AbstractThe study and use of some types of syntbetic lubricants can be traced back 50 years.1Within the past twenty years, rapid advances in technology have resulted in syntbetic lubricants that can operate satisfactorily over temperature extremes well beyond the capabilities of conventional petroleum‐based oils. Current emphasis is on the ability of some types of synthetic lubricants to allow more efficient system operation, with concomitant energy savings and extended equipment and oil life. Several definitions have been proposed for synthetic lubricants. In this paper, the authors define a synthetic lubricant as a product which consists of base fluids manufactured by chemical synthesis and containing necessary performance additives. Thus the base fluids are tailored, through specific chemical reactions, to meet predetermined physical and chemical quality targets. In this paper, discussion will be limited to (a) a review of the types of chemicals which have been studied for use in synthetic lubricants and (b) selected application data which dramatise some of the advantages gained through use of the synthetic lubrican