Knowledge Hub
Standards, sourcing guides, market-access intelligence and verified industry news — the reference layer behind the trade expo.
Source-referenced · continuously updated · written with industry experts
Platform & Positioning
How the Altonex Global trade expo works — booths, discovery and direct RFQ — and how exporters and buyers use it.
4 guides
Lubricants — Technical & Standards
API, ACEA, ILSAC, SAE and base-oil fundamentals, plus spec-to-oil decision guides for B2B buyers.
73 guides
Auto Parts — Technical & Standards
Filters, batteries, tyres, brake pads and spark plugs: the standards and cross-references that qualify a part.
1 guide
Technology & Trends
How the EV transition, low-viscosity oils and new regulations are reshaping lubricant and auto-parts demand.
2 guides
Export Compliance & Market Access
Country-by-country conformity schemes — GSO, SABER, SONCAP, KEBS, EAC, CCC — and the documents that travel with a shipment.
2 guides
Answer Hub
Short, sourced answers to the real questions procurement managers and importers ask when sourcing.
7 guides
News & Industry Updates
Standards, spec changes and market-access deadlines — each item dated and sourced.
6 guides
Recently published
Why do lube oil samples taken before and after the separator look the same?
Last verified: 2026-08-06 Two oil samples, drawn on the same day from the same medium-speed engine — one upstream of the centrifugal…
Do engine oil standards test for intake valve deposits? What the API licence does not cover
Last verified: 2026-08-06 A port-injected engine's fuel spray used to wash the back of the intake valve every time it fired. A…
Is a Can of Brake Cleaner a Dangerous Good? Why Flash Point Is the Wrong Test for an Aerosol
Last verified: 2026-08-05 A pallet of lubricant and cases of aerosol cleaner leave the same warehouse on the same purchase order, from…
What Actually Sets the “W” in 0W-20: The Two Cold Tests Behind a Winter Grade
Last verified: 2026-08-04 Suppose a delivery van, left overnight in an unheated yard, starts on the first crank the next cold morning.…
All guides
The complete Knowledge Hub — every guide, grouped by topic.
Platform & Positioning 4
Lubricants — Technical & Standards 73
- Industrial Lubricants Explained: A Technical Guide for B2B Buyers
- “Meets Specification” vs “OEM-Approved”: What Each Claim Actually Obligates a Supplier to Prove
- A Complete History of Engine Oil Classification: SAE, API, ACEA, ILSAC & JASO (Origins to 2026)
- AGMA Gear Oil Numbers and ISO VG Viscosity Grades: A Cross-Reference Guide for Industrial Gearboxes
- Air Compressor Oil Guide: Types, Standards & Sourcing
- Anti-Shudder Test Methods for Transmission Fluid: What a “Meets the Specification” Claim Does Not Prove
- API CK-4 vs FA-4: Heavy-Duty Diesel Oil Compatibility Explained
- API SP vs API SQ: Which Engine-Oil Category for Which Market
- Automotive Gear Oil: GL-4 vs GL-5 & SAE J306 Guide
- Brake Fluid Grades Explained: DOT 3, DOT 4, DOT 5 and DOT 5.1 for B2B Buyers
- Can You Mix Two Hydraulic Oil Brands If They Share the Same ISO VG Grade?
- Can You Use Engine Oil in an Air Compressor, Even Briefly?
- CVT Fluid Specifications Beyond Nissan NS-2/NS-3: What Honda, Subaru, Mitsubishi and Hyundai Actually Specify
- DEF and ISO 22241: What a Conformity Claim Actually Rests On
- Diagnosing Foaming and Air Entrainment in Hydraulic and Gear Oils
- Diesel Engine Oil API Classification: The Interval Myth
- Diesel Engine Oil Guide: API CK-4 vs FA-4 Explained
- Do Aftermarket Oil Additives Change an Engine Oil’s API Licence? What the Standards Documents Actually Say
- Do engine oil standards test for intake valve deposits? What the API licence does not cover
- Does an ATV or UTV Need Motorcycle Engine Oil, Gear Oil, or Both?
- Engine Coolant & Antifreeze: A B2B Sourcing Guide for Export Buyers
- Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants (EAL) and VGP Compliance: Biodegradability, Toxicity and Bioaccumulation Standards Explained
- EP Grease Guide: NLGI, Tests & Sourcing | Altonex Global
- Fuel Dilution in Engine Oil: Causes, Detection Methods, and Acceptable Limits
- Grease Thickener Compatibility: Why Mixing Lithium, Calcium Sulfonate, and Polyurea Can Cause Bearing Failure
- Heat Transfer Oil: Standards & Temperature Limits Guide
- Heavy-Duty Approval Claims: Which Ones a Buyer Can Actually Check, and Which No Public List Will Confirm
- High-Temperature Grease: A B2B Sourcing Guide
- How to Read a Certificate of Analysis (COA) for a Lubricant Shipment: Verifying What You Actually Received
- How to Read a Lubricant Technical Data Sheet: A Procurement Field Guide to the Numbers That Matter
- How to Verify Lubricant Certification Claims
- How to Write a Lubricant RFQ That Gets Accurate Supplier Quotes: A B2B Buyer’s Template
- Hydraulic Fluid Types & Standards: A B2B Buyer’s Guide
- Industrial Gear Oil Guide: ISO 12925-1, AGMA & DIN
- Low Oil Pressure: A Root-Cause Checklist for Pump, Bearing, and Viscosity Failures
- Low-SAPS Engine Oils Explained: ACEA C1–C4 Categories, Ash/Phosphorus/Sulfur Limits and Aftertreatment Compatibility
- Lubricant Selection for Hot Climates: Viscosity, Oxidation Life, and Storage in High-Ambient-Temperature Operations
- Marine Cylinder Oil BN Grades: A Buyer’s Guide
- Marine Four-Stroke Engine Oil Approvals: What a Builder’s Approval List Actually Proves
- Marine System Oil: A B2B Buyer’s Guide to Specifications, TBN, and Export Sourcing
- Metalworking Fluids Buying Guide: Types, HSE, Export
- Motorcycle Oils: JASO MA/MB, 2T & TC-W3 Buyer Guide
- Multi-Purpose Grease Guide: NLGI 2, Specs & Sourcing
- Outboard Engine Oil: TC-W3 vs FC-W Guide for Buyers
- Petrol Engine Oil API Classification: SF, SL and the Interval Myth
- Petrol Engine Oil Specifications: API, ACEA & ILSAC Guide
- Private Label vs. Contract (Toll) Blended Lubricants: Which Sourcing Model Fits Your Business
- Re-Refined Base Oils Explained: API Group Classification, the Re-Refining Process and How to Verify Quality for Procurement
- Refrigeration Compressor Oil: A B2B Buyer’s Guide
- Rust Preventive Fluids: Film Types, Testing & Export Guide
- Selecting Tractor UTTO/STOU Viscosity for Hot-Climate Export vs Cold-Start Markets
- Specialty Greases: Types, Uses & Sourcing Guide
- Synthetic vs Mineral Automotive Gear Oil: Base-Oil Performance and Sourcing Comparison
- Synthetic vs Semi-Synthetic vs Mineral Oil: A Procurement Comparison Beyond the Marketing Label
- TDS vs COA vs SDS: Which Lubricant Document Answers Which Question in a Purchase Order
- Transformer Oil Buyer’s Guide: Standards, COA Tests & Export Sourcing
- Transmission Fluid Specifications: ATF, CVT, and DCT/DSG — A B2B Buyer’s Guide
- Trunk Piston Engine Oil (TPEO): A B2B Buyer’s Guide to TBN, Viscosity, and Export Sourcing
- Turbine Oil Guide: ISO 8068, Grades & Export Sourcing
- Understanding ISO 4406 Cleanliness Codes: Setting and Verifying Contamination Targets
- UTTO vs STOU Tractor Oil: B2B Export Buyer’s Guide
- Verifying a Coolant Shipment on Arrival: What Refractometer, Hydrometer, pH and Reserve-Alkalinity Tests Actually Prove
- Water in Transformer Oil: Why a Low ppm Result Does Not Mean a Dry Transformer
- What Actually Sets the “W” in 0W-20: The Two Cold Tests Behind a Winter Grade
- What Happens If You Accidentally Mix GL-4 and GL-5 Gear Oil in the Same Gearbox?
- What JASO M345:2024 Actually Tests in a Two-Stroke Oil: The Four Test Methods Behind FB, FC and FD
- Why an EP Grease That Passed a Copper-Strip Test Can Still Ruin a Bronze Bushing
- Why do lube oil samples taken before and after the separator look the same?
- Why Do NSF H1-Registered Lubricants Still Allow a 10 ppm Contact Limit Instead of Being Fully Food-Safe?
- Why Does Engine or Gearbox Oil Turn Milky White After a Service, and Is It Always a Coolant Leak?
- Why Engine Oil Can Leave the Sump Thinner Than It Went In
- Why Lubricant Cross-Reference Charts Can Mislead: What Procurement Should Verify Before Switching Suppliers
- Why Lubricants Turn Black: Normal Soot Loading vs an Oxidation Warning Sign
Auto Parts — Technical & Standards 1
Technology & Trends 2
Export Compliance & Market Access 2
Answer Hub 7
- Lubricants Answer Hub: Short Answers to Real Sourcing Questions
- Auto Parts Answer Hub: Short Answers to Real Sourcing Questions
- How to Verify a JASO MA2 Claim on a Supplier’s Document
- How to Verify a TC-W3 Claim on a Supplier’s Document
- Soot in Diesel Engine Oil: What Actually Measures It
- What Is API SP? What It Certifies — and What It Doesn’t
- What Is ZF TE-ML? What It Certifies — and What It Doesn’t
News & Industry Updates 6
- Industry News & Standards Watch: How This Section Works
- API SQ and ILSAC GF-7: What the New Engine-Oil Categories Change
- EU Tyre Rules: R117 04-Series Wet Grip and the M+S to 3PMSF Shift
- Euro 7 Brake-Particle Limits: What Changes for Brake Friction Material
- GCC GSO 1785-1:2024: Mandatory Engine-Oil Conformity from 1 September 2026
- Nigeria SONCAP Moves to the National Single Window (27 March 2026)
95 guides and growing.