The oil that flows through hydraulic systems can almost be compared with blood which flows through our bodies and like blood; any problems with the oil can affect components, performance or serious failure of the hydraulic system. Hydraulic oils can vary in their formulations using different additives to improve the system performance and protect components against wear and corrosion. In recent years new synthetic oils have become available and the ones most interesting to me are those that cause less damage to the environment if accidentally spilt on land, sea or rivers.
When we designed the recent hydraulic system for the open 60 racing Yacht “Acciona” our client stressed that the hydraulic system should present no risk of contamination to the sea. The amount of oil carried on this type of boat is very small compared to industrial applications but even one litre of mineral oil accidentally spilt into the sea is still far too much and not acceptable if we are serious about keeping our oceans free of pollution.
Rape seed oil has been available for many years for environmentally sensitive applications but do not offer the same protection to hydraulic components as mineral oils but synthetic based oils are a new generation of “Eco” oils that offer greater benefits for systems and environment.
We contacted Millers Oils who recommended Millmax 32HFD(u).
I wanted to know (in laymen terms) how effective the oil was in protecting the environment and hydraulic components and this is their reply:
Definitely would not recommend you drink it, would have a similar effect to drinking Castor Oil.
Would not kill fish as any escaped oil would lie on the surface oil while it was biodegrading away (being eaten by bacteria)
Synthetic esters which is made from are reaction products of fatty acids and alcohols, careful selection of the two components can radically change the end product.
They will provide better protection than mineral oils and also give better lubricity (more slippery) providing the oil stays at sensible temperature i.e. kept below 80˚C they will outlast a mineral oil
For us it is still early days to properly evaluate this oil but so far it has performed well. At the moment these oils can be five times the price of mineral oil but if it is as good as the manufacturer’s claim then I believe that we should be consider it for more applications especially where there is any risk to the environment.
Bob Jackson (The Hydraulicman)
For more hydraulics see www.hydraulicbrain.com
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