Environmentally adapted lubricants, Part I. An overview

The requirement for environmentally adapted lubricants has begun to play an increasingly important role in many industrial applications, particularly in the last two decades. The present-day requirements for biodegradable and eco-friendly lubricants imply that lubricants have properties that can minimise, if not eliminate, negative environmental impact, such as contamination of soil and water, caused by lost lubrication, leakage and accidents. The dominant factors that have a direct impact on the environment and which characterise the lubricant and its chemical composition, are toxicity, bio-accumulation and biodegradability. Biodegradability is perhaps the most important factor which determines the fate of lubricant in the environment. Various commercial, governmental, and regulatory initiatives exist that protect the interests of the consumer. Life cycle analysis can help in assessing the total environmental impact of lubricants. This paper reviews the essential requirements of environmentally adapted lubricants, i.e., chemical composition, eco-toxicity, biodegradability, bio-accumulation, and eco-labelling schemes, and life cycle analysis.