What are the key benefits from the ongoing development and application of biobased lubricants?
TLT Sounding Board February 2015
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Performance is the No. 1 issue that will determine whether the marketplace sees increased use of biobased lubricants, according to TLT readers. While nearly everyone agrees that biobased lubricants offer greater environmental benefits, particularly in outdoor applications and where spills are involved, many say cost and performance issues remain barriers to their expansion. “The better they perform, the more they’ll be used,” noted one reader. Other advantages cited by readers are that biobased lubricants run at lower temperatures and are more waste treatable. Most agreed that government legislation will be the single greatest driver of increased usage of biobased products. However, some survey respondents noted that the environmental benefits are off-set somewhat by the fact that creating biobased lubricants is an energy-intensive process. Still others said the issue is not open to debate. “Long-term, fossil-based lubricants will be exhausted,” said one reader. “Biobased is the only viable option for the really long-term.”
If manufacturing and disposal can be done properly, biobased lubricants offer the potential of a sustainable product life cycle that is not possible with crude-derived oils.
They have to get to at least even performance with petroleum-based products.
Biobased lubricants (lubricants based on vegetable sources) are good products just for certain applications. In mining applications, we need to go forward in the marketing of such products.
An important implication is the availability of the renewable-based lubricant. The whole process, including lubrication, must be sustainable from the beginning to the end, and the availability of renewable-based lubricants could make the difference in how this market drives the business. So not only is availability an important aspect but also the specific characteristics that a biobased lubricant gives to the formulations as improver of the lubricity, high viscosity index, biodegradability, sustainability and development of local production and economy. In the long-term, biobased lubricants can diversify formulation options and performances.
Minimized environmental impact, lower disposal and used-oil handling cost.
The creation of a niche market. They will have a small, limited improvement in some areas.
It is a hassle to select a new lubricant for any equipment. But if you have to, it would be better to select a long-service, biobased lubricant than a mineral oil or semisynthetic. Biobased lubricants usually run at significantly lower temperatures, so you will see some energy savings, but, more significant, your equipment will last longer because heat is usually not beneficial for most components.
They will help the sustainability of the planet.
PAGs are the only biodegradable lubricants that make sense. Far too much money is wasted on inferior products that still bring a large fine if spilled. Isn’t the idea of biodegradable lubricants to reduce or eliminate environmental liabilities?
Performance for the price is the No. 1 issue. It will take a lot of education for them to be used properly and therefore make a real difference.
No benefit as long as it has to be subsidized.
I believe that biobased lubricants will be as good as today’s synthetics. Lots of development is needed however.
The idea is great, but I believe that if a fair, long-term study is done, they will not make much of a difference in regard to cost, resource and energy use. Without government incentives, the cost is typically prohibitive, and most biobased products are very energy intensive to produce.
Price and performance will determine the future use of biobased lubricants, not hype, supplier profits or political agenda. Wait, maybe the reverse is true!
They’re a waste of time.
Less impact on the environment. New compromises on performance.
Very little.
They can make a difference to the overall impact to the environment. More governmental regulations are needed to really sway the use of biobased lubricants.
Biobased lubricants will have an impact if they can outperform mineral oil products.
Naturally their increased use will have benefits for the environment in case of spills or leaks. However, the likelihood of their increased use totally depends on whether their performance levels can improve. Only then will they make substantial differences.
No difference whatsoever. This is all politics.
Significant because they offer the practical opportunity of lubricious solvency that we cannot additize enough in the lower-quality base oils.
Protection of the environment.
Long-term, biobased lubricants will become more widely used to limit risk to water (surface and underground), arable soil and living creatures. In some parts of the world, it will be advantageous to use biobased lubricants to limit dependence on petroleum for reasons of cost and availability.
Long-term, I do not see them making much of a difference.
They will have a limited impact. The limited oxidative life of biobased lubricants versus their cost makes the value proposition expensive.
If petroleum basestocks become more expensive, biobased lubricants have a future. If not, they are unlikely to have an impact.
There is a place for biobased lubricants, and we must push the limits of their use and development for environmental reasons.
There’s no benefits. There’s no comparison between mineral oil lubricant production and biobased oil production.
They’re not as stable and can lead to seal-swelling issues. However, they are more waste treatable.
They’ll play a role in lubrication of human implants. I assume this is about five years away.
Until they can be equal in performance to petroleum-based lubricants, they will not grow very fast in use. Pardon the pun.
Better performance with each generation.
The primary reason for this development is to meet environmental regulations. Not sure this will make a huge difference on environmental impact or performance.
Less of a reliance on a nonrenewable resource plus more biodegradable and base oils with lower aquatic toxicity. Plus reduced consequence of tanker and pipeline spills.
With the price of oil dropping, biobased lubricants will have a difficult time entering the market without government mandates to use them.
Long-term, I think biobased lubricants will make up a large portion of the industrial uses or lubrication, but to get to that point a significant amount of knowledge needs to be obtained and properly communicated.
Long-term they will make a small but significant impact on creating a more sustainable economy.
While biobased lubricants will be necessary going forward into the 21st Century, until end-users take better care of their lubricants, the growth of biobased fluids will be slow. Cost and care of these fluids, compared to mineral and even synthetic fluids, make them a harder sell. Certain applications will benefit from their use, but they must be better maintained for the value to be evident.
Environmentally friendly. Green lubrication.
Biobased lubricants like anything else will only make an impact if legislation drives it. Very few customers have any concern unless they are required to comply with some environmental or other directive.
What is preventing the industry from more fully adopting biobased lubricants?
Cost
67%
Performance
65%
Availability
17%
Lack of knowledge
48%
Based on responses sent to 13,000 TLT readers. Total exceeds 100% because some respondents chose more than one answer.
Describe lubrication problems better solved with biobased lubricants.
While biobased is not the same as biodegradable, a significant number of the new biobased lubricant technologies also are biodegradable. A significant number of these also have a low ecotoxicity profile and low bioaccumulation. Thus, many of the new biobased synthetic lubricants allow levels of in-service performance that was previously unachievable for lubricants that also have high biodegradability, low ecotoxicity and low bioaccumulation.
Water applications.
Applications in direct contact with the environment. Wire-rope lubricants have showed excellent performance in ports and vessel applications.
Biobased lubricants are required mostly in applications where the machinery is in the environment. For example, in a harvester a biobased lubricant is more requested because of the eco-friendly appeal. In other situations like aluminum cutting fluids, biobased lubricants are more important for the performance tool and part finishing.
The problems with the hydraulic pump in a sugar cane harvester are easily solved with a biobased high IV lubricant like rapeseed oil.
There are no lubrication problems that are better solved with biobased lubricants. They have definite inherent weaknesses compared to petroleum-based lubricants. Biobased lubricants may have marginally better lubrication properties, but additives in petroleum-based products can easily equalize performance. The main advantage of biobased lubricants is in those applications where significant leakage into the environment may occur.
Chain and hydraulic lubricants in forestry. They will cut down on the spoilage created by mineral oil.
In systems that leak lubricant to the environment.
Dirty parts and clothing are much easier to wash if a biobased lubricant is responsible for making them dirty. Accidental ignition is far less likely with biobased lubricants.
Wherever there are chances that lubricants could reach waterways.
Water-soluble PAGs do not varnish, have better lubricity, thermal stability and longer fluid life. Contrary to popular belief generated by big oil, they are compatible with most elastomers and seals.
When biodegradability is absolutely necessary. But even the value of that is somewhat negated when the additives necessary to make the lubricant perform are taken into consideration.
Maybe in environmentally sensitive applications but certainly for political jester and politically correct public stature.
Oil-lubricated bearings in hydroelectric plants.
Food plants and hydro power operations.
Biobased lubricants have generally better performance than conventional lubricants.
Biobased lubricants do not have a clear advantage in any applications.
I can’t think of any way that biolubricants are better. The focus on lower toxicity only applies to fresh oil out of the can, not heavily used oils loaded with degradation products and contaminants.
Die lubricants.
They’re more waste treatable.
They provide lubrication in the food industry more safely than greases.
I don’t know where to use, but from my experience heat and moisture are enemies of biobased lubricants.
They provide good surface activity and lubricating properties.
Biobased lubricants are not superior to conventional lubricants in any area.
They do not necessarily contain any harmful additives, which makes them attractive on a long-term basis, keeping the environment in mind.
Marine, agriculture, environmentally friendly applications will benefit highly from these types of lubricants, as long as they are properly maintained.
When biodegradability of the lubricant is a factor, biobased materials typically have an advantage.
Biobased lubricants make the biggest difference for operations where work is done outdoors. Anytime leakage or spillage can occur in an area where the environment is directly impacted. Then biobased lubricants make it the most economical and environmentally friendly way to work in these conditions.
They don’t solve any lubrication problem. They make their biggest difference in the minds of those who decide to use them who believe they are helping the environment in some way.
I am not aware of any place where biobased lubricants are better.
Odor and user safety are areas that are improved with some biobased lubricants.
Poor countries that are going to dump their coolant and oil down the drain no matter what it’s made of. Might as well be something safe for their environment.
Metal-cutting lubricants could help solve environmental issues.
I do not feel that biobased lubricants can solve any lubrication problem except in cases where lubricants come in contact with the environment.
Synthetic biolubes have high VI and high lubricity and add performance. Usually flash points are high and volatility low, as well.
They make the biggest difference in industrial mobile equipment that need high performance and good environmental properties.
Editor’s Note: Sounding Board is based on an e-mail survey of 13,000 TLT readers. Views expressed are those of the respondents and do not reflect the opinions of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers. STLE does not vouch for the technical accuracy of opinions expressed in Sounding Board, nor does inclusion of a comment represent an endorsement of the technology by STLE.