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Arizona Chemical is the world's largest producer of chemicals that are derived from pine trees-a renewable resource. The chemicals from pine tress are obtained when the wood chips are digested with alkali sodium sulfite. The liquid portion of the digested material is the source of the chemicals produced by Arizona Chemical. These chemicals include tall oil fatty acid (TOFA), rosin acids, distilled tall oil. and pitch. The chemicals derived from pine tress are used in the manufacture of oleochemical products, inks and coatings, adhesives. and personal care items. TOFA is further upgraded to dimer acid, trimer acid. monomer acid, isostearic acid, and stearic acid. These chemicals have functionalities that are amenable to the production of environmentally friendly products used in the lubricant industry. Arizona Chemical's Technology Group and its' collaborators have developed environmentally friendly products based on Arizona's core chemistry that have exhibited unique physical and performance properties.
The lubricant industry has been impacted by government regulations relating to the environmental impact of chemicals and have prompted a need for environmentally-friendly lubricant solutions. The European Union has introduced the Eco-Labeling classification and the United States Government has introduced the Farm Bill in an effort to encourage the use of environmentally friendly products in the lubricant market. The majority of the base fluids used in the lubricants market are derived from petroleum sources - these materials have negative impacts on the environment in terms of biodegradability and bioaccumulation. The environmentally friendly alternatives to petroleum-derived base fluids are products derived from renewable resources (Biobased Solutions).
Arizona Chemical's Biobased Solutions for Lubricants include base fluids, friction modifiers, and detergents. Uniflex® Ester components from Arizona Chemical can be used as base fluids and additives for industrial oil formulations such as hydraulic and gears oils. The corresponding salts of the esters are Sylfat® products....