 result measured at 0.3% in a Group II base oil. More is not better: beyond the optimum, extra PPD acts as added wax and can cause pour-point reversion, raising the pour point again.
The right level depends on the base stock’s wax content and the other waxy components in the package — detergent-inhibitor additives and some viscosity index improvers add wax sources that change the optimum PPD and dose. Because of this, the best treat rate is identified by a short PPD study on the fully formulated oil, not on the base oil alone.
Treat rates are indicative, not fixed dosages. CheMost can provide formulation and treat-rate support on request.
Formulating With a PMA PPD — Complementary Additives
Viscosity index improvers
In multigrade oils the PPD and the VII together set the low-temperature and VI balance. Some VIIs carry waxy ethylene sequences that shift the optimum PPD; PPD02S itself bridges the two roles by adding VI lift.
Detergents
Detergent-inhibitor package components can be waxy in nature, contributing their own wax sources — a reason the PPD is always optimised on the fully formulated oil rather than the base stock.
Dispersants
Dispersants and the rest of the DI package round out an engine-oil formulation; the PPD secures cold-flow performance alongside them with no effect on the oil’s colour.
Group I/II/III base oils
PMA PPDs are soluble in mineral Group I, II and III stocks (>5%); the base stock’s wax chemistry is the primary driver of PPD selection.
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 packaging and grades on request.
Formulation support
Pour-point and low-temperature treat-rate guidance from our technical team.
Packaging & Supply
CheMost PMA pour point depressants are 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.
Packaging
180 kg metal drum · 900 kg IBC tank.
Minimum order
By drum or IBC — contact us for your quantity.
Incoterms
FOB · CIF · EXW, to suit your freight arrangement.
Loading ports
All major Chinese ports.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a polymethacrylate pour point depressant?
It is an oil-soluble polymer additive that improves a lubricant’s low-temperature flow. The polymethacrylate (PMA) is a comb polymer whose long, wax-like side chains cocrystallise with paraffin wax as the oil cools, blocking the wax from forming the gel network that stops flow. It is the predominant PPD chemistry and is supplied as PPD02 (standard) and PPD02S (higher-viscosity, also raises VI).
How is PPD02S different from PPD02?
Same chemistry, higher molecular weight. PPD02 (≈450 mm²/s at 100 °C) is the standard grade for pour-point control in light base oils. PPD02S (≈2800 mm²/s) gives the same wax-crystal control and additionally lifts the viscosity index, so it suits multigrade oils — at the cost of greater shear sensitivity that comes with higher molecular weight.
How does a pour point depressant work?
It does not prevent wax from forming. Its long alkyl side chains cocrystallise on the edges of growing wax crystals, and the polymer backbone then sterically stops those crystals from interlocking into a three-dimensional gel. The wax stays as small dispersed crystals, so the oil keeps flowing and pumping at low temperature.
What treat rate should I use?
PMA PPDs work at low levels — roughly 0.05–0.5 wt%, often 0.1–0.3 wt%. The data sheet notes 0.5% lowers the pour point by about 15 °C. Over-treating can reverse the benefit (pour-point reversion), so the optimum is confirmed by a short study on the fully formulated oil. Our technical team can assist.
Will it affect the colour of my oil?
No. Both grades are a colorless-to-light-yellow liquid that does not affect the finished oil’s colour, and they are soluble in API Group I, II and III base stocks (>5%).