Economic Cooperation and Devel- opment (OECD) and EPA test guide- lines.


• They must have minimal bioaccu- mulative potential, meaning that they do not cause chemical build up within the tissues of an organism over time. Because they must—by definition— maintain these properties, EALs are fun- damentally differentiated from other formulation types that have gained pop- ularity due to sustainability concerns. Take bio-based lubricants as an example. Such formulations are frequently made from natural oils, avoiding the use of pe- troleum-based oils in their formulations. And while petroleum avoidance is an ef- fective sustainability strategy, bio-lubri- cants are not necessarily held to explicit criteria for biodegradability, toxicity and bioaccumulation. This means a bio lubri- cant may still incorporate non-biode- gradable additive components. These are important dis- tinctions to make when it comes to minimizing the environmen- tal impact


of industrial lubricants. Even during in- tended use, significant quantities may escape into the environment. For exam- ple, in the case of hydraulic fluids that span across agriculture, forestry and the building industry, uncontrolled leakag- es and defects can occur. This illustrates that the final part of any industrial fluid’s life cycle may very well occur within the natural environment—making their ca- pacity to minimize harm to delicate eco- systems critical.


Performance Cannot Be Compromised While EALs must be formulated to main- tain environmental friendliness, it is critical that they also retain their fun- damental ability to protect industrial equipment. But maintaining those per- formance characteristics can be a true formulation challenge for EALs. Why? Because many reliable classes of


additive chemistries used in traditional lubricants do not meet EAL requirements for biodegradability, toxicity and bioac- cumulative potential. Zinc dialkyl dith- iophosphates (ZDDPs), for example, make up one of the most widely used chemical classes for reliable wear protection. How- ever, ZDDPs do not meet EAL biodegrad- ability standards, necessitating an alter- native.


These same restrictions impact a broad range of critical additives, including extreme pressure ad- ditives, emulsifiers, viscos- ity modifiers, antifoam


agents, corrosion and rust inhibitors, friction modifiers and more. Further- more, EAL standards restrict the use of traditional mineral oils due to their bio- degradability and toxicity characteristics. Synthetic base oil formulations from Groups IV (polyalphaolefins) and V (for example, esters) are therefore required in EAL formulations. Even with these challenging standards in place, developing high-performing EALs is possible—and can be done in col- laboration with the right additives sup- plier. Lubrizol is committed to helping industrial fluids manufacturers find suc- cess with its broad portfolio of new EAL solutions for numerous critical industrial applications. Demand for EALs will continue to rise in an evolving market where environ- mental protection is a growing concern. Industrial lubricant manufacturers who are proactive in their formulation ap- proaches can find early success and sepa- rate themselves from the competition.


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About the Author Martin Birze is currently the director of Industrial Products for The Lubrizol Corporation. Over his 35 years at Lubrizol, he has held several sales, business and management roles. After earning an honors B.Sc. in chemistry from the University of Waterloo (Ontario, Canada) he started his ca- reer in 1981 at Shell Canada as a research chem- ist. Born and raised in Montreal, he currently lives in Cleveland, Ohio, with his wife.


While EALs must be formulated to maintain environmental friendliness, it is critical that they also retain their fundamental ability to protect industrial equipment.


JUNE 2023 | LUBEZINE MAGAZINE 23


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