Creating a new category; "Environmentally Preferred Lubricants"
Environmentally preferred lubricants fulfill a niche in the total lubricant marketplace; however, there is not a universally accepted definition. The industry generally identifies them by three parameters:
Type |
Renewable/Reusable Base Stock |
Degree of Toxicity |
Degree of Biodegradability |
Petroleum |
NO (Virgin Group II) |
Moderate-High |
LOW |
Re-refined Petroleum |
YES (Resuable Group II Base Stock) |
Moderate |
LOW |
Synthetic |
NO (Group III) |
Slight-Moderate |
MEDIUM** |
Bio-based |
Yes (Renewable Group V Base Stock) |
Insignificant |
HIGH |
* Exceeds bio-content criteria of USDA BioPreferred program
BioPreferredĀ® is a registered trademark of USDA
** A small percentage are specifically formulated to be less toxic and somewhat biodegradable