Lubricants News and Updates

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Environmentally Friendly Products

Why are Environmentally Friendly Lubes Important for Vessels?

There have been a lot of questions regarding Marine vessel lubricants and the VGP regulations on them, so we thought it would be a good idea to lay out some of the fundamentals on the topic. The VGP regulations on vessels requires that vessel operators replace conventional lubricants with environmentally friendly options whenever possible. 

The concern isn't so much spills as normal amounts of lubricants lost in vessel operation, such as from stern tubes. A 2011 study by the European Commission DG Joint Research Centre actually found that routine operational lubricant discharge created more pollution in the Mediterranean Sea than accidental spills did. That's pretty significant!

By using more environmentally friendly products, operators can minimize damage to the environment while still meeting lubrication needs. 

Key issues are if a product is biodegradeable - either readily or inherently, whether its toxic to the aquatic environment, and how much bioaccumulation compounds in the product cause (how much it will build up in living tissue over time). For example, conventional petroleum based lubricants have the potential to bioaccumulate, don't biodegrade well, and can be highly toxic to the aquatic environment. In contrast, PAG, synthetic ester, and vegetable oil based Environmentally friendly lubricants biodegrade readily, have low toxicity to the aquatic environment, and do not bioaccumulate. So in that context, it makes a lot of sense to switch as much vessel lubrication as possible away from conventional lubes. 

In future posts we'll get more in depth on what different products meet VGP requirements, as well as what different parts of the regulation mean to different businesses and vessel types.

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BioBlend Environmentally Friendly Products

Did you know we stock BioBlend lubricants? Environmentally friendly lubricants for the environmentally friendly contractor.

BioBlend is all about vegetable based, readily biodegradeable fluids. These products are ideal for golf courses, marinas, trash companies, and contractors working near water.

Call now and get 5% off your first BioBlend order! Just mention Lube Updates when you order!

We stock: 

  • AW32 
  • AW46
  • AW68
  • Two-Cycle Oil
  • Universal Tractor fluid
  • Grease

Bioblend Environmentally Friendly Lubricant

We carry the following BioBlend Products

BioBlend AW Hydraulic Oils

BioBlend 2 Cycle

BioBlend EP2 Grease

BioFlow Universal Tractor Fluid

(For the Specs and MSDS on the full line of lubricants we carry, click here:  Spec Sheets and MSDS )

 

 

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Where can you find Propylene Glycol? What is this stuff, anyways?

Well of course I can only think of one place that can cover all your propylene glycol needs and that is Dennis K Burke.  This stuff is the best environmentally friendly antifreeze on the planet.  

Propylene Glycol can be used in all industrial applications including chiller systems, ground thaw units, hvac systems and for food grade applications. We stock concentrate as well as 50/50, 60/40, and 40/60 blends in bulk, 55 gallon drums, and 5 gallon pails.  We are also one of the only distributors that can distribute this in bulk with our dedicated antifreeze delivery truck.

If you use propylene glycol (or would like to) and would like DKB to perform a plant walk-through, email me (john.presti@burkeoil.com).

(As an aside: Some customers prefer to have propylene glycol tinted so they can easily detect leaks in their systems, if you prefer tinted product we are happy to oblige, just tell your customer service rep when you place your order.)

So what is propylene glycol, exactly?

Propylene Glycol is basically the alternative to Ethylene Glycol, which is the most common type of antifreeze. Ethylene Glycol works great but the problem is you can't use it anywhere where a leak could come into contact with potable water or food processing systems. Propylene glycol is chemically compatible with ethylene glycol, but far less toxic and that allows it to be used in a broader variety of applications because there is less concern with leaking causing dangerous contamination.

Propylene Glycol is actually in almost everything. Pharmaceutical grade propylene glycol is used in deodorant, soda, pet food, cough syrup, even lipstick.  Industrial grade propylene glycol is used in everything from plastics resins, paint, in dishwashing detergent and obviously as a heat transfer fluid (it drops the freezing point of liquids) - so everything from the electrical components and dishwashing detergent in your home, to the solar panels on the roof of our office contains some level of propylene glycol. (This website's brochure has some interesting info on all the things propylene glycol does Propylene-Glycol.com/Brochure )

If you want to learn more about antifreeze in general, including propylene glycol, this website has a really awesome FAQ section that covers everything you'll ever need to know and then some - from how to know youre using the right stuff to how to recycle it. This link will take you to the FAQ section: Antifreeze FAQs

Again, if you use propylene glycol (or would like to) and would like DKB to perform a plant walk-through, email me (john.presti@burkeoil.com). Or you call 1-800-289-2875 to speak to a customer service rep or place an order. Know what you want? Just submit your order online to lubeorders@burkeoil.com

Have a great day!

 

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