ILMA Compoundings - Jul/Aug 2021 - 18

Providers of renewable energy " tend to
think about sustainability, " noted Hart.
In Arizona, the sustainability-minded
owners of large wind farms are using
BioBlend's dust suppressants on their
roads because " they're not willing to
spray harmful things on the ground. "
" Even though a wind farm is a very
different business from biolubricants,
we found ways to work together
because environmentally friendly and
renewable concepts are very important
to both companies, " said Hart. " When
corporate missions align, it certainly
helps us to think about future ways to
partner with companies. "
As electric vehicles increase their
share of the automotive market,
Luzuriaga sees some opportunity for
biolubricants in thermal management
of the batteries. Synthetic esters could
be suitable fluids for immersion
cooling, with high flashpoints to minimize
fire hazards, and environmental
friendliness in case of crash or leakage.
In China, South Korea and Japan,
Luzuriaga sees rising acceptance of
biolubricants. Steel manufacturing,
transportation, construction, marine
and electricity transmission are the
sectors driving biolubricants in Asia. " If
China had an interest in biolubricants,
that would have a tremendous impact
on consumption of biolubricants overall, "
he said. " It's a very cost-conscious
market. Price is the determinant there,
but things are changing. "
Miller also sees regulatory caution
that slows progress in Asian markets.
" Asia is sort of tinkering with it, " he
said. " Getting regulatory approval in
Asia is a challenge, especially if your
product is not considered a polymer.
There are a lot of hurdles to jump. "
The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency is also slow to approve new
molecules, even if they're bioderived
and environmentally friendly, said
Miller. " Getting things through
regulatory compliance is going to get
harder and more expensive, " he added.
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JULY/AUGUST 2021 | COMPOUNDINGS | ILMA.ORG
Hart sees growth for biolubricants
within " anything that touches the
ground. " BioBlend developed its
natural-ester road-dust suppressant to
displace ubiquitous but harsh calcium
chloride. Working with state soy
boards, the company is rolling out the
product to meet demand for environmentally
friendly solutions to spray
onto roadways.
The U.S. Food Safety Modernization
Act has opened new possibilities
for biobased products, agree industry
players. BioBlend is making a strong
push into food-grade biolubricants.
" When we get soybean and canola
oils from the producers, you could
eat them, " said Hart. " Bigger users of
food-grade lubricants have been very
receptive. "
Biosynthetic Technologies has also
been " exploring the intersection of
food-grade and biobased oils, " said
Miller. For producers that process
their harvests or catches directly in the
field or ocean, biolubricants check off
all the necessary boxes - biodegradable,
nontoxic and food-grade.
Meeting the Challenges
Cost and performance: There's no
secret about the challenges remaining
in the biolubricants sphere, but industry
players see progress on both fronts.
Biolubricants still command a
premium compared to cheaper and
abundant mineral oils. The handful of
companies producing synthetic hydrocarbon
base stocks - all based in
North America - " need to have more
scale in order to reduce the price, "
Luzuriaga said. " In order to have that
scale come up, you need to find the
right route to markets. It's kind of a
chicken-egg question. "
Of course, production of plantbased
synthetic lubricants isn't simply
a matter of " turning up the volume
on the refinery, " noted Hart. Supply
depends on the decisions that agricultural
interests make on what to plant,
and high demand - such as today's
clamor for the feedstock for biodiesel
fuels - can send prices rising.
Surging demand for soybeans and
canola seeds, however, should inspire
agricultural interests to plant " a lot
more fields, " Hart said. " At the end
of the day, you manage through the
cycles, and at least today, it has all
worked out. It's definitely one of the
nuances of biolubricants that you
don't have to deal with in the petroleum
lubricants space. "
On the price front, biobased and
renewable lubricant manufacturers
can claim lower total cost of ownership,
through such factors as lower
handling costs and prevention of large
fines for environmental spills. Miller
also points to performance criteria
- " extended oil change intervals,
improved efficiencies, better operating
costs overall. "
" People are getting much savvier,
looking at the total cost of ownership
as compared to the cost per gallon, "
he said. " Biolubricants are more
expensive than conventionally derived
petroleum oil, but they bring value.
They bring sustainability. They bring
performance. They bring durability,
but they also bring assurance that if
you put a couple of drops into the
Columbia River, you're not shutting
the river down, or if you're an offshore
drill rig, they don't shut your drill
down because you've got an oil slick in
the Gulf of Mexico. "
Lower total cost of ownership is
" one of our huge selling points, "
agreed Hart. Years of data proving the
performance capabilities of renewable
biolubricants give confidence
to end-use customers and lubricant
marketers, building the trust that's
crucial to making inroads.
Biolube manufacturers have also
made great strides in performance. In
the past, these lubricants suffered in
the presence of water and in extremely
hot or cold temperatures. Today, these
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