Pollution and Pollution Control - Environmental Biotechnology: Theory and Application - page 85

substitutes. Biodegradable alternatives to traditional lubricating oils have existed
for some time, but in many ways they exemplify the pressures which work against
novel biological products.
Barriers to uptake
Typically, most of the barriers which they must overcome are nontechnical.
The pollution of many inland and coastal waters around the world is a well-
appreciated environmental problem and wider use of these nontoxic, readily
biodegradable alternatives products could make a huge difference. The main
obstacles to wider market acceptance of the current generation of alternative
lubricants are neither performance based, nor rooted in industrial conservatism.
Cost is a major issue, as biolubricants are around twice as expensive as their
conventional equivalents, while for some more specialist formulations the dif-
ference is significantly greater. Though, inevitably, users need to be convinced
of the deliverable commercial benefits, the potential market is enormous. The
petrochemical industry has sought to meet the growing demand for more envi-
ronmentally friendly products by developing biodegradable lubricants based on
crude oil. However, with the agricultural sector, particularly throughout Europe,
being encouraged to grow nonfood crops commercially, there is a clear opportu-
nity for a sizeable vegetable oil industry to develop, though the attitude of heavy
industry will prove crucial.
While there is no denying the burgeoning interest in biolubricants, the actual
machinery to be lubricated is extremely expensive, and enforced downtime can
be very costly. Understandably as a result, few equipment operators are willing
to risk trying these new, substitute oils, as original equipment manufacturers
(OEMs) are seldom willing to guarantee their performance, not least because
vegetable products are often wrongly viewed as inferior to traditional oils.
Simple biosubstitutions
Not all biosubstitutions need be the result of lengthy chemical or biochemical syn-
thesis or processing and far simpler forms of biological production may provide
major environmental benefits. The production of biomass fuels for direct com-
bustion under short rotation coppicing management, described in Chapter 10, is
one example. The use of what have been termed 'eco-building materials' formed
from hemp, hay, straw and flax and then compressed, as an ecological alternative
to conventional materials in the construction industry, is another.
Traditional building approaches have a number of broadly environmental prob-
lems. Adequate soundproofing, particularly in home or work settings where
traffic, industrial or other noises are a major intrusive nuisance can be difficult
or costly to achieve for many standard materials. Walls made from eco-materials
have been found to be particularly effective at sound suppression in a variety
of applications, including airports, largely due to a combination of the intrinsic