BIODEGRADABILITY & TOXICITY.

Biodegradability and Toxicity are two separate issues – a food grade lubricant may be non-toxic but is not necessarily biodegradable, for a Lubricant to be referred to as environmentally acceptable it must be both Biodegradable and Non-Toxic.

 生物降解性和毒性是两个独立分开的两件事情：一个食品级润滑剂可能是无毒的，但没有必要时生物降解的。对于一个润滑剂被环境要求接受时，它必须是无毒和生物可降解的。

BIODEGRADABILITY.

Biodegradation may be defined as the chemical breakdown or transformation of a substance caused by organisms or their enzymes. The process of ultimate (total) biodegradation results in the complete transformation of a substance into carbon dioxide, methane, water and mineral salts. 

Most lubricant products including traditional mineral oil based grades exhibit some level of biodegradability, even if it may take several years to achieve any significant breakdown. For the purposes of environmental acceptability biodegradation must be recorded. The degree of biodegradation is measured by calculating the rate of conversion of a given lubricant into carbon dioxide.

The main recognised standards are Coordinating European Council (CEC) Test CEC L-33-T-82 (for lubricant additives) and CEC L-33-A-94 for base fluids and finished products, also American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Test ASTM 5864.

Under test CEC L-33-T-82 a substance is “readily biodegradable” if it biodegrades at least 60% within 28 days. It must also meet a 10-day window that starts when it reaches 10% CO2 evolution – once a substance hits the 10% mark it must make it all the way to 60% within the next 10 days.

Test CEC L-33-A-94 is measured over 21 days

ASTM 5864 is the same as CEC L-33-T-82 but without the constraint of the 10-day window.

Revol Bio-R Grease passes CEC L-33-A-94 at >80% after 21 days.

TOXICITY

The toxicity of a lubricant is usually derived by conducting an acute toxicity test, the standard is an aquatic test referred to as LC50 – normally performed on rainbow trout. Toxicity is expressed as a concentration of the substance required to produce a 50% mortality rate after 96hrs.

A substance is generally considered acceptable if a concentration of greater than 1000ppm of the material is required to achieve a 50% mortality figure in the tested subject.

Revol Bio-R Grease passes LC50 > 2000ppm – based on the most toxic component.

APPRAISAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL ACCEPTABILITY – 美特润 METALUB  BIO-R GREASE.

• Manufactured from renewable base stock.
• Totally free from aromatic content.
• Passes CEC-L-33-A-94 at > 80% after 21 days
• Passes LC50 at > 2000ppm