An assortment of beakers on an outdoor table with an olive branch and leavesAn assortment of beakers on an outdoor table with an olive branch and leaves

Sustainability in Lubes, Metalworking Fluids, Greases, and Other Specialty Additives

From making manufacturing more efficient, protecting metals from corrosion, helping ensure long use from saving fuel in combustible engines, to helping the growing electric vehicle (EV) market operate, lubricants impact all aspects of modern life.

Our Lubricants and Metalworking Fluids (LMWF) team at Univar Solutions is committed to delivering innovations and specialty solutions to help customers improve or enhance their products and processes to meet the demand for more sustainable options.

Let us help you optimize your processes and save big on energy and other resources.

Sustainable practices, products, and emerging markets

Our experts can navigate our extensive product range to help you source the latest specialty chemicals with the right sustainable attributes for your needs.

Sustainable solutions can improve performance of existing machines and processes, which is one of the easiest ways to cut unnecessary energy consumption or producing waste. This does not only concern immediate consumption, but also affects all links of the supply chain, including:

  • extending tool and die lives;
  • reducing the necessity to manufacture more;
  • improving surface finish to reduce in-use friction in finished mechanisms;
  • increasing service fluids' drain intervals; and much more.

Beyond the mechanics, products continue to evolve with efficiency and sustainability top of mind. As electrification drives further technological innovation, markets of the future such as electric vehicle (EV) are poised for continued growth to provide more sustainable options to consumers. The global LMWF industry is a critical component in this expansion.

A glass globe rests on grass with a blurred green background and a forest reflecting in the globeA glass globe rests on grass with a blurred green background and a forest reflecting in the globe

4 ways lubricants are contributing to sustainability and a greener future

An assortment of beakers on an outdoor table with an olive branch and leavesAn assortment of beakers on an outdoor table with an olive branch and leaves

1. Reducing energy consumption

Reducing friction and wear in moving parts not only reduces direct energy consumption, but also extends mechanisms' lives, reducing environmental impact of building replacement parts or brand-new machines. Efficient metalworking fluids help reduce tool consumption and contribute to better surface finishes while protecting machines and workpieces from corrosion.

2. Metal protection

Conservation products, or rust preventives, protect parts and structures of all sizes from a few days in storage or transit to years and decades. Reducing metal loss to corrosion saves energy and reduces the need to mine metal ores.

3. Bio-sourced products and bio-based lubricants

Univar Solutions provides a wide range of bio-sourced products for the industry as alternatives to synthetic products derived from oil and gas. Surfactants, base fluids, rheology modifiers, and other products can be used to partially or fully replace mineral oils and chemicals synthesized from them.

4. Extending service lives of lubricants themselves

Be it increasing the engine oil drain interval from 3,000 to 20,000 miles, formulating long-lasting hydraulic oils, or metalworking fluids that last for years, Univar Solutions provides solutions to improve the longevity of finished lubricants, helping to eliminate tons of chemical waste.

Where there is motion, there are lubricants!

Yellow circle with a white outline of an ear of cornYellow circle with a white outline of an ear of corn

In agriculture, lubricants are used to move tractors and machinery and lubricate conveyer belts, mixers, blenders, and ovens.

Red circle with a white outline of a person going up an escalatorRed circle with a white outline of a person going up an escalator

Every moving part in daily life is lubricated, too – escalators, elevators, doors, locks and air conditioners' compressors and fans.

Green circle with a white outline of a wind turbineGreen circle with a white outline of a wind turbine

Even sustainably produced electricity needs lubricants – windmills' gearboxes rely on lubricants to move and nuclear power plants have rotating turbines that need lubrication.

Blue circle with a white outline of a car with an electric plugBlue circle with a white outline of a car with an electric plug

All modes of transportation need to be lubricated – from bicycle chains to jet engines, and railroad carriage wheels to marine engines.


Sustainability in metalworking fluids

Extending service life and increasing performance to lower waste and reduce energy consumption

Did you know metalworking fluids (MWFs) are used in almost every step of metal fabrication? As fabrication processes become faster and more intense, improving MWFs is necessary to keep machinery running, reduce tool wear, and improve the quality of finished pieces. All machinery and moving equipment is lubricated, so lubricants, metalworking fluids, and the specialty ingredients that make up their formulae are essential to operational continuity in manufacturing and transportation industries.

How it works:

Ore is extracted and concentrated in concentration/sinter plants, then it is smelted and casted into steel slabs with the help of a mold release lubricant. The slabs are first passed through a hot rolling mill, and then sent to a cold rolling mill. The sheets are lubricated with rolling fluids, a type of MWF, during both steps and finally coated with a rust preventive oil.

Sheet metal is then shipped to factories that cut it and then transform it into finished pieces through hot or cold forming, drawing, cutting and grinding, and hardening. Each of these steps uses a metalworking fluid that assures finish quality; protects tools, machinery, and work pieces; and helps reduce energy consumption. The pieces are then cleaned with a special cleaner and a conservation RPO is applied for storage and transportation steps.

Metalworking fluid spraying on the bit of a drill press that is drilling through metalMetalworking fluid spraying on the bit of a drill press that is drilling through metal
Two metal gears with lubricant fluid pooled on the gear teethTwo metal gears with lubricant fluid pooled on the gear teeth

MWFs contributing to sustainability

Ways metalworking fluids contribute sustainably by helping plants and shops extend the service life of equipment and increase performance to lower waste and reduce energy consumption include:

  • pH boosters increase the service life of fluids, helping to reduce waste; they also protect machinery and workpieces to reduce scrap.
  • Phosphates reduce tool wear and improve finish quality, protecting workpieces from corrosion, especially aluminum and steel.
  • Defoamers improve sump cooling, prolonging service life and improving efficiency.

Formulating fluids with renewable raw materials

Consumer demand is increasing for naturally derived and sustainable ingredients in products without compromising effective performance. Below are select renewable raw materials used to formulate metalworking fluids and their benefits:

  • Renewable feedstocks include vegetable and animal oils, and their derivatives, forestry, algae, and more
  • Oils and esters used for lubricity.
  • Fatty acids and soaps emulsify oils and protect workpieces from corrosion.
  • Sulfurized organics extend tool life, decreasing the need to produce more tools; they also improve finish quality.

Sustainability in greases

Extending bearing lives and increasing performance to save energy and reduce waste

Greases are essential to keeping bearings protected and operating smoothly – they protect the parts from corrosion and prevent wear and destruction of rollers and housings to assure operational continuity.

  • Antioxidants extend grease life, which protects the bearing; they also protect bearings from rust, which prolongs mechanism life.
  • Fatty acids thicken greases thus preventing oil leakage; they also act as corrosion inhibitors.
  • Sulfurized organics reduce ball and track wear; many of them are synthesized from natural oils.
Top down view of tins filled with various types of sustainable greases.Top down view of tins filled with various types of sustainable greases.
Amber colored oil pouring into a containerAmber colored oil pouring into a container

Sustainability in rust preventive oils

Protecting from unnecessary losses

Losing finished parts to corrosion brings to naught the efforts to produce them. From extracting the ore to the final polishing stage, it's important to protect these parts. And from a short storage before the next step through conservation for years to come, specialty ingredients in rust preventive oils are crucial components to protect metal parts.

  • Oil and esters are used as renewable sources of oils; residual acidity is neutralized to form protective gels.
  • Antioxidants are used to assure oil longevity and to prevent formation of acids due to oxidation.
  • Fatty acids and soaps help prevent sagging of RPOs and form a protective layer on the surface of the piece; they also help with washing off the RPO when needed.

Sustainability in engine oils

Fuel savings and service life improvements

  • High-quality base stocks: severely hydrotreated and synthetic base fluids increase drain interval from 5,000 to 20,000 miles; they also protect engines and help in saving fuel and reducing CO2 emissions.
  • Functional additives extend engine life and reduce emissions; they also act as corrosion inhibitors.
  • For foam control, foam suppressants assure proper cooling of oil and extend pump service life.
A container of red transmission fluid pouring into the transmission of a vehicleA container of red transmission fluid pouring into the transmission of a vehicle
A row of planted corn stalks with a blue sky in the backgroundA row of planted corn stalks with a blue sky in the background

Other natural products

Within our lubricants and metalworking fluids portfolio are other natural products to consider when expanding or enhancing sustainability of your product line.

  • Lignin derivatives are used as grease thickeners and as mold releasers in hot forming processes (derived from wood, corn husks, cotton stalks, etc.).
  • Forestry byproducts help emulsify oils like DTO, TOFA, and others; protect from corrosion; and increase adhesion of rust preventive oils to metal surfaces.
  • Other products include enzymes that allow for low-temperature cleaning baths, saving heating energy, and polysaccharides for food compatible lubricants, and more.

The future of lubes and metalworking fluids

With a strong presence in the lubricants and metalworking fluids space, we offer sustainable products and solutions for a range of industrial and transportation applications. Let us partner as your specialty distributor on the journey toward safer, more reliable, and efficient operations to support a sustainable future and protect your long-term investments.

Additional Resources


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