Understanding Carbon Metrics in Lubricants

Lubricants play a vital role in keeping machines and engines running smoothly, but their impact goes beyond performance. Every step, from making the oil to using it in machines and eventually disposing of it, affects the environment. Understanding how lubricants contribute to carbon emissions and finding ways to reduce their impact is key to creating a more sustainable future. 

By managing oils smartly and using tools like Life Cycle Assessments, we can make choices that help both machines and the planet.

The Life Cycle of a Lubricant

Lubricants go through a life cycle that experts call “from cradle to grave.” This means we look at everything from getting raw materials to disposing of the product safely. The main stages are:

• Raw Materials: This is where we get the base oils and additives needed to make the lubricant.
• Production: The lubricant is made in factories. During this process, some emissions are released into the air.
• Containers: Lubricants need bottles, drums, or cans. Making and transporting these containers also produces emissions.
• Transportation: After production, the lubricant is moved from the factory to stores or customers. This transport adds more emissions.
• Use: When the lubricant is used in engines or machines, it helps them work better, but there are still emissions connected to its use.
• Recycling or Disposal: Once the lubricant is used up, it must be recycled or safely thrown away. This final step is very important for the environment.

To understand the total impact of a lubricant, companies look at three kinds of greenhouse gas emissions:

• Scope 1: Direct emissions from the company itself, like those from making the lubricant.
• Scope 2: Indirect emissions from the energy used in factories, such as electricity or heat.
• Scope 3: Other indirect emissions, including raw material extraction, transport, and even emissions while the lubricant is being used.

For example, a tool called Arrhenius, this calculator uses a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) to check the carbon footprint of their products. It helps identify the main areas where emissions can be reduced, moving closer to a cleaner, greener future.

What is a Carbon Footprint?

A carbon footprint shows how much greenhouse gas is released by an activity, product, or service. It is measured in tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e).

When we talk about a product’s carbon footprint, we look at all the emissions during its life cycle. This includes everything from getting the raw materials, to making the product, to using it, and finally disposing of it.

Understanding carbon footprints is important. It helps us see how our actions affect climate change and find ways to reduce emissions.

For lubricants, calculating the carbon footprint means checking all stages of their life cycle. This includes:

• Direct Emissions: Gases released from sources the company controls.
• Indirect Emissions: Gases caused by the company’s activities but coming from sources controlled by others.

By measuring these, companies can find ways to make products cleaner and better for the planet.

Carbon Footprint: Measuring Our Impact

A carbon footprint shows how much greenhouse gas is released because of a product, service, or company. For lubricants, this includes everything from getting raw materials, making the lubricant, transporting it, to using it. All these steps add up to the total carbon footprint.

Reducing carbon footprints is very important to fight climate change and reach sustainability goals. Companies like Fubex are using eco-friendly methods to lower their impact. This can include using renewable energy, improving production processes, and choosing sustainable materials.

Carbon Handprint: Making a Positive Difference

A carbon handprint is the positive effect a product or company has on the environment. It’s not just about being neutral—it’s about helping the planet. In lubricants, a company with a strong carbon handprint not only reduces its own emissions but also helps customers and partners reduce theirs.

For example, Fubex makes lubricants that save energy and last longer. These products help customers use less fuel, keep machines working better, and reduce emissions. By doing this, Fubex is creating a positive carbon handprint and helping the whole industry be greener.

Fubex’ Approach: Reducing Carbon Footprint and Boosting Carbon Handprint

At Fubex Lubricants, sustainability means two things: reducing our own carbon footprint and increasing our carbon handprint. We make lubricants that not only perform really well but also help protect the environment. We are always looking for ways to cut emissions across the entire supply chain.

Fubex also works closely with customers to improve machine performance and use energy more efficiently. By doing this, we help our customers lower their environmental impact too.

Other Ways to Make Lubricants More Sustainable

There are many ways to manage lubricants that can lower their carbon footprint:

• Choose the Right Oil: Using the best oil for your machines can make it last longer and reduce maintenance costs.
• Use Oil Analysis: Checking your oil regularly helps you know when to change it. Ignoring oil analysis can increase costs and emissions.
• Prevent Varnish: Deposits on parts can make machines hotter and less efficient. Keeping parts clean saves energy.
• Extend Oil Life: Adding additives carefully can double the life of your oil, lowering its carbon footprint.
• Re-refine Used Oil: Instead of throwing away old oil, it can be re-refined and used again, which helps the environment.
• Control Contamination: Dirt and water in oil can cause up to 70% of machine failures. Controlling contamination saves money and reduces emissions.

As the saying goes, “If it doesn’t get measured, it doesn’t get managed.” Using a cradle-to-grave Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) helps track emissions and improve sustainability.

Doing these LCA studies shows which areas can improve and which practices, like unnecessary oil flushing, should be avoided. Even though the carbon footprint of lubricants may seem small, using tribology (the study of friction and wear) wisely can save a lot of energy. A 2017 report showed that 24% of energy could be saved every year through better tribology practices.

Measuring and improving lubricant use with LCA is a key step toward reducing emissions and protecting the planet.

Final Takeaways

In conclusion, managing lubricants responsibly is not just about keeping machines running smoothly—it’s also about protecting our planet. By choosing the right oils, extending their life, controlling contamination, and using tools like Life Cycle Assessments, we can lower carbon footprints and create a positive carbon handprint. 

Every small step adds up, and with smart lubricant management, companies and individuals alike can make a big difference for the environment while saving money and improving efficiency. Sustainability starts with the choices we make today, and with these strategies, a cleaner, greener future is within reach.

FAQs

Q1: What is an example of a carbon intensity metric?

A common example is carbon dioxide emissions per unit of energy produced (CO₂e/kWh). This metric shows how much greenhouse gas is released for every unit of electricity or energy made and is often used to compare different power sources, like solar, wind, or fossil fuels.

Q2: What’s the difference between C3 and C4 oil viscosity?

C4 engine oils are made for engines that need oils with 3.5 mPa·s HTHS viscosity and are designed to stay stable in the engine over time. The main difference from C3 oils is that C4 oils have lower SAPS levels, which means they produce fewer harmful deposits and are better for protecting engine parts like catalysts.