VEG-ESTER™ GY-300 Additive Technology

Growing Performance Advantages

Product Description

VEG-ESTER™ GY-300 additive is the latest addition to Lubrizol’s unique product line of functionalized vegetable oils that readily emulsify into water. A novel chemical reaction process of a naturally-derived lubricant yields a product specifically engineered for incorporation into aqueous metalworking fluid formulations.

VEG-ESTER additive technology simplifies the otherwise challenging task of achieving stable emulsification of vegetable-based lubrication. This performance characteristic offers the metalworking fluid supplier the ability to engineer renewable resource-based products in response to growing end user market demands.

Product Features

• Derived from a renewable resource
• Excellent lubricating properties
• Readily water emulsifiable
• Enhanced metalworking fluid formulation compatibility over earlier VEG-ESTER products
• Functionality as an emulsifier component for additional vegetable oil content in the complete formulation
• Amine-free as supplied—allows formulation flexibility to select desired alkalinity sources
• Potential petroleum oil replacement in emulsifiable metalworking fluids to address growing market demands

Flexible Emulsion Characteristics

VEG-ESTER GY-300 is supplied in a free acid form that offers the ability to customize emulsion characteristics with the selection of alkaline neutralizing sources in the finished formulation.

Neutralization with water soluble alkalis or amines will yield clear, micro-emulsion characteristics (higher HLB); neutralization with oil soluble amines will yield milky, macro-emulsion characteristics (lower HLB).

Emulsifier Functionality

In addition to self-emulsifying characteristics, VEG-ESTER GY-300 and its various salts will function as emulsifiers for additional vegetable oil content in metalworking fluid formulations.

As an example, a 30% concentration of VEG-ESTER GY-300 potassium hydroxide salt in high oleic canola oil will yield a concentrate that forms stable emulsions in water at typical metalworking fluid dilution rates (20:1). A complete consideration of HLB requirements of the total fluid formulation should be conducted and verified to identify the ideal combination of emulsifier chemistry for the performance needs of the specific application. Lubrizol’s metalworking technical service staff can assist in formulation development and guidance.

Formulation Ease

The readily water-soluble properties of VEG-ESTER GY-300 make it an ideal candidate as an alternative to petroleum oil in micro-emulsion aqueous metalworking fluids. The functionalized vegetable oil molecule reduces or eliminates the need for additional emulsifier chemistry in the finished formulation.

Suggested Starting Formulations

Outperforms typical synthetic metalworking fluid technology in steel and aluminum machining with similar in-use dilution characteristics

Outperforms typical petroleum-based semi-synthetic metalworking fluid technology in steel and aluminum machining with similar in-use dilution characteristics

Addressing Market Needs

A growing trend exists in the metalworking fluid market where end-users of the fluids are requesting or demanding products derived from renewable resources. Among the sources driving these trends are:

• Governmental procurement preference programs
• Eco-labeling programs
• Workers unions
• Major manufacturers

VEG-ESTER functionalized vegetable oil technology simplifies the otherwise challenging task of building robust fluid formulations from vegetable oil sources. Unique emulsification characteristics from the functionalization process offer an economically viable means of delivering products that meet changing market demands.