Innovations and Regulations for Biobased and Sustainable Lubricants

Green initiatives are everywhere. Bio-fuels, wind energy, renewable fibers are just a few of the environmental initiatives that have recently made headlines. Meanwhile some of the greatest innovations have been in the development and utilization of high performance, environmentally acceptable lubricants (EALs). 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 biolubricants. 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. Finally, the best maintenance practices to ensure long fluid and equipment life will be discussed.