One has only to look around to see green initiatives. Bio-fuels, wind energy, renewable fibers are just a few of the environmental initiatives that have recently made headlines. Meanwhile, for the past several years, industry has been quietly looking into and utilizing environmentally safer, readily biodegradable and non-toxic fluids. The benefits of environmental lubricants are well known. Their biodegradable properties allow them to break down in the environment reducing the negative impact from leaks and spills. They can be non-toxic, meaning they won’t hurt operators, animals or plants that come in contact with the fluid. Furthermore, they are renewable and reduce dependence on foreign petroleum oil. One of the main reasons for concern about lubricant environmental safety is that a vast quantity of industrial lubricants find their way into the environment. In fact, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimates over 700 million gallons of petroleum oil enter the environment each year, over half of which is through irresponsible and illegal disposal. In an effort to improve environmental performance, industry must choose lubricants that can offer optimum long-term performance and environmental safety.  This paper/presentation focuses on the innovations, features, benefits, strengths and limitation of the different types of EALs. It explores classification of base fluids and additives as well as the requirements of finished lubricants. It compares the performance of conventional petroleum products and bio-lubricants. The different definitions of environmental acceptability why that is important will be explored. The regulatory driving forces will be identified as well as the requirements for each. The considerations for choosing the type of EAL that is most applicable to specific applications will be studied.

Comprehensive evaluation of sustainable raw materials in lubricant production

Fall 2022 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch in mid-September.

ACS Fall 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.