What is biodegradable hydraulic oil?

 

During the use of hydraulic equipment, hydraulic oil leakage is inevitable, and hydraulic oil leakage has been generally considered "acceptable" for a long time. Leaked mineral-based hydraulic oil (and various additives contained therein) ), due to their low degradability and some toxic additives, are causing cumulative damage to our living environment.

Now, countries worldwide have put forward more stringent environmental protection requirements. People are also aware that the leaked hydraulic oil penetrates water and soil, which causes heavy environmental pollution. So people began to research and produce biodegradable lubricants (Biobased Lubricants) to replace traditional mineral oil-based hydraulic fluids.

These hydraulic fluids should be comparable in performance to traditional mineral-based hydraulic oils and they should also have biodegradability, low ecotoxicity, low environmental pollution, and be renewable. The biodegradability is the most important indicator of biodegradable hydraulic oil.

 

 

What are basestocks for bio-hydraulic oil?

 

Most modern lubricants are blended with over 90% base oil and additives. The base oil undoubtedly plays a vital role in the Lubricant's performance. Therefore, the biodegradability of bio-hydraulic oil is mainly determined by the base oil.

Base oils for biodegradable hydraulic oils mainly include Polyalkylene Glycol (PAG), synthetic esters, and natural vegetable oils. Currently, the mainstream base oils of eco-hydraulic oil are synthetic esters and vegetable oils, which are used as base oils alone or in combination.

 

Synthetic ester

 

Synthetic esters have long been widely used in aviation as high-performance lubricants. In recent years, they have also been used in special internal combustion engine oils to make up for certain performance deficiencies of mineral oils.

Synthetic esters for synthetic biodegradable hydraulic oil mainly include PETE (pentaerythritol tetraester), TMPT (trimethylolpropane triheptyl ester) and TMPTO (trimethylolpropane trioleate).

 

Advantages and Disadvantages of synthetic esters as the base oil of hydraulic oil?

 

Advantages

 

• Synthetic ester has very low-grade toxic;
• Excellent biodegradability;
• Excellent low-temperature fluidity. its pour point is much lower than mineral oil.
• Higher viscosity index (viscosity-temperature properties), generally, ester has a higher viscosity index than mineral oil.
• Synthetic esters have good thermal stability, low volatility, and good compatibility with additives

 

Disadvantages

 

• Poor hydrolytic stability.
• Synthetic ester is expensive and the high cost limits its application spreads.

 

In addition to hydraulic oils, synthetic esters also have good applications in gear oils, greases and transformer oils, biodegradable engine oils, chain lubricants and metal working oils.

Two-stroke outboard engine oil is the earliest biodegradable lubricant to appear. Marine water-cooled outboard gasoline engines are often located in environmentally sensitive areas such as lakes and rivers, and the risk of lubricant leakage is high.

 

Vegetable oil

 

Compared with mineral oil, vegetable oil is a renewable resource and comes from a wide range of sources, it is non-toxic and easily biodegradable;

Compared with synthetic esters, vegetable oils are cheaper, and raw materials are easily available.

However, vegetable oil is not good at thermal stability and oxidation stability. and its low-temperature fluidity is bad, it is not properly used in cold climate applications.

 

Chorus Lubricant Additives company supplies a series of synthetic-based oils including synthetic esters, Polyalkylene Glycols (PAOs), and Poly α Olefins (PAOs). They are wildey used in environmentally acceptable lubricants. Please contact to for more products details.