GS Caltex Launches Korea's First Biodegradable Chainsaw Oil 'Kixx Chain BIO'

Kixx Chain BIO product. Photo by GS Caltex

On the 19th, GS Caltex launched 'Kixx Chain BIO,' a high-performance biodegradable chainsaw oil based on plant-derived base oil, with 98% of its components being bio-based materials, making it the first domestic lubricant brand in Korea to achieve this.

The newly released Kixx Chain BIO by GS Caltex is a biodegradable lubricant made using fatty acids extracted from rapeseed, palm, soybean, sugarcane, and other sources. Unlike conventional petroleum-based lubricants that do not decompose in soil, this product naturally breaks down mostly due to soil microorganisms, sunlight, and moisture after a certain period.

The chainsaw oil market is a small sector with an annual usage of about 6,000 drums, and until now, there has been no lubricant product made exclusively for chainsaws in Korea. Users have relied on petroleum-based engine oils with similar properties or expensive imported chainsaw oils. Due to the nature of chainsaws used in logging and other activities, chainsaw oil is not recovered into the chainsaw’s reservoir after lubrication but leaks out, flowing externally or sticking to sawdust and soil, eventually being absorbed into the ground. This has raised the need domestically for developing biodegradable lubricants that minimize environmental impact.

The GS Caltex Kixx Chain BIO, launched this time, obtained the European Union’s ‘EU Ecolabel’ certification last November, which demands high environmental standards such as low ecological toxicity, low bioaccumulation, and excellent biodegradability. The ‘EU Ecolabel’ is a stringent certification granted only to products that minimize environmental impact throughout their entire lifecycle, from raw material extraction to production, distribution, and disposal.

Additionally, in July last year, Kixx Chain BIO passed rigorous performance evaluation tests conducted by the German Forest Work and Forestry Technology Association (KWF - Kuratorium f?r Wald Arbeit und Forsttechnik), receiving high marks for excellent low-temperature properties and anti-wear functions, demonstrating the lubricant product’s outstanding performance.

GS Caltex, pioneering the new market of bio-lubricants, launched the industrial biodegradable hydraulic oil Kixx RD BIO last year and the engine oil Kixx BIO1 made from base oil extracted from renewable plant raw materials, continuing relentless efforts to reduce carbon emissions in both the industrial and automotive lubricant markets.

A GS Caltex official stated, "We will continue to do our best to develop products that minimize environmental impact and contribute to carbon reduction, providing sustainable solutions to all industries that require lubricants."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.