Bio-Based Hydraulic Fluids in Mobile Machines: Substitution Potential in Construction Projects

This paper deals with the hydraulic oil consumption of mobile working machines. Different mobile working machines are going to be investigated by setting out their hydraulic oil consumption per hour. The substitutable amount of mineral by bio-based hydraulic oil is examined by an exemplary calculation for a construction project. The observations are intended to establish the working medium bio-based hydraulic oil on the lubricants market and to increase its use quantities, especially for mobile machines, with regard to environmental protection. Environmentally friendly lubricants and process materials are used in a wide variety of technical applications. In mobile machines in particular, efforts are being made to further establish bio-based lubricants. Due to unforeseeable accidents and leaks, a considerable amount of lubricants is released into the environment every year. This results in contamination of the affected environment. For this reason, contaminated ground, for example, has to be excavated refurbished after contact with hydraulic oil in order to return them to their original natural state. Bio-based hydraulic oils minimize this risk through their biodegradability and antitoxicity. Despite the proven performance of environmentally friendly hydraulic oil, the market share of biolubricants is stagnating at a constant and very low level. The majority of mobile machines use mineral oil, as working fluid in their hydraulic systems. To evaluate the substitution potential of mineral oil by bio-based oil in construction projects, various mobile machines are considered. In addition to widely used mobile machines like, for example excavators or wheel loaders, road construction equipment is also considered, due to a high hydraulic oil consumption resulting through heavy heat loads.