Lubricant manufacturers across the world are replacing their mineral-based oils in metalworking fluids with naturally sourced derivatives. The environmental and safety aspects of metalworking fluids are becoming more and more important. Some metalworking fluids contain base fluid and then different types of additives that promote the properties of the lubricant during the application. Base fluids can be mineral oils, synthetic fluids, or natural oils. Mineral oils are used as a base fluid primarily because of their advantages in pricing and availability. These advantages are important but the environmental and safety requirements are more important.

Some people are not convinced that bio-based metalworking fluids are a good choice but these are not new fluids. Before mineral oils, naturally, sources oils were the top pick for lubrication of machinery. Some of the advantages of this type of lubricant are the excellent lubrication properties, high flash points, low evaporation, and high viscosity index, among others. This type of lubricant and its use can solve environmental issues but also productivity and quality-related issues. The weak points of natural sources fluids are that they have mediocre oxidation stability, limited availability, and are comparatively higher priced. Mineral oils are cheap compared to naturally sourced oils and the poor lubrication properties can be improved by additives.

Regardless of the downfalls, we are seeing an increased interest in the use of biodegradable lubricants. The main reasons for the new interest are considerable money in research and development in non-food areas to reduce crop surpluses, initiatives promoting the use of environmentally friendly products within public works, and companies trying to promote “green” images.

Whether or not you are on the side of biodegradable lubricants, a little research goes a long way. Using products that are safe for the environment and better for your machines is always going to be a winning choice.

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