Exploring the Shift Towards Lubricant Decarbonization

Lubricant decarbonization is slowly making its way into the industrial sector. At a time when more regulations are coming into effect regarding GHG (Greenhouse Gases) and their effects on the environment, the industrial sector has some catching up to do to help make its positive impact. In this article, we will talk some more about some of the biggest challenges and opportunities in this shift, key activities for sustainable lubrication and case studies.

Five of the most energy-intensive industrial subsectors include; chemicals, refining, iron & steel, food & beverage and cement & lime. These sectors account for 51% of the energy related CO2 emissions in the US industrial sector and 15% of the total US economy-wide CO2 emissions (Livingstone, 2022). Within the work we do with machinery lubrication, these sectors are very prevalent and any reduction in the impact of CO2 production can be significant.

There are four technological pillars which have a crucial role in reducing emissions in these subsectors namely; Energy efficiency, Industrial electrification, Low carbon Fuels, Feedstocks, and Energy Sources (LCFFES) and Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUs). However, for the area of machinery lubrication, we will focus on a combination of energy efficiency and LCFFES where we adapt the Fill4Life™ technology as our approach to sustainable lubrication.

Challenges and Opportunities in Lubricant Decarbonization

There are both challenges and opportunities which exist for the world of lubricant decarbonization. Some of the challenges include being able to quantify improvements made by these changes and the cost factor associated with adopting some of these practices.

Being able to accurately measure the efficiency improvements made by these lubricants can become complex, especially if sophisticated equipment is involved. Therefore, it becomes difficult to demonstrate the improvements associated with these changes. Additionally, many of these energy efficient lubricants are synthetic which can be more expensive than conventional oils. This higher cost factor can negatively influence users and move them away from creating a positive impact on the environment.

On the other hand, there are also some opportunities which exist which can help with lubricant decarbonization. By extending oil drain intervals, implementing sustainable practices, using renewable sources, performing life cycle assessments, adopting Fill4Life lubrication and collaborating to bring more awareness to these, we can explore the opportunities to positively impact the environment.

Through the extension of oil drain intervals, the overall carbon footprint of the lubricant can be significantly reduced. From inception, it requires a lot of energy to extract the crude oil from the earth. After it passes through refining processes which also carry a carbon footprint. These lubricants need to be blended to particular specifications, packaged and transported to the site. Even after they have reached their end of life in the facility, they still need to be properly disposed of, which also has a carbon footprint attached to it. As such, by extending the oil drain interval by keeping the lubricant clean (free from contaminants) and healthy (at healthy additive / chemical levels), the carbon footprint can be significantly reduced.

By implementing sustainable lubrication practices such as oil analysis programs these can aid in monitoring the health of the lubricant and whether there are significant levels of contamination ingress. These will impact on the oil drain intervals which will in turn have an impact on the carbon footprint. Additionally, through the use of renewable sources such as plant-based oils, there is also an opportunity to reduce the carbon footprint.

Fluitec’s approach to Sustainable Lubrication

Fluitec uses a two-tier approach to sustainable lubrication; Extending Lubricant Life and Implementing Sustainable Lubrication Practices.

By utilizing the Fill4Life approach, it is intended to shift the perception of lubricants as consumables to being assets. This approach can maximize the lifespan and performance of the lubricants by using active management through oil analysis before oils are replaced. Therefore, the lifespan of the oils can be twice or even ten times as compared to regular conventional oils.

Fluitec uses a management approach which involves a proactive and continuous management method to assess health of the lubricant through two main techniques: active removal of degradation products and additive replenishment. Via the process of Electrophysical separation or using Fluitec’s ESP units, the lubricant can remain free from contaminants and degradation by products which accumulate over time to cause harmful varnish. These units are non-traditional as they can remove the degradation by products not just regular physical contaminants.

Additionally, by monitoring the health of the oil, users can identify if certain additives such as antioxidants or antiwear are being depleted. With the use of Solvancer technology, these additives can be replenished allowing the lubricant to stay in service longer with an extended oil life reducing its CO2 impact on the environment.

Comparing the carbon footprint of a PAO to a Group II Engine oil

There is a higher carbon footprint to produce a PAO oil compared to the production of a Group II engine oil as more refining and processes are involved. But does this mean that PAOs have a higher carbon footprint than Group II Engine oils? Not necessarily.

PAOs also have longer extended drain intervals compared to Group II Engine oils. As such, their overall lifespan offsets the initial higher carbon impact (as much as 40% more) as per (Livingstone, 2022). A longer lifespan for PAOs suggests less oil changes, less disposal costs and as a result overall less carbon emissions.

By using the Life Cycle Assessment tool, (Livingstone, 2022) proves:

  • The PAO based engine oil has a 63% higher cradle to gate carbon footprint
  • Due to the extended lifespan, the total carbon footprint of the PAO based engine oil was 42% less than a regular Group II engine oil.

Based on the info above we can clearly see that even though the PAO oil appears to be more expensive than the mineral oil, it actually is better for the environment in the longer term. This is the importance of fully exploring the life cycle analysis of any lubricant to fully understand its impact on the environment and the equipment’s reliability. With these assessments, we can shift the needle towards industrial decarbonization.

 

References

Livingstone, G. (2022, December 28). The Drive towards Lubricant Decarbonization. Retrieved from Fluitec: https://www.fluitec.com/charting-the-sustainable-path-forward-into-2023-2/