Many industries are shifting their focus to environmentally acceptable lubricants to ensure sustainability. These lubricants help protect the environment by reducing harm if an accidental spill occurs. Besides, they can break down quickly in the soil or water.
Lubricants that Meet EPA Standards
The Vessel General Permit (VGP) outlines the vital standards of environmentally friendly lubricants. Published by EPA, the document provides the requirements for eco-friendly lubricants, mainly for marine applications. It helps to mitigate the risks of lubricants finding their way into water bodies.
Here are the benefits of environmentally acceptable lubricants.
- Biodegradability
- Reduced Toxicity
- Improved Performance
- Lower Environmental Impact
- Compliance with Regulations
1) Biodegradability
Biodegradability is the ability of a lubricant to break down in the environment in the presence of water and microorganisms. A good biodegradable lubricant will degrade by 20 to 60 percent in 28 days. EPA classifies such lubricants as environmentally acceptable lubricants (EAL).
2) Reduced Toxicity
Environmentally acceptable lubricants have low toxicity to reduce potential harm to the plants and wildlife in the water. That means every lubricant must undergo a toxicity test to establish its friendliness to the environment. Some aquatic toxicity tests help determine a lubricant’s toxicity to fish, while others focus on toxicity to plants.
3) Improved Performance
A specific percentage of environmentally acceptable lubricants comprise performance-enhancing additives. These additives address performance issues related to their application and the shortcomings of the base oil. The good news is that many additive manufacturers work closely with lubricant manufacturers to create additives ideal for boosting the performance of EALs that are more friendly to the environment.
4) Lower Environmental Impact
The primary objective of EALs is to reduce the negative impacts of lubricants on the environment. With the growing trend of lubricants becoming environmentally friendly, any leaks in the field, such as forestry or agricultural land, would have much lower impacts on the local environment. In other words, EALs are more eco-friendly.
5) Compliance with Regulations
All environmentally acceptable lubricant complies with all the EPA standards and regulations. In addition, these lubricants also align with the Vessel General Permit (VGP) provisions. Therefore, you can be sure that such lubricants are safe for the environment.
Get Started with Lubchem
The benefits of environmentally acceptable lubricants are incredible. Investing in EALs makes more sense since the lubricants have lower environmental impacts and improved performance. Thankfully, Lubchem is the best manufacturer of EALs for various applications.
Contact us today to order high-performance and environmentally-friendly lubricants.
