What is PD CEN/TR 16227 - Recommendations for bio-lubricant-related terminology about?
PD CEN/TR 16227 is a technical report that gives information about bio-lubricants and recommendations for bio-lubricant (and biobased lubricant) related terminology. These recommendations are based on a discussion of commonly used terms in this field.
PD CEN/TR 16227 also briefly describes the current test methods in relation to the characterization of bio-lubricants.
PD CEN/TR 16227 presents recommendations for related standards in the field of biodegradability, product functionality, impact on greenhouse gas emissions, and the amount of different renewable raw materials and/or different bio-based contents used during manufacturing of such bio-lubricants forming one product group.
The criteria of the European Ecolabel for Lubricants (“EEL”) [2] include the terms discussed in this paper.
Note: The European Lead Market Initiative (“LMI”) [3] defines the term “bio-based” as described in Table 1. It is important to mention that “bio-based” does not imply “biodegradable”. In addition, “biodegradable” does not imply the use of “bio-based” material.
Who is PD CEN/TR 16227 - Recommendations for bio-lubricant-related terminology for?
PD CEN/TR 16227 on recommendations for bio-lubricant-related terminology is useful for:
- Petroleum industry
- Emission control bodies
- Environmental protection authorities
- Manufacture of lubricants
Why should you use PD CEN/TR 16227 - Recommendations for bio-lubricant-related terminology?
The main reason for the recent interest in bio-lubricants is due to the origin (i.e. use of bio-based raw materials) or to the biodegradability of the final products, needed for instance in case of leakages or technically intended losses. The use of bio-based raw materials could be beneficial with reference to two current problems: fossil resources depletion and climate change. Today, regarding the latter issue, we have to manage carbon in order to avoid its accumulation in the atmosphere. Efficient use of all available resources and responsible utilization of renewable carbon is a way to participate in this reduction.
Lubricants are important materials that contribute significantly to environmental protection: thanks to their tailor-made properties they reduce energy losses and wear in machines and aggregates.
The global manufacture of lubricants in all applications only uses a small part of the entire consumed mineral oil: in Europe, it only makes up around 1 %. The major fraction (> 80 %) of the residual fossil material is used for energy production, predominantly for transportation and heating purposes. Besides crude oil, biomass is an additional raw material source for lubricants.
According to various scientists [1], it would appear appropriate to use agricultural raw materials predominantly in a cascade of uses, instead of burning them directly in furnaces or engines. That would mean, for example, first producing a bio-lubricant from biomass: around 1 t to 2 t of bio-lubricants can be produced per hectare of agricultural land. The bio-lubricant thereby stores CO2 in the form of vegetable carbon and removes it from the atmosphere.
PD CEN/TR 16227 helps ensure responsible and environmentally conscious use of natural (fossil and renewable) resources, by providing a clear and unambiguous terminology.
The approach which is published in PD CEN/TR 16227 is focused on the view of the customer: Are the referred criteria for “bio-lubricants” potentially provable for the formulated product? The statement of this report is: Every announcement with regard to biodegradability, toxicity, and bio-based content should be measurable through the final product in hands of the customer.
Finally, this approach intends to enhance the reputation of “bio-lubricants” and the confidence of the customer in this product group, even if no official eco-label stands for the correctness of declarations.
Note: The criteria for "bio-lubricants" published in PD CEN/TR 16227 are not contrary to the European Ecolabel for Lubricants, but complementary.
