Biolubricants are renewable, biodegradable, non-toxic lubricants derived from plant or animal sources, meeting stringent environmental and performance standards. They are increasingly being adopted in environmentally sensitive and regulatory-driven sectors, from forestry, marine and food processing to passenger vehicles and power systems.
While production is small-scale and costs remain higher, technological advances (synthetic esters, renewable API Group III) and regulatory backing are fueling steady market growth, with leading players like Novvi, Panolin, Fuchs, Cargill and Elevance shaping the future of the industry. Higher costs are due to scale limitations and raw feedstock pricing.
According to a definition from consultancy Kline & Co., biolubricants must have at least 25% bio-based carbon derived from plant or animal sources; be readily biodegradable, taking 28 days to break down to at least 60%; and be non‑toxic and non‑bioaccumulative by OECD/ASTM standards.
Biolubes also face material compatibility issues with seals, as well as storage and tank clean-ups and miscibility with conventional oils. Natural esters struggle at extreme temperature and synthetic esters may hydrolyze if wet. R&D is still catching up.
Global demand ranges from 250,000-400,000 metric tons per year andis growing faster than conventional lubricants. E.g., 400 k t/yr in 2023, projected +4% through 2028, then +2.7% through 2033.
Components & Formulation
Biolubes are made from a broad range of base stocks, including vegetable oils such as rapeseed, soybean, sunflower, palm and coconut, or animal-derived tallow. Cellulose sugars extracted from trees and plants are also used.
They can also be based on synthetic or natural esters, such as high-oleic canola oil) synthetic polyol esters and saturated synthetic esters, used to improve performance and biodegradability.
Novel renewable hydrocarbons include innovations such as Novvi’s NovaSpec, using farnesene oligomers, mimic API Group III base oils while being renewable and biodegradable.
Types of Biolubricant
- Vegetable oil-based lubricants – low-severity, total-loss scenarios.
- Synthetic esters & SPEs – higher thermal stability, low-volatility and fire safety.
- Renewable Group III hydrocarbons – base oil equivalents like NovaSpec.
- Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants (EALs) – meet biodegradability, toxicity, bioaccumulation and performance standards, often certified by ISO 15380, USDA BioPreferred, EU Ecolabel, Blue Angel, NSF H1, VGP.
Applications
High‑loss/environmentally sensitive uses chainsaw oils, hydraulic fluids, marine lubricants, off‑highway construction/forestry gear, metalworking, gear oils, transformer oils, fire-resistant hydraulics, food‑grade NSF lubricants, wind turbines and industrial compressors.
Regulations & Standards
Certified via USDA BioPreferred, EU Ecolabel, Blue Angel, NSF H1, ISO 15380, JCMAS, Eaton, Denison, FM Approval.
Industrial testing standards: ASTM D6866 (bio-carbon content), ASTM/ISO biodegradation and aquatic toxicity tests, FM’s Spray Flammability Parameter (SFP) for fire safety.
Industrial & Consumer Markets Include passenger-car engine oils, transmission fluids, and compressor lubricants, with demand spurred by OEM endorsement and public procurement.