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Chemicals are key for many products in commercial, industrial, and consumer industries. Creating proper formulations is merely the beginning of the process, but manufacturers need a product to use and one that meets whatever specifications necessary to ensure performance, purity, integrity, and safety. These specifications and requirements are outlined by organizations such as the United …

Workplace Safety – It’s everyone’s responsibility. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses occurred in 2019.  While the number of these occurrences remained flat of 2018, workplace injuries can be devastating to an employer and employees.  Aside from the obvious emotional pain of having one of your …

Bacteria or Fungus in the Machine Sump At some point, your metalworking fluid will go bad. Hopefully, in most cases it has ran through its effective life and can safely be removed or recharged with a fresh batch. However, sometimes a fluid’s life will be cut short due to unforeseen circumstances. This may involve machine …

What are Microbes Microbes (or microorganisms) are microscopic organisms that exist as a single cell or a colony of cells. All single-cell organisms are considered microbes. Thus, the term, microbes, is broad and encompasses a wide variety of organisms. Microbes exist in nearly every environment and can adapt to extreme conditions. Microbes are important in …

In the next installment of our Biodegradable Lubricants series we examine the pros and cons of biodegradable lubricants. How do these lubricants compare to their petroleum-based counterparts? Previously we examined: biodegradability standards, biodegradable base stocks and biodegradable lubricant products. However, are these products right for you? We will look at some pros and cons to …

Getting rid of waste, particularly liquid waste, is not at the top of your to-do list.  Understandably, the waste generated by many of the manufacturing and machining processes gets in the way, and can be annoying and costly of which to dispose. Here are some simple best practices that most all generators should follow.  Become …

Molybdenum Disulfide, simply known as Moly, is used both independently as a dry lubricant and as an additive in lubricating greases. Dry lubricants reduce friction between two sliding surfaces without the need for an oil medium. Dry lubricant molecules have a natural attraction to metal and adhere themselves to metal surfaces. These molecules create a …

As the world’s petroleum reserves are extracted, scarcity increases, thus driving oil and lubricant prices higher. This economic burden will force end-users and manufacturers to develop alternatives that are cost effective, readily available, and sustainable. The answer to these concerns are biodegradable lubricants. Biodegradable Lubricants Defined Biodegradable lubricants have the ability to degrade naturally by …

On May 30, 2020, NASA and SpaceX partnered to send American astronauts from US soil to the International Space Station for the first time since 2011. As a new era spaceflight begins, government entities like NASA and private enterprises like SpaceX will work to innovate their rockets and push boundaries for human space flight. Lubricant …

Friction modifiers are mild anti-wear additives used to minimize light surface contact, such as sliding and rolling. These can also be referred to as boundary lubrication additives. These additives are used in lubricants to modify the coefficient of friction (hence the name, Friction Modifiers). Friction modifiers are deployed to prevent wear on metal surfaces. Mostly …

Oil-based liquid lubricants are composed of two (2) key ingredients: base oil and additive packages. Additive packages in a lubricant will tend to vary based on applications. This post will focus on the main ingredient, base oils. Base oils will comprise typically 80-99% of an oil-based lubricant. Before we look at the base oil in …

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) believes that the management of hazardous waste aerosol cans can be best implemented through a universal waste approach where handlers operate within a streamlined management system with regulatory oversight. On December 9, 2019, the EPA finalized the rule to add Aerosol Cans to the federal list of Universal Wastes. This …