Cargill Industrial Oils and Lubricants will take over productionof a soybean-based transformer oil developed by Cooper Power Systems, under the terms of a new agreement between the two companies. Cargill said it will cease production of its competing dielectric fluid, BioTrans, in order to devote enough capacity to the Cooper product.
Cooper Power Systems, a manufacturer of electrical distribution equipment, is pitching Envirotemp FR3 as more effective and ecologically safer than traditional dielectric fluids, many of which are made on naphthenic base oils. The company said it partnered with Cargill because it did not have enough production capacity to keep pace with demand.
Because the demand for Envirotemp FR3 fluid is growing both in the United States and international markets, it is important to ensure ample supply, said Steve Benna, Coopers vice president for marketing. We are pleased to collaborate with Cargill to meet this rapidly increasing demand.
According to the agreement, production of FR3 will be moved this month from a Cooper plant in Waukesha, Wis., to the main Cargill Industrial Oils plant in Chicago. Cargill said it doubled the plant’s capacityearlier thisyear. Cooper sold 400,000 gallons of FR3 last year and the companies expect that volume to increase this year.
Dielectric oils are non-conductive fluids used to insulate and cool electrical distribution equipment such as transformers. Cooper sells FR3 to transformer manufacturers, service companies and end users.
Cooper Power Systems is a subsidiary of Houston-based Cooper Industries, a diversified worldwide manufacturer of products for the electrical, commercial and industrial markets. Cargill Industrial Oils is part of Cargill, of Minneapolis, an international provider of food, agricultural and risk management products and services.