Written by Jacques Everaert on 15 June 2022Time to read: 3 minutes
Food grade lubricants are formulated using approved base oils and additives according to the appropriate application category. There are several classes of base oils that can be used to formulate an H1 lubricant for incidental food contact. The categories established for Lubricants can be found in this previous article.
Technical grade white oils and USP type white mineral oils are produced from petroleum but are highly refined and meet the requirements of H1 lubricants. Synthetic lubricants that meet the requirements for H1 certification are generally described below:
Polyisobutene - PIB
Polyisobutenes are produced from the controlled catalytic polymerization of isobutene.
The typical molecular structure of PIB is shown below:
PIB is a liquid, clear, transparent, chemically stable and non-toxic polymer, being used in several applications due to the wide variety of grades with different molecular weights.
Low molecular weight grades have lubricating properties, while high molecular weight products are used as viscosity index improvers and thickeners in lubricants.
The main PIB suppliers worldwide offer the product with NSF-H1 certification, which allows it to be used as a base for synthetic lubricants or as an additive.
Polyalphaolefins - PAO
Polyalphaolefins, , are produced by the oligomerization of α-alkenes, with chains ranging from 8 to 12 carbon atoms, in the presence of a specific catalyst. The typical PAO molecule is shown below:
PAOs have good oxidation and thermal stability, in addition to having significantly lower pour points, allowing them to have a wider operating range than petroleum-based mineral oils.
Polyalkylene glycols - PAG
PAGs are manufactured by combining ethylene oxide and/or propylene oxide with a nucleophilic initiator such as alcohol or even water. In addition to having good thermal and oxidation stability, PAGs can be used at high temperatures while maintaining good lubricity. Water soluble versions can be registered as H1.
Polydimethylsiloxanes - PDMS
Silicone polydimethylsiloxanes are the most stable of these fluids, having higher thermal and oxidation stability than other food grade oils, but they have a significantly higher cost and more restricted applications. The basic molecular structure is:
Due to improved performance and stability with synthetic formulations over those with mineral oil, food processing plants have gained in reliability and reduced costs at the same time.
Final Consideration
Food and pharmaceutical industries can have significant financial and image losses if any contamination or leakage of lubricants that are not approved for food contact occurs, so it is important to always use the appropriate products.
Independent and voluntary organizations such as the NSF have come to assist both food grade lubricant producers and food processors by providing guides that define best practices for lubricant formulation and registration in programs to standardize the authorization process.
ISO 21469 verifies, among others, the product formulation requirements, ensuring that only ingredients that have been approved for incidental food contact are used according to the application of the finished lubricant. Thus, the use of base oils or additives that have the H1 certification, in the case of incidental contact with food, bring greater safety to the lubricant producer.
Thus, H1 certification has become a good market practice for base oils used in food grade lubricants, despite there is no regulation that requires it.
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