Environmentally Acceptable

Hydraulic Fluids

www.crodalubricants.com
Esters as Lubricants Base Fluids

Esters are predominantly used as

base fluids in the formulation of
environmentally acceptable
lubricants due to their
biodegradability and low aquatic
toxicity. They can be considered to
fall into one of three categories:
• Natural oils and fats
• Petrochemical esters
• Synthetic oleochemical esters

www.crodalubricants.com
Natural Esters
• The two most commonly used natural oils for lubrication of machinery
are:
• rapeseed oil
• sunflower oil
• The main disadvantages of natural oils are their poor resistance to
oxidation, their poor low temperature flow properties, and their limited
range of viscosity grades
• Oxidation stability can be improved by ‘blowing’ the oil, but the
viscosity increases significantly
• By optimising their use in the production of synthetic esters (high
renewability content) many of these disadvantage can be overcome
• Their main technical advantage is their very good lubrication
properties

www.crodalubricants.com
Petrochemical Esters
• Di-esters have long been used as a base fluid for long-life lubricants or
lubricants which have to withstand high temperature operating conditions

• Another advantage of petrochemical esters is their suitability for use in

cold environments
• A further advantage of di-esters is their low viscosity at 40ºC. Until
recently they have been the only real option for low viscosity lubricating
oils

• A disadvantage of di-esters is their zero renewability which limits their

use
• Under the European Eco-label criteria, petrochemical esters are useful
only as co-base fluids and the amount that can be used in a formulation
is dictated by the application in which the lubricant will be used

www.crodalubricants.com
Synthetic Esters Derived from
Oleochemical Raw Materials
• Synthetic esters derived from oleochemical raw
materials are the most versatile of the three categories
of esters

• Synthetic oleochemical esters are generally a product

resulting from the reaction of a petrochemical alcohol
with one or more oleochemical derived fatty acids

• They typically have a renewability content of between

70% and 95%

www.crodalubricants.com
Synthetic Esters Derived from
Oleochemical Raw Materials
• Oleochemical based esters offer the broadest technology platform
enabling the preparation of biodegradable esters with viscosities
ranging from approximately 10cSt up to 1000cSt at 40ºC

• Oleochemical based esters are not classified as dangerous for

the environment, nor are they classified as harmful to aquatic
organisms

• Oleochemical based esters do not bio-accumulate in the

environment

www.crodalubricants.com
Synthetic Esters Derived from
Oleochemical Raw Materials
• Oleochemical based esters are often categorised by
their oxidation stability:

• Low to medium oxidation stability

• unsaturated esters

• High oxidation stability

• fully saturated esters
• polymeric esters, also known as complex esters

www.crodalubricants.com
Oleochemical Derivatives for Eco-label
Lubricants
• The Eco-label document was published in
2005 and was revised in 2011.

• Unlike national standards that preceded it,

the Eco-label requires a high renewability
content in the lubricant formulation

• Since the base fluid constitutes up to 98%

of a lubricant formulation, the Eco-label
requirements strongly favour the use of
oleochemical esters

www.crodalubricants.com
 Environmentally Acceptable Esters
Kinematic Kinematic Viscosity Pour Flash Biodegadability Renewability Daphnia Algae
viscosity at viscosity index point point OECD 301B (%) (mg/l) (mg/l)
40ºC at 100ºC (ºC) (ºC) (%)
(mm²/s) (mm²/s)

Crodamol OIS 11 3.0 136 -33 >220 78 70 >1000 >1000

Crodamol GTCC 14 3.4 120 -6 240 95 100 - -

Priolube 1445 67 12.5 188 -21 290 86 90 >100* >1000

Priolube 1446 30 7.0 207 -24 295 84 85 >100* >1000

Priolube 1847 1040 90 167 -24 300 63 73 >1000 >1000

Priolube 1851 495 49 153 -36 300 65 87 - -

Priolube 1935 14.5 3.7 149 -72 226 64 0 - -

Priolube 1936 26 5.3 139 -54 244 74 0 - -

Priolube 1960 46 8.0 148 -44 280 >80** >80 >1000 >1000

* >100mg/l was the highest reported concentration at the time of testing

** Based on structurally similar substances

www.crodalubricants.com
 Environmentally Acceptable Esters
Kinematic Kinematic Viscosity Pour Flash Biodegadability Renewability Daphnia Algae
viscosity at viscosity at index point point OECD 301B (%) (mg/l) (mg/l)
40ºC 100ºC (ºC) (ºC) (%)
(mm²/s) (mm²/s)

Priolube 1973 46 8.0 148 -44 280 85 85 >1000 >1000

Priolube 2065 48 9.8 196 -39 300 79 86 >1000 >1000

Priolube 2087 320 35 150 -40 260 63 88 >100* >98.7

Priolube 2088 320 35 150 -40 260 63 88 >100* >98.7

Priolube 2089 44 8.7 181 -54 315 84 85 >1000 812

Priolube 2500 90 13 143 -24 280 75 >80 - -

Priolube 3959 7.7 2.4 135 -81 203 96 0 - -

Priolube 3970 20 4.4 140 -51 250 75 78 >1000 >1000

Priolube 3987 145 18.2 140 -33 320 73 85 >100* >1000

Priolube 3999 90 14 144 -27 290 65 87 - -

* >100mg/l was the highest reported concentration at the time of testing

www.crodalubricants.com
 Environmentally Acceptable ISO Grade
Blends (high renewability)
ISO Grade Low – Medium Oxidation Stability High Oxidation Stability

ISO 10 Priolube 2065 or 2089 Crodamol OIS

ISO 15 Priolube 2065 or 2089 Crodamol OIS + Priolube 1973

ISO 22 Priolube 2065 or 2089 Priolube 3970
Priolube 2065 or 2089 Crodamol OIS + Priolube 1973
ISO 32 Priolube 1446 Crodamol OIS + Priolube 1973
ISO 46 Priolube 2089 Priolube 1973
Priolube 2065 Priolube 3970 + Priolube 1847 or 1851
ISO 68 Priolube 1445 Priolube 3970 + Priolube 1847 or 1851
Priolube 1973 + Priolube 1847 or 1851
ISO 100 Priolube 2089 + Priolube 1847 or 1851 Priolube 2500
Priolube 2065 + Priolube 1847 or 1851 Priolube 1973 + Priolube 1847 or 1851
ISO 150 - 1000 Priolube 2089 + Priolube 1847 or 1851 Priolube 1973 + Priolube 1847 or 1851
Priolube 2065 + Priolube 1847 or 1851
Priolube 3987 or 2087 or 2088 or 1847 or
Priolube 2087 or 2088 or 1847 or 1851 1851

www.crodalubricants.com
Priolube 2089
Low Temperature Off-shore Applications
Applications
• For extreme low temperature • Priolube 2089 has excellent
environments (-30OC) Croda biodegradability profile and is suitable
recommends the use of Priolube 2089, for use in North Sea off-shore
as it retains it’s low temperature flow applications:
properties even after 72 hours: • OECD 306 71%
Low Temperature Flow Properties • Corophium volutator
18 • 10 day NOEC mg/kg :13858.7
16
KV at -30°C (10 3, mm2/s)

14 • Acartia tonsa
12
10
• 48hr NOEC mg/l :10000
P2065
8
6
P2089 • alga Skeletonema costatum
4 • NOEC mg/l :3200
2
0 • fish Schophthalumus maximus
0 4 24 48 72 120 168
• 96 hr limit test result mg/l: > 3200
Time (hours)

www.crodalubricants.com
Disclaimer
The information in this publication is believed to be accurate and is given in good faith
but no representation or warranty as to its completeness or accuracy is made.

Suggestions for uses or applications are only opinions. Users are responsible for
determining the suitability of these products for their own particular purpose.

No representation or warranty, express or implied, is made with respect to information

or products including without limitation warranties of merchantability or fitness for a
particular purpose or non-infringement of any third party patent or other intellectual
property rights including without limit copyright, trademark and designs.

Any trademarks identified herein are trademarks of the Croda group of companies.

© Copyright Croda Europe Ltd 2013. All Rights Reserved

www.crodalubricants.com