The year 2019 was a period of change for biodegradable lubricants. The rules and regulations of EU Ecolabel (EEL), US EPA Vessel General Permit (VGP) and Swedish Standard SS 155470 were all revised, resulting in new challenges and opportunities that will impact the environmentally friendly grease business. One example of an opportunity relates to lithium complex thickener technology. Previously, aquatic toxicity and biodegradability requirements were difficult to fulfill with lithium complex-based greases. However, recent regulation changes have now given grease formulators the chance to enter the market with such a thickener. This paper gives an overview of all the regulation changes implemented in 2019 before going on to discuss the formulation, testing and performance data for an EU Ecolabel-compliant, biodegradable and nontoxic lithium complex grease.
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