How can the lubricants industry make a real impact on reducing carbon emissions, while keeping the world’s machines humming along smoothly?
Sustainability efforts must go deeper than marketing and publicity campaigns if they are to achieve significant and lasting effects. This report discusses how continuing improvements in lubricants and their applications have made sustainable formulations more accessible and more affordable. Customer requirements, regulatory restrictions, long-term performance benefits and cost incentives can motivate sustainability measures, even when the main focus is not on the environmental benefits.
Special Report from the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers, January 2026 Download Full Report
Changes in customer and investor preferences, an evolving regulatory environment, potential liability for “chemicals of concern,” and a growing corporate awareness of the importance of “green chemistry” are driving an ever-greater focus on sustainable materials, processes, and products. These concerns are especially pronounced for commodity polymers like disposable or temporary medical devices, product packaging materials, or personal care products. These end segments make up about 73% of the polymer end market that is pursuing bioplastic or biopolymer alternatives. Many sustainable products can operate more efficiently or have a longer, less polluting service life than their conventional counterparts. They may be more reusable or recyclable, or they may better lend themselves to environmentally responsible disposal.
Transitioning from well-established feedstocks to newer bioderived materials requires a thorough analysis of the new feedstock’s composition and properties and an understanding of how these factors affect manufacturing processes and product performance. Laboratory analysis ensures consistent product quality by assessing variability in natural-product feedstocks and determining tolerances in this variability. Analysis during the process development stage assists in smoothly adapting an existing process or introducing a new process by identifying and correcting potential pitfalls in the early stages. Quality control monitoring provides assurance that the new process is working as intended and that customers continue to receive products that meet or exceed their expectations. Laboratory studies also provide solid data on the expected service lifetime, recyclability, and biodegradability of products so that companies can back up their guarantees and provide their customers with reliable information on usage.
Light-scattering techniques have evolved into an indispensable tool for evaluating polymer properties including molecular weight, composition, chain length, polydispersity, conformation, and branching. Used as a stand-alone technique or in tandem with chromatography, refractometry, or spectroscopy, light scattering lets manufacturers know what they are starting with and that they can monitor their processes at every step. Here, we discuss how light scattering is used to characterize sustainable polymers in the pharmaceutical and medical products, packaging, and personal care products industrial sectors.
C&EN BrandLab e-book, sponsored by Wyatt Technology, December 2024 (Gated content, free registration required) DOWNLOAD e-book
Thermal, rheological, and mechanical analysis instruments can help identify potential trouble spots during and after polymer processing. C&EN White Papers, sponsored by TA Instruments, August 2024 (Gated content, free registration required) DOWNLOAD White Paper Image credit: Brendan Rockey/Wikimedia CommonsCC BY-SA 3.0
