Editorial

In this issue we touch on two different types of lubricants, whose impact on the environment are being addressed.

Researchers from Statoil Lubricants Research and Development Department in Sweden report on recent developments in the Nordic marketplace for "environmentally adapted lubricants" (EALs). The current situation discussed should be of interest to all readers and seems to continue to reflect the need for stricter legislation or other pressures to increase the take-up of EALs.

Researchers at Universitat Harburg-Hamburg in Germany have been looking at methods of performance testing EALs. They conclude that traditional vane pump tests and other common screening tests may provide misleading conclusions as to a lubricant's performance. They suggest that a heavily loaded hydrostatic transmission-based test should be used, as this is more in line with typical forestry applications and it does seem to provide a better indication of real life performance expectations.

Both these papers were presented earlier this year at the International Tribology Colloquium, held at the Techniche Akademie at Esslingen in Germany.

We mentioned before the excellent tribology conference organised in 2001 by the South African Institute of Tribology in Pretoria. In this issue Eberhard du Plessis of Producut Lubrication Technologies (Pty) Ltd describes in a paper presented at that conference how his company has seen the development of limited volume lubrication of metal working operations.

This will of course be of interest in all parts of the world as machine shop operators are faced with increased restrictions in the use of some lubricant and coolant types. In some countries the increasing difficulties and costs associated with the disposal of used lubricants and coolants seem to make limited volume lubrication a really attractive option.

One of the ways to optimise the life of metalworking coolants is by the use of biocides. The other paper in this issue from Wolfgang Siegert of Schulke and Mayr, in Germany, highlights the new European Biocidal Products Directive and the impact this will have. This again was a paper of widespread interest presented at Esslingen.

It does seem that there will be a move to reduced lubricant usage. However,those modern products actually being developed with this in mind will have far less impact on the environment than traditional lubricants.