Acute toxicity – The measurement of the concentration required to kill various organisms over a short period of time.
Bio-based fluids – A commercial or industrial product other than food or feed, derived in whole or part from renewable agricultural and forestry materials or materials.
Biodegradation – The process of chemical breakdown or transformation of a material caused by organisms or their enzymes, into carbon dioxide and water.
Eco-toxicity – Measurement to determine environmental effect of a lubricant.
Environmentally persistent – Toxic to marine life for long periods of time.
Food grade lubricants – Substances used in food processing plants that are designed for light duty applications where the fluid doesn’t come in contact with food.
Hydraulic Environmental (HE) classes of hydraulic fluids. - Hydraulic fluids fall under four environmental class as defined by ISO 15380. They are:
- HETG – Triglyceride, animal and vegetable oils
- HEPG – Polyglycol
- HEES – Synthetic esters, unsaturated and saturated
- HEPR – Polyalphaolefins (PAO’s) and related products
Inherently Biodegradable – Products that degrade eventually, but not in a specified timeframe. A lubricant product in this category will break down some day, usually measured in years. While not truly biodegradable, they do have reduced toxicity. Inherently biodegradable products are still considered pollutants and are subject to all fines, cleanup regulations and long term remediation.
Primary degradation – The process in which a substance loses its original structure and properties. For lubricant products, the measurement of the reduction of carbon and hydrogen bonds in the initial solution – e.g. surface activity.
Secondary (ultimate) degradation – The measurement of the evolution of CO2 through biodegradation. This is achieved when a product (or test substance) is totally utilized by micro-organisms resulting in the production of the basic elements of CO2, water, inorganic compounds and new microbial biomass or secretions.
“Sheen Rule” – A harmful quantity of discharged oil that violates state water quality standards, causes a film or sheen on the water’s surface, or leaves sludge or emulsion beneath the surface. The oil regulation that establishes the criteria for determining whether an oil spill may be harmful to public health or welfare.
Synthetic lubricants - Products that are engineered from pure chemicals, not refined from crude oil. They usually offer enhanced performance as compared to vegetable or petroleum based products. Some can be readily biodegradable and nontoxic and can withstand operating temperatures over 400°F.
Readily biodegradable – Products that have the natural ability to biodegrade quickly and completely. Readily biodegradable products will degrade 80% in saltwater within 21 days as measured by the decrease of a test sample. Most readily biodegradable hydraulic fluids are vegetable oil based.