REOLUBEHYD46

Description

Hydraulic fluids encompass a large group of liquids that are made up of a wide range of chemicals and are typically produced from crude oil or are manufactured. These fluids are divided according to their chemical and functional properties; the three most common are mineral oil-based hydraulic fluids, polyalphaolefins (PAO), and organophosphate esters.

The Uses of REOLUBEHYD46

The main function of hydraulic fluids is to transfer pressure from one point to another. These chemicals can also serve as lubricants depending on the specific application. Hydraulic fluids are used in automobile automatic transmissions, brakes, and power steering; fork lift trucks; tractors; bulldozers; industrial machinery; and airplanes.

Definition

Isopropylated triphenyl phosphate blend

Environmental Fate

Hydraulic fluids represent a wide range of products which are formulated to conform to performance specifications and not to specific chemical or fate analysis. However, some conclusions can be made based on what information is available for major components (e.g., the base oil). Mineral oil hydraulic fluids have a variable range of carbon number, low water solubility, and tend to partition to sediments upon release. These oils will degrade over time and have a low bioaccumulation potential.

Toxicity evaluation

There is limited information on the mechanism of toxicity for hydraulic fluids. They are mixtures of a variety of chemicals, and some of the effects that are seen may be caused by additives in the hydraulic fluids. Mineral oil-based and PAO hydraulic fluids are generally considered not toxic and are expected to have limited absorption by the lungs, skin, and GI tract.
Certain organophosphate esters cause neurotoxicity due to cholinesterase inhibition. Current manufacturing processes for organophosphate esters used in hydraulic fluids are designed to minimize the production of toxic isomers such as tri-O-cresyl phosphate.