Field Demonstration for Biodegradable Military Multipurpose Grease

摘要

Soils and ground water at many military facilities throughout the United States have been contaminated with petroleum based products, such as engine oils, greases, hydraulic fluids, and fuels, often as a consequence of leakage, accidental spills, or equipment breakdown during active use or storage. The generation of hazardous waste by Petroleum, Oils, and Lubricant (POL) products results in both short and long term liability in terms of costs, environmental damage, and mission performance. For this reason, the military is currently soliciting a new technology that can be used to minimize the waste stream of these products. As a part of this program, a biodegradable lubricating grease (BLG) was successfully developed to replace the conventional petroleum based military automotive greases. This product has been fully evaluated both in the laboratory and under field operational environments. It provides an excellent biodegradability and performance that can meet the military global operational requirements. This paper presents the results of development of military biodegradable greases, laboratory biodegradation tests, and field demonstrations including bioremediation tests.