Some Aspects of Biodegradability of Lubricating Oils

Brief consideration has been given for a need of development of environmentally friendly lubricants. Different biodegradation testing methods have been described. Using three selected methods (in water, in soil and BOD) the biodegradability of some base esters as well as mineral and synthetic crankcase lubricants has been examined. Among a range of tested commercial crankcase lubricants the biodegradability of synthetic oil based on esters has been found to be the greatest.