ESTER BASE STOCKS FOR MARINE LUBRICANTS
In March 2013, the American EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) published the latest verison of the VGP (Vessel General Permit) which defined the future usage of Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants (EAL). In particular, it addressed oil-to-seawater interfaces for marine vessels above 79 feet entering US waters starting December 2013. Aside to providing background on EAL’s, Emery Oleochemicals’ paper will explore various global environmental labels highlighted in the VGP and outline what the necessary requirements are to qualify for these labels. This presentation will additionally take a closer look at the types of EAL’s and focus specifically on ester technologies to formulate such fluids. In doing so, the necessary physical and chemical properties of such VGP base stocks will be presented in combination with application and performance.