Independent lubricant maker Fuchs has announced the release of its new RHEOLUBE 460P series of greases, based on polyalphaolefins (PAO).

This series is particularly notable for being free from per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

The broad term PFAS refers to thousands of chemicals that have been historically used in numerous products. Initial research, however, has found that some of these may have a negative effect on human health, especially as they do not easily break down.

Further research is needed to establish the levels of exposure at which these chemicals present a risk. Regulators are, however, looking at limiting or banning their use in manufacturing.

While Fuchs has been offering PFAS-free products for years, applications in extreme environments have often required fluorinated lubrications to deliver exceptional protection against high temperatures, wear and chemical degradation. Fuchs’ group leader for grease research and development, Dr. Amanda Stubbs, said about this:

“What’s new is the non-PFAS based alternatives to fluorinated lubricants. Replicating the performance of PFPE (perfluoropolyether) and PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) chemistries with non-PFAS material is challenging, but Fuchs has been hard at work developing alternatives for our most popular fluorinated products.”

Fuchs closely cooperated with customers who had historically used lubricants containing PTFE to ensure the new product delivered comparable levels of performance. There was indeed no performance loss, and the RHEOLUBE 460P grease even outperformed in key areas like improved performance at low temperatures, friction reduction and oil separation.

Fuchs is also planning to develop further alternative lubricants that will be free from PFAS.