Properties of different classes of base oils
Biolubricants. Regulations, Base Oils Family, Eco-Properties and Applications

The term "synthetic oil" is not defined in the technical field, but is perceived differently by different players. In the field of biolubricants, there is still some discussion about the resources to be used, both from a technical and an ethical point of view:

• oils of purely (direct) vegetable origin ;

• base oils using vegetable resources ;

• renewable base oils with a chemical structure identical to that of a petrochemical product, differentiated by the C¹⁴ isotope imprint.

The functional advantages of base oils with a renewable and chemically identical content to a petrochemical competitor are obvious when it comes to lubricant functionality.

ISO 15380 deals in detail with all four types of environmentally acceptable base fluids, including triglycerides (HETG), synthetic esters (HEES), polyalkylene glycols...