Friday, September 6, 2013

Applications And Advantages Of Biodegradable Hydraulic Oil

Applications And Advantages Of Biodegradable Hydraulic Oil

By Helene Norris


This discussion about the applications and advantages of biodegradable hydraulic oil requires the reader to have a basic understanding of hydraulic fluids and machinery. It might also be helpful to know exactly what it means for a substance to be biodegradable. Let's consider these things one at a time, and then see how well they work together for commercial, agricultural and industrial applications.

Hydraulic systems make use of a fluid for transmitting force from one part of the system to another. This arrangement's efficiency is largely dependent on the fluid's compressibility. This is largely why most of these systems make use of extremely incompressible oils that multiply the force as it moves through the fluid 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.

The fluids in such systems often fulfill additional functions besides transferring power. They can, for instance, act as a conducting medium and transfer heat. The even pressure applied by the fluid acts as a sealant and prevents liquids and gases within the system from escaping into the surrounding environment. The fluid also serves as a lubricant to prevent wear of moving components due to friction, and it allows the heat generated to dissipate.

As to biodegradability, this refers to the way natural material is quickly processed and broken down into constituent components such as Co2 and other elements commonly found in the soil, water and air. The best example is a dead plant, which is processed by sunlight, microorganisms and water within a month. The example is quite apt for this discussion, because biodegradable hydraulic oil is made from plants and degrades in the same way when it leaks out on the ground or in water.

This fast degradability is obviously a good thing for any application, but it becomes even more critical for certain sectors. For example, agricultural machines such as tractors, combines and pumps used on farmland cannot be allowed to spill toxic fluids that may mix with the soil and water. It would eventually makes its way into feedstock and the agricultural produce, and thereby pose health risks for humans as well as farm animals.

There are two basic categorizations for fluids that lay claim to biodegradability. They can either be inherently or readily biodegradable. The latter term implies that 60-100 percent of the substance will degrade within 28 days. The inherently biodegradable type can only promise 20-60 percent of biodegradation within the same period.

The simplest way to get hold of an highly efficient and environment-friendly biodegradable hydraulic oil is to look for standards compliance. ISO standards 32, 46 and 68 all point towards fluids that have a good oil grade or viscosity. As far as biodegradability is concerned, the standards to look for are ASTM-D-6046 or ASTM-D-6006.




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