Lubricants and climate change
By Dr. Selim Erhan, TLT Editor | TLT From the Editor October 2024
Even the smallest changes can lead to catastrophic failures and separations.
Winter is approaching and we have started making preparations for colder temperatures—at least the folks who live in the Northern parts of the world. The other day I came across an article that made me think we also should investigate lubricants for low temperature conditions. It may be strange to say this when everyone is talking about global warming. In fact, this preparation will be in line with global warming. If you read the article, you will see that the need may not be that far off.
1
We see a very delicate balance in nature around us. We see this balance in the microworld, too. Anyone who has formulated, especially metalworking fluids with multiple components, can agree that even the smallest changes can lead to catastrophic failures and separations. But to us the world looks very big, and it is hard to imagine that anything will disrupt the balance we see around us. However, the components that make up the world also are very big. Large movements have larger impacts.
In this article,
1 the writer talks about the oceans and the currents that flow in these oceans. The Gulf Stream, for example, that allows palm trees to grow in the west of England, is a river in the Atlantic Ocean with different salt levels than the surrounding ocean. But what if the ocean starts warming up, upsets the salt balance and the density difference, and the river blends into the ocean? You may say that the sea will then be as warm as the Gulf Stream was and help the palm trees. But what if the mixing happens closer to the equator, and once the stream stops flowing and the mixing stops, the cold waters further north slowly start cooling the weather in Northern Europe? We will have bigger worries than the palm trees. In fact, the article mentions in much more detail as to how this will happen accompanied by significant increases in water levels. If this happens, it will not be the first time. The currents collapsed 12,000 years ago following a rapid melt in the glaciers.
According to an article in the journal Science Advances,
2 as the planet warms, studies using very complex computing systems have detected warning signs of the collapse of these currents. The impacts of the collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (the AMOC) can be catastrophic, plunging the temperatures up to 30°C over the next decade or two.
Well, a decade or two is not that far off! Formulators should start looking at more efficient lubricants that will perform at least 30°C lower than the temperatures we see today.
REFERENCES
1.
www.cnn.com/2024/02/09/climate/atlantic-circulation-collapse-weather-climate
2.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adk1189
Dr. Selim Erhan is director of business development for Process Oils Inc. in Trout Valley, Ill. You can reach him at serhan@processoilsinc.com.