Bio-Ultimax 1000: A Safer and Sustainable Choice for Hydraulic Systems with a 450°F Flash Point

New bio-based hydraulic fluids replace legacy formulas

Hot running equipment and a leaking hydraulic seal or blown hose can be a disastrous combination.

If a leaky seal or blown hose puts hydraulic oil onto a hot engine, it can cause a fire that can quickly damage or destroy a piece of equipment.

Traditional mineral-oil-based hydraulic fluid has a flash point of around 240° F, so if equipment has a problem due to overheating of that oil, the hydraulic fluid is already close to its flash point.

Higher flash point reduces risk

Renewable Lubricants, of Hartville, Ohio, says its Bio-Ultimax 1000 is a biosynthetic oil that has  a flash point of 450° and can directly replace mineral-oil-based hydraulic fluids.

That 200° cushion in flash point can mean the difference between safety and catastrophe if a hydraulic hose breaks and sprays hydraulic oil onto a hot engine, according to Ben Garmier, vice president of Renewable Lubricants.

Bio-Ultimax 1000 comes in weights of ISO 32, 46, 68 and 100.

Safer for environment, simpler clean-up

In addition to having significantly higher flash points across the entire range, these bio-based hydraulic fluids  are safer to handle.

If a hose breaks or a seal fails on a job site, cleaning up traditional hydraulic oil can be an expensive and extensive nightmare—especially if the problem happens near a wetland, a watershed, storm sewer, or other sensitive area.

The cost of cleaning to the EPA-mandated standards can be pricey and involve plenty of paperwork, according to Garmier.

Using environmentally friendly bio-based hydraulic fluids can eliminate fines and speed the cleanup. 

“With oxidation performance that compares to full synthetics, this is one of the safest hydraulic fluids for the environment,” said Garmier. “These advances in safety are accompanied by performance that meets or exceeds that of traditional hydraulic fluids.” 

Ideal for stationary or mobile equipment, these super-high-viscosity fluids are proven in systems running at up to 10,000 psi and those with ultra-fine filtration.

“To ensure performance and long life, Renewable Lubricants developed the stringent IsoGreen filtration standard, which meets or exceeds the Rexroth pump guidelines for hydraulic fluids,” said Garmier. “Their non-toxic, zinc-free formulas contain no heavy metals.”

Help reach sustainability goals

In addition to enhancing performance, Renewable Lubricants’ bio-based hydraulic fluids help companies reach sustainability goals.

“They are ideal for all types of hydraulic systems where low toxicity, biodegradability, and non-bioaccumulation are required,” said Garmier.

These patented bio-based hydraulic fluids are formulated to perform in high- and low-pressure hydraulic systems that require anti-wear (AW), anti-rust, anti-oxidation, anti-foam, and demulsibility properties.

Renewable Lubricants’ patented antioxidants help the company’s biosynthetic hydraulic oils resist oxidation, so they keep working longer than standard plant/vegetable/HETG (hydraulic environmental triglyceride) and unsaturated HEES (biodegradable) fluids.

They also resist moisture and rusting in both fresh and sea water, and they pass A and B sequences of the ASTM D-665 Turbine Oil Rust Test.

Garmier says that Bio-Ultimax 1000 hydraulic fluid meets or exceeds high-pressure pump requirements while also helping seals last longer and leak less.  

Very little wear was encountered in field studies and in accelerated pump tests using bio-based formulations in Denison T-5D, Vickers 20VQ, 35VQ-25 (M-2950-S), and V-104C (ASTM D-2882), Vickers I-286-S pump stand tests and pressures and temperatures ranging from 2000 to 3000 psi and from 150° to 210° F.  Anti-wear performance exceeds requirements for U.S. Steel 126, 136, and 127, load stage 10 in the FZG (DIN 51354) and GM (LS-2).   

Renewable Lubricants’ hydraulic fluids meet or exceed federal specifications for machine tool hydraulic systems and can replace specification MIL-PRF-17672E for ground support equipment. It meets EPA 21013 Vessel General Permit (VGP) guidelines for Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants (EALs) and should be used in hydraulic systems where low toxicity, biodegradability, and non-bioaccumulation properties are required.  

High performance research

Renewable Lubricants, Inc. began as a research and development company in 1991, developing high performance products that would directly replace petroleum-based products.

Starting from a single corn-based engine oil developed in the inventor’s garage, the company now offers more than 250 products and has over 100 worldwide patents.

It manufactures its products as environmentally friendly as possible without sacrificing performance.

Learn more here:  renewablelube.com/products/bio-ultimax-1000