Lube-Tech PUBLISHED BY LUBE: THE EUROPEAN LUBRICANTS INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
through fermentation. This cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) shows ChainCraft’s fatty acids have a negative Carbon footprint with a value of -1.13 kg CO2
-eq/kg product including biogenic intake.
Global warming impact excluding biogenic uptake
No.157 page 7
according to the OECD testing series —and to have quite low ecotoxicity. This makes them suitable for EALs (environmentally acceptable lubricants), which are used in applications where there is a risk of the lubricant coming into contact with the environment (e.g., total loss, partial loss, or accidental loss scenarios). Examples include marine lubricants and lubricants used in outdoor machinery for agriculture and forestry. POE base oils can also be suitable for food-grade lubrication (NSF H1).
Figure 15: Global warming impact of ChainCraft fatty acids compared to fatty acids from common sources, including biogenic content
Fugure15 shows the global warming impact of X-Craft®
fatty acids is three to six times lower
compared to fatty acids derived from currently common sources such as palm kernel oil, coconut oil and crude oil. Furthermore, upcycling residual food streams into fatty acids does not take up any farmland or compete with food production.
Switching to raw materials with a lower carbon footprint allows companies to reduce their Scope 3 emissions. Furthermore, these fermentation-derived acids allow for POEs with a 100% bio-based carbon content, facilitating EU ecolabel “bio-based” and “bio-lubricant” claims.
Additionally, POEs derived from linear and unsaturated fatty acids excel for their biodegradability. Specifically referring to POEs derived from MCFA are expected to qualify as readily biodegradable -
The ease of registration processes of caproic acid enhances the development of innovations An innovation often raises concerns about the need to overcome the hurdle of lengthy registration processes. Fortunately, PE-C6 is included in existing POE REACH registrations. However, the technical innovation that C6 offers doesn’t need to stop there; C6 serves as an innovative building block that can be used in the production of POEs, not just based on pentaerythritol, but also other polyols. Moreover, it can be used in the synthesis of complex esters and polymeric molecules to produce, such as bio-based greases.
Outcome: unlocking the middle ground between PE-C5 and PE-C7 A comprehensive assessment of the test results shows that X-Craft®
C6 caproic acid has great potential for various base oil formulations. The synthesised POE based on C6 has a viscosity that falls between that of PE-C5 and PE-C7 and the volatility of PE-C6 is lower compared to PE-C5. The low pour point of PE-C6, combined with the balance of low viscosity and low volatility could allow its use in low-temperature applications where the higher volatility of PE-C5 poses a safety risk.
Additionally, the expected environmental safety and biodegradability of PE-C6 can also offer advantages over existing materials in the market. Other properties of the PE-C6 prove its potential use in a wide variety of applications, such as dielectric properties for use
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