Eco-friendly options for marine and offshore lubes

>Salt water, crashing waves, the ship's decks permanently drenched - conditions at the high seas can be rough. The bearings of cranes, winches and sheaves, and also ropes and open drives must be relubricated with care on a regular basis to ensure reliable operation. But even in these extreme maritime conditions, it is important to consider the environment, and to look at eco-friendly, biodegradable lubrication options.

>"There's potential that some of the greases used will drop off and ultimately be washed into the sea," explains Dirk Fabry, market manager for the maritime and offshore industry at Klüber Lubrication. "The use of eco-compatible lubricants helps prevent excessive impact on the environment and marine organisms."

>To meet these needs, Klüber Lubrication has developed Klüberbio M 72-82 which is highly resistant to water, protects components against corrosion, and due to its good adhesion enables long relubrication intervals. The fully synthetic grease provides good wear protection and can be pumped through lubricating systems over a wide temperature range. The product can also be used in cold climates down to -40°C.

>Klüberbio M 72-82 is a good option wherever contact with water or soil cannot be excluded. Testing has been completed to OECD 301 F giving assurance of the biodegradability. And in addition to use on ships or offshore platforms, Klüberbio M 72-82 is suitable for components in port facilities or other areas requiring high performance and biodegradability There are other areas, too, in the offshore environment where reliable and readily biodegradable products can reduce the impact on sensitive eco-systems. In hydraulic systems, leakage can be a major problem. The root cause lies with the numerous flexible connections within a hydraulic system that are subject to wear or can be damaged due to external mechanical stress. They are constantly under pressure and hard to seal completely even with the best of maintenance.

>The specific technical requirements of complex hydraulic systems are such that until recently they could often only be met by fluids based on mineral oils. With the development of the Klüberbio LR 9 series, however, Klüber Lubrication has succeeded in creating a synthetic, readily biodegradable product offering a performance that is at least equal to that of mineral oil based products.

>"The new, highly efficient hydraulic fluids of the Klüberbio LR 9 series bear the European Eco Label issued for particularly eco-friendly products," explains Fabry. "They contain more than 90% renewable resources, are readily biodegradable and are not toxic to marine organisms, which considerably reduces their environmental impact in the event of a leakage. So they are both biodegradable and sustainable."

>Due to their very good viscosity-temperature behaviour, Klüberbio LR 9 oils help hydraulic systems get easily started even at low temperatures. This also means they are suitable for use where temperatures fluctuate considerably. As they are very resistant to hydrolysis, they enable longer oil change intervals and better reliability of the hydraulic system, including in wet environments. The synthetic ester based oils are specially designed for applications in mobile hydraulic systems in the marine and offshore sectors. They are also products of preference for land-based hydraulic applications, for example in docks and harbours.