EAL^® 224H – A Better Choice for Industry

Mobil^® Oil Corporation has introduced the first biodegradable, non-toxic hydraulic fluid with performance characteristics comparable to the premium mineral oil-based fluids.

Mobil EAL® (Environmental Awareness Lubricant) 224H hydraulic fluid can be used in nearly every application
where the corresponding grade of mineral-oil fluid is called for. These include construction, mining, forestry, agriculture
and manufacturing. In particular, any business operating equipment on or near water or regulated lands can now take advantage of the environmentally biodegradable and non-toxic fluid.

Depending on contamination and/or degradation levels, it has been found that small amounts of spilled or leaked
Mobil EAL 224H will not adversely affect ground water or the environment. 

The hydraulic fluid is Mobil's first product in its EAL series of lubricants formulated specifically to address environmental concerns. According to Don Edwards, Senior Product Manager at Mobil, "The initial interest in environmentally friendly lubricants came from Europe. The forestry industry there has been demanding a hydraulic fluid which is not environmentally harmful if there is an accidental small spill, such as from a ruptured hydraulic line." While the Mobil EAL 224H hydraulic fluid uses selected vegetable oil base stocks, a proprietary additive package gives the fluid its performance characteristics.

According to Dr. Vic Cheng, research associate in the Mobil Research and Development Corporation, "Most synthetic and mineral oils are inherently biodegradable, which means they will degrade and not persist in the environment. There are, however, applications where a fluid with even better biodegradability is desired. This class of fluids is defined as readily biodegradable — and Mobil EAL 224H meets this standard. 

"This hydraulic fluid passes the United States and European Community standard of better than 60 percent biodegradability in 28 days. It actually biodegrades more than twice as fast as mineral oil, reaching 80 percent in only 16 days.

"The fluid also passes a commonly accepted toxicity standard which states that the concentration of hydraulic fluid in water which results in a maximum 50 percent mortality rate of rainbow trout in a 96-hour test must be greater than 1000 ppm. Rainbow trout are extremely sensitive to environmental changes. This product exceeds 5000 ppm in this test." 

For small spills on the ground the uncontaminated product will be readily biodegraded by naturally occurring soil organisms. Nonetheless, spillage of Mobil EAL 224H should be handled similarly to currently accepted methods for conventional mineral oil spills. 

Although the product uses vegetable oil base stocks, it is not approved or recommended for food use in either direct or indirect food contact.

Acceptable methods of disposal include use as a fuel supplement, recycling and reclamation (i.e., the same disposal practices available for conventional mineral oils). Since Mobil EAL 224H typically will not be a hazardous waste, additional disposal options may be available, including land farming or processing through sewage treatment facilities, if necessary approvals are obtained from appropriate regulatory authorities. 

Mobil EAL 224H is recommended for use where an ISO VG (International Standards Organization Viscosity Grades) 32 and 46 lubricant is used. The fluid has met the Vickers V104C extended vane pump test, the Vickers 35VQ25 vane pump tests, the Hagglunds-Denison HFO vane and axial piston pump tests, and Mobil's own Hydraulic Fluid Durability test. Mobil EAL 224H has a viscosity index (VI) of 213, compared with a typical VI of 85 to 95 for standard industrial hydraulic fluids. (VI is a measure of a lubricant's ability to maintain viscosity over a range of temperatures). It offers the antiwear properties of premium mineraloil fluids; multimetal compatibility to protect hydraulic pumps made of steel and copper alloys; excellent rust and thin film protection, and the outstanding load-carrying and anti-wear properties of premium hydraulic fluids. It is recommended for use in high-pressure and robotic systems and in servovalves. 

Edwards points out that EAL 224H has demonstrated outstanding performance in hydraulic systems in heavy-earth-moving equipment, utility hydroelectric plants and automotive facility service lifts.

Edwards adds that the Mobil EAL 224H has shown performance characteristics comparable to mineral based oil at normal hydraulic system operating temperature. The one cautionary area is low-temperature operation; he notes that it is advisable that the product be stored indoors, above freezing, and that it not be operated at startup temperatures below zero deg F (minus 18° C). 

Mobil EAL 224H is available in 5-gallon plastic pails and 55-gallon steel drums. Any system which is filled with the product should first be thoroughly flushed to avoid contamination by the previous fill, which could compromise the performance, biodegradability and non-toxicity of the Mobil EAL 224H. 

Further products in the EAL series will be announced in the near future.

When you use Environmental Awareness Lubricants (EALs), you're protecting more than your machines' parts. You're helping to protect the environment. While keeping your equipment in optimum operating condition, you get an environmentally-aware alternative to your current lubricant, without sacrificing protection or performance.

Mobil EALs were introduced to reduce the impact on the environment, if they accidentally leaked or spilled. Many types of hydraulic systems operate under high pressure, generally resulting in system oil leakage. Our focus is to improve a lubricant's environmental characteristics for use in more sensitive applications, such as forestry, marine, agriculture and many construction sites.

Benefits of EALs:

• Safety and environmental improvements.
• Assurance of effective maintenance control.

Mobil EAL^® 224H: This anti-wear hydraulic oil is a premium high-quality, high-performance oil with an ISO viscosity grade of 32/46. It meets the current requirements of major pump builders and exceeds industry-recognized performance standards. Made of vegetable oil base stocks and a special additive to improve performance, it significantly reduces the environmental-impact of a spill or leak.

Mobil EAL Envirosyn^® H Series: This line of fully synthetic lubricants was developed to satisfy customer needs for highperformance hydraulic and circulation oils where readily biodegradable and virtually non-toxic oils are preferred. The Mobil EAL Envirosyn H Series provides outstanding anti-wear and film-strength characteristics necessary for critical hydraulic systems operating under moderate to severe conditions.

Mobilgrease EAL^® 100 Series: Our other line, Mobilgrease EAL^® 100 Series, is the only readily available highperformance, anti-wear synthetic grease specifically designed to be both biodegradable and virtually nontoxic as defined by EPA and OECD tests. Even though it's compatible with nature, it doesn't mean that it compromises performance or effectiveness in any way. It stands up to the most demanding performance standards and helps extend equipment life to keep your operation running at peak efficiency.