RESEARCH AND
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CONTINUED RAW MATERIALS AND ALTERNATIVES How a lubricant will be used clearly determines which raw materials and ingredients could potentially be used in its formulation. In additional to fossil raw materials, base oils are also obtained from renewable sources through chemical processes. At MOTOREX these ingredients are processed into products with the desired characteristics for a given application. Since the 1980s, plant-based raw materials have made up a growing fraction of inputs. When it comes to motor oils, attention centers on optimizing fuel consumption and reducing CO 2 emissions while simultaneously extending maintenance intervals. We are also using an increasing number of synthetic raw materials that have extremely long service lives thanks to properties such as high shear and oxidation stability. SAVINGS WITH INNOVATIVE ADDITIVES Lubricants contain a large number of ingredients known as additives. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of novel additives that are regarded as particularly sustainable. By avoiding or reducing the use of undesirable substances such as chlorine, boron, zinc, and sulfate ash, they help keep exhaust gas treatment systems functional for a long time. MOTOREX employs these advances successfully in a large number of products. BIODEGRADABILITY When evaluating a product, rapid biodegradability is a key environmental factor. In general, many materials are biodegradable according to standardized testing procedures such as the OECD 301 criteria. The OECD is the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. In an OECD 301B test, CO 2 values from sludge (30 mg/l) are measured in a testing device over a period of 28 days. The quantity of carbon dioxide (CO 2) released is used to calculate the degree of biodegradation. At least 60 % of the lubricant must be degraded in water over the testing period. The degradation is accomplished by bacteria and light. Rapidly biodegradable MOTOREX products such as cable lubricants, release agents, hydraulic fluids, greases, and cleaners, to name but a few, make good sense where it is impossible to rule out the possibility of direct contact with the environment. 10
CURTAILING VOCS Whether in adhesives, windshield wiper fluid, or aftershave, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the form of alcohol, acetone, or propane or butane propellants are what make a wide range of products work. MOTOREX has researched alternatives and has been able to provide VOC-free or VOC-reduced formulations of its cleaners, release agents, CFC-free sprays, anti-corrosion products, etc. since the late 1990s. The company has massively reduced the VOC content of products since 2005. EXTENDED SERVICE LIFE The MOTOREX laboratory is equipped to conduct over 100 different analyses and is regarded as one of the most modern in the industry. Testing the samples supplied by customers provides insights that might significantly extend the service life of large quantities of lubricants. Moreover, it is possible to deduce information about the condition and operation of the units in question. Several thousand customer samples are tested annually. RACING TEST BENCH In racing, what matters most is lap times, performance, and reliability. MOTOREX’s involvement in racing enables its research and development department to use friction-enhanced lubricants (less friction = better performance) that can be evaluated under extreme conditions in a short time. Less friction means better performance! The findings are then applied in products for use off the racetrack, where a better coefficient of friction can mean fuel savings and lower pollution and CO 2 emissions. FOCUS SUSTAINABILITY MOTOREX MAGAZINE 118 I OCTOBER 2020 11
