Are there any advantages of biodegradable compressor oil?

Much has been said and written about the advantages of biodegradable compressor oil over the past several years. Manufacturers and blenders of these products promote biodegradable lubricants for use based on the importance of biodegradability and nontoxicity.

But performance issues - like oxidation stability, antiwear protection, hydrolytic stability, viscosity- temperature properties and cost factors - are usually presented only wherever these features provide an advantage to the particular manufacturer.


The advantages of biodegradable compressor oil in the two primary classes of biodegradable lubricants, vegetable oils and synthetics, have been described and well documented, when compared with traditional mineral oil-base lubricants. However, little information has been provided by major oil companies or the manufacturers of these biodegradable products with regard to application guidelines or the maintenance of these products once they are in use as machine lubricants.

Industrial users of these products must be prepared to treat biodegradable lubricants somewhat differently than standard mineral-base oils. In order to understand these application and maintenance requirements, it is necessary to review the various types of biodegradable lubricants to understand the advantages of biodegradable compressor oil.

The advantages of biodegradable compressor oil used in rotary screw air compressors.

The advantages of biodegradable compressor oil when used in rotary screw air compressors not only promises new standards of biodegradability but also enables compressors to maintain peak performance across the full range of operating temperatures for much longer periods.

Biodegradable compressor oil is typically up to 96% biodegradable. What's more, within 28 days of it being disposed of, there are almost no traces of it in the condensate.


Tests have shown that, unlike petroleum based fluids, traces of the lubricant which end up in compressor condensate in waste water sewage systems are broken down and transformed into carbon dioxide, nitrogen, mineral salts and water, none of which is harmful to nature. This "green" feature introduces a whole new dynamic to the compressor industry because now it is no longer necessary to have oil/water separators on equipment. The advantages of biodegradable compressor oil are that the lubricating fluid can be removed along with the water.

Typically a 10W20 fully synthetic blend polyalkylene glycol and polyol ester based formulation (PAG) enables compressors to maintain peak performance across the full range of operating temperatures for much longer periods. It also allows service intervals to be extended to as much as 8000 hours.

Apart from the environmental advantages of biodegradable compressor oil, the lubricant is intended to contribute to improved reliability, performance, equipment life span and safety. Unlike conventional hydrocarbon oils it is non-varnishing and will not oxidate. It dissolves any varnish left behind by other lubricants.

The "green" formulation is resistant to sludging (unlike petroleum based products), is non foaming, has a high viscosity index (173) and a higher flash point (271°C) and ignition point (388°C) than hydrocarbon fluids. 

The fully synthetic air compressor oil outperforms other synthetic fluids with excellent seal compatibility with natural rubber and synthetic seals. It offers strong thermal conductivity to keep compressors running cooler and corrosion protection.

Reduced temperature is one of the advantages of biodegradable compressor oil.

With mineral based lubricants compressors generally operate at higher temperatures which reduce oil life and can have an impact on equipment life and performance. If left unchecked this can lead to carbon build-up on the internals which in turn can lead to further increases in the operating temperatures leading to break downs.
To fully realise the advantages of biodegradable compressor oil it’s important to rely on a quality supplier such Habot Oil. Habot Oil are recognised as a supplier of quality oil solutions and will be happy to explain the advantages of biodegradable compressor oil.