Advantages And Applications Of Biodegradable Hydraulic Oil

A sound awareness of the concept of hydraulic machinery and fluids is a prerequisite for anyone who wants to be able to understand the importance of biodegradable hydraulic oil and how it works. It may be easier still if the reader knows what biodegradability means. Let's take each of them individually first, and then the paired attributes to see the incredible potential they bring for agricultural, industrial and commercial applications.

In a hydraulic system, the force applied on one side of the system is transmitted through a fluid to the other side. The efficiency of the system depends on the compressibility of the fluid, which is why almost all such systems use oils that are highly incompressible. This means that any force applied from one side is multiplied and transferred to the other side.

The concept of hydraulics comes in very handy for a huge range of applications, including vehicle brakes, power steering and transmissions. The heavy lifting done by garbage or dump trucks and backhoes is mostly based on hydraulics. Aircraft flight control systems, lifts and a vast range of industrial machinery are also based on the same principles.

It's not just about power transfer either. These fluids can and are used for multiple purposes. For instance, they are capable of transferring heat and can act as a conducting medium. The fluid pressure acts as a sealing medium to prevent leakage of gases and liquids into the surroundings. At the same time, the fluid provides lubrication by reducing friction between moving parts that come into contact with each other, and extracts the heat generated in this process.

As for biodegradability, it is the process involving sunlight, water and microorganisms that breaks up substances so that they can be assimilated back into nature. For instance, a dead plant virtually disappears inside of a month, consumed and broken up into Co2 and other natural elements found in the air, soil and water. In the same way, plant-based biodegradable hydraulic oil that gets spilled and left outside quickly biodegrades back into nature.

Regardless of the application, leaked hydraulic fluids that quickly biodegrade back into nature are obviously a good thing. But it is highly desired in certain situations such as machinery used for agriculture. Combines, tractors and pumps that make use of fluids cannot afford to leak toxic oils into the soil or water because it would ultimately end up in the feedstock and produce, creating health risks for both farm animals and humans.

Fluids that biodegrade in this manner can be classified as either inherently or readily biodegradable. In the latter case, 60-100% of the spilled fluid is processed by nature and biodegrades within a period of 28 days. If it is categorized as inherently biodegradable, the percentage biodegradation for the same period drops down to in between 20-60%.

The easy way to get hold of the most efficient and environment-friendly biodegradable hydraulic oil on the market is to check for standards compliance. Excellent viscosity or the oil grade can be assumed if the product is ISO 32, 46 or 68 compliant. Similarly, compliance with ASTM-D-6006 and ASTM-D-6046 can be used to assess the degree of biodegradability.