The American Petroleum Institute (API) classifies base oils into five groups:
API Group | Characteristics | Uses |
Group I | Less than 90% saturates and >0.03% sulfur; viscosity index (VI) 80–120; solvent-refined. Amber-brown and inexpensive. | Common in industrial oils and some automotive oils. |
Group II | >90% saturates, <0.03% sulfur; VI 80–120; produced by hydrocracking. Clearer with better oxidation stability than Group I. | Widely used in modern engine oils due to improved performance. |
Group III | >90% saturates, <0.03% sulfur; VI >120; severely hydrocracked and sometimes marketed as synthetic. | Used in many high-performance “synthetic” or “synthetic-blend” oils. |
Group IV | Polyalphaolefins (PAO); true synthetic base stocks produced by chemical synthesis. Excellent low/high-temperature performance. | High-end engine and industrial lubricants. |
Group V | All other base stocks (esters, silicone, polyalkylene glycol, etc.). Often used to improve properties of other base oils. | Specialty lubricants and additives. |
Hexon formulates its lubricants using appropriate base oil groups to meet performance and cost targets.