Changing Requirements for Food-Grade Lubricants
The food processing industry faces a complex set of needs when it comes to lubricant use because its equipment comes in contact with food - intentionally or not. These needs can include seaming; greases for bearings, joints and gears; freezing, baking and pressing applications; and enclosed gear applications, to name a few. As a result, equipment used in this highly regulated industry requires food-grade lubricants that are formulated as potential indirect food additives to meet current safety requirements.
Food-grade lubricant formulations used in the production processes of many consumer items — from food to beverages and from pharmaceuticals to cosmetics — are different than non-food-grade formulations. For example, care must be taken to ensure the lubricant does not contain heavy metals or compounds that are carcinogenic, mutagenic or teratogenic. Also, food-grade lubricants should be neutral in taste and odour so they don’t negatively affect the food that’s being processed. In addition, food-grade lubricants must withstand degradation from foods and food processing conditions, which can often include steam, and contact with acids, sugars and oils.
As with all lubricants, food-grade lubricants must also protect equipment. Food processing equipment advances are driving lubricant formulators to achieve new levels of performance. Processing equipment is moving at faster speeds and higher temperatures than ever before. And users are demanding higher worker productivity and safety as well as increased energy efficiency. All of these factors can have a significant impact on lubricant formulation and performance.
Today’s lubricants require improved lubricity to increase energy efficiency and prevent wear and temperature rise at the higher speeds and torque.
A major trend in food processing equipment today is improved energy efficiency. Companies can substantially cut operating costs by using equipment that is made more efficient through optimized gear and lubricant choices. Specifically, efficiency of gearing is an important area of focus. Food processing equipment technicians are becoming increasingly aware of power losses in their equipment resulting from gear choice and power consumption. For example, worm gearing is widely used in food packaging and processing equipment. Worm gears are reliable, compact and economical. High sliding friction, however, can increase power consumption and temperatures, and reduce equipment life. Synthetic lubricants, particularly technology offering improved lubricity and compatibility with elastomers, can support user demand for reduced energy consumption in worm gears.
Helical gears are another option commonly found in conveyor lines. These gears offer better energy efficiency than worm gears, and lubricants can create value in these gear sets by providing improved lubricity and reduced wear. Synthetic lubricants can also provide additional value in helical gear applications by reducing energy consumption via improved lubricity.
One available solution for formulators today is a new synthetic base stock technology that enables next-generation, energy-efficient lubricants for food processing. Advancements in synthetic base stock technology have generally
resulted in a higher viscosity index, which can lead to energy savings. A higher viscosity index lubricant can offer thicker films at high operating temperatures than lower viscosity index lubricants. This gives the equipment engineer the option to choose a lower viscosity lubricant that saves energy by reducing pumping and churning losses while protecting the equipment with adequate film thicknesses at standard operating temperatures.
If the formulator chooses a new synthetic base stock technology offering a higher viscosity index and higher lubricity, such as new synthetic base stock technology where ester functionality is covalently bonded to PAO, potential energy savings may be even greater. This new base stock technology, such as Elevance Aria™ WTP 40, has demonstrated a very high viscosity index and higher lubricity in some gear lubricant formulations, giving the formulator two new technical advantages to create energy savings.
Food grade lubricants have historically been an important element for the food processing industry. Thanks to innovative solutions created from newly available synthetic lubricant compositions, equipment engineers now have the ability to meet new regulatory demands and address equipment productivity advancements — all while reducing their operating costs and gaining a competitive advantage.
To learn more, contact Greg Gerhardt at
greg.gerhardt@
elevance.com or visit
www.elevance.com/aria.
LINK
www.elevance.com
14
LUBE MAGAZINE NO.130 DECEMBER 2015
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