ILMA Compoundings January 2018 - 32

There are fewer additive options
when it comes to silicone. Because the
number of silicone-based lubricants in
use is relatively small, manufacturers
have devoted less time and money to
developing additives for them. For the
most part, that has not been a significant issue.
"Silicones have outstanding
extreme-temperature properties and
don't need additives to improve that,"
Finner said. But there is one potential drawback to a silicone solution:
"Many traditional silicones do not
carry load well."
"Let's say I'm looking at a bearing
on a piece of mining equipment and
know it's going to be under a significant load. That significant loading
- shock loading - could lead to
bearing wear. Silicone is best for the
cold, but it isn't going to offer much
protection from shock loading. So,
maybe I should consider moving
toward a PAO. It might not work as
well as silicone in the cold, but PAOs
can be fortified with additives to improve their inherent properties. Most
importantly, the finished lubricant will
be able to deal with the loads."

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JANUARY 2018

| COMPOUNDINGS | ILMA.ORG

"It really is a matter of understanding the application, the environment
and what you're trying to achieve,"
Bryant said.

Regulations and
resources
For those companies considering expanding their market into Arctic marine
applications, Finner offers an important
caution. "Regulations are changing
faster and with increasing complexity.
Consider grease or anti-seize paste that's
fortified with copper, zinc or nickel and
suitable for use on offshore drilling platforms in the North Atlantic. One must
contend with REACH (Registration,
Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals) and other more
specific regulations, such as the Norwegian Harmonized Off-Shore Chemicals
Notification Format (HOCNF). Under
some regulations, copper and zinc are
considered aquatic toxins, meaning the
use of products containing them may be
strongly discouraged or even prohibited.
"The long-term sustainability of
lubricants used in offshore or marine
applications seems to be moving to
metal-free products," Finner added.

"There's a huge drive within the industry
for lubricants that aren't carcinogenic,
toxic to the environment or environmentally persistent. Maintaining
adequate lubricant performance in an
increasingly regulated world presents a
struggle we have to work with.
"All of this regulation also means
we need to carefully consider our
return on investment when it comes to
lubricant development," he concluded. "You've really got to watch it as a
lubricant company. If you're going to
spend your time developing a product,
you need to be mindful of where the
regulations are today and where they're
likely to go in at least the next three to
four years. You don't want to develop
something today that may potentially
be prohibited tomorrow."
Bryant doesn't believe the challenges
should deter those companies with the
determination to pursue the Arctic marine market. "This is a niche market,"
he said. "But the strength of ILMA
members is their ability to find and
service niche markets. If you have the
resources, there are opportunities."
Bittner is a Michigan-based freelance writer
and a frequent contributor to Compoundings.
http://www.ILMA.ORG
ILMA Compoundings January 2018

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