Elevance Aria™ WTP 40, a high-performance synthetic base stock, has been certified as HX-1 food-grade by InS Services (UK) Ltd. Elevance Renewable Sciences, Inc., based in Woodridge, Ill., U.S.A., said this certification expands its current potential applications — industrial gear, transportation gear, compressor and grease markets — to include applications in the food processing and cosmetic industries.

Elevance Aria™ WTP 40 is “acceptable as an ingredient for use in an H1 lubricant, anti-rust film or release agent with incidental food contact up to 10 parts per million (ppm), for use in and around food processing areas where there is a potential exposure of the lubricant to food,” according to the certificate issued by InS. InS Services was created in the UK by Sid Stone and Eric Gard to fill the market need for an alternative H1 registration body, the company website said.

HX-1-certified base stock, as a component of H1 lubricants, is important in lubricant applications for materials manufactured according to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) that are common in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.

“The HX-1 certification provides Elevance Aria™ WTP 40 customers globally with the ability to meet growing demand for a food-grade solution that performs better than traditional PAO-based formulations and can be used across a wide range of applications,” said Robin Weitkamp, senior vice president, lubricants and additives. “In addition, we continue to work with new customers every day to uncover expanded uses for this innovative base stock.”

Elevance Aria™ WTP 40 is a high-viscosity base stock co-polymer that has GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It combines the composition and properties of esters and poly alpha olefins (PAO) into a single, high-performance product.

Elevance is currently offering a field trial support program to help qualified customers accelerate Aria™-based reformulation projects and commercialization activities in North America and Europe.