Safer and better for the planet

Keeping people, plants, and the planet safer

Oil spills from mineral-oil-filled transformers can result from a number of different events including catastrophic failures with explosions, fires, and spillage; leaks due to corrosion and exposure to inclement weather; and accidents where transformers are damaged. When these kinds of incidents occur, utilities and emergency departments scramble to keep the transformer oil from causing harm to the surrounding ecosystem. Unfortunately, environmental damage can still occur, since mineral oil is toxic and its biodegradation is very slow.

Toxic in soil and water and not readily biodegradable, mineral oil is an environmental contaminant. When used in transformers, it requires complex and costly containment systems, as well as potentially expensive cleanup efforts when the oil spills or leaks into the ground and water. It may require hazardous waste removal. These are just some of the consequences of failing to use a biodegradable transformer oil.

Using biobased FR3 fluid—developed purposefully to provide superior performance and reliability AND to minimize health and environment risk—dramatically reduces the chance of environmental harm. And containment systems can be simplified while cleanup costs can also be much less than those required when dealing with mineral oil.

FR3 fluid biodegradability facts

FR3 fluid’s physical and chemical properties provide environmental benefits that are superior to mineral oil.

Attribute	Results	Methods
Ultimate aquatic biodegradation	>99% in 28 days	EPA OPPTS 835.3100
Ready Biodegradation	> 99%	EPA OPPTS 835.3110 or OECD 301
Acute aquatic toxicity	Nontoxic	OECD 202 and 203
Acute oral toxicity	Nontoxic	OECD 420
Biobased material content	> 95%	USDA Biopreferred Program
Total life cycle carbon footprint	Carbon neutral	Dept. of Commerce NIST BEES V4.0
Overall environmental impact	1/4th the impact of mineral oil	Dept. of Commerce NIST BEES V4.0

As a natural ester dielectric fluid, FR3 fluid is derived from vegetable oil (>95%)—a 100% renewable resource—and is reclaimable and recyclable. It contains no petroleum, halogens, silicones, or sulfurs.

Nonhazardous³ as well as nontoxic in soil and water, FR3 fluid’s ready biodegradation means that it biodegrades in less than 28 days. Biobased remediation (i.e., the use of natural processes such as the use of microbes that live in soil and groundwater, to clean up environmental spills) is frequently an effective option in case of an FR3 fluid spill. Bioremediation typically does not require the kind of equipment and labor required by other remediation methods, just time for nature to do the work, and so is therefore less expensive.
 

Aerobic aquatic biodegradation graph EPA test OPPTS 835.3100

 

What this all means

Using FR3 fluid in your power or distribution transformers helps you:

• Have peace of mind when placing your transformers in environmentally sensitive areas AND elsewhere.
• Avoid expensive remediation (equipment and labor).
• Gain cost savings from installing simpler containment systems.
• Build your reputation as an environmentally friendly organization.
• Get carbon credits.

Find out how using FR3 fluid positively effects total cost of ownership.