What is fire-resistant hydraulic fluid?

It is a hydraulic fluid that is much harder to ignite than mineral oil if a hose bursts or a leak sprays mist near a flame or hot metal. TotalEnergies' Hydransafe range covers water-based HFA and HFC-E fluids and synthetic HFDU (ester) and HFDR (phosphate ester) fluids, all listed against ISO 12922 on their data sheets.

What is the difference between HFA, HFC, HFDU and HFDR fluids?

HFA and HFC are water-based: Hydransafe HFA S7 is a concentrate used at 2–5% in water for longwall systems, and Hydransafe HFC-E is a water-based fluid in ISO VG 46 and 68. HFDU and HFDR are synthetic: Hydransafe HFDU is ester-based, and Hydransafe FR EHC (HFDR) is a water-free phosphate ester for steam turbine control systems.

Is Hydransafe HFDU 46 Factory Mutual approved?

TotalEnergies' data sheet lists Hydransafe HFDU 46 and HFDU 68 with "Factory Mutual in accordance with FM Approval Standard 6930". If your insurer or site requires an FM-approved fluid, check the current FM Approvals listing as well as the data sheet.

What fluid is used in longwall roof supports?

TotalEnergies' longwall fluid is Hydransafe HFA S7, an HFA fluid for roof support systems that is mixed with water at a 2–5% concentration. It lists Cat (HBT) company standard EWN 8350 1-3 and Komatsu (Joy) CTR 04-20 at 2% under approvals, and has a refractometer factor of 4 for checking concentration.

Do I need to flush the system when converting to a water-based HFC fluid?

Yes, according to TotalEnergies. Its German product sheet for Hydransafe HFC-E says the hydraulic system must be flushed when converting from mineral oil, ester or PAG-based products. Agree the changeover procedure, seals and filters with your equipment maker first.

Can Hydransafe FR EHC be mixed with mineral oil?

No. TotalEnergies says FR EHC is not miscible with conventional mineral hydraulic oils or water-glycol fluids, though it can generally be mixed with phosphate ester fluids. In equipment designed for mineral oil, use fluorinated elastomer seals (Viton, Teflon) and avoid normal paints on tanks.

Are fire-resistant hydraulic fluids biodegradable?

Some are. The data sheets give over 94% (OECD 301F) for Hydransafe HFA S7, over 90% (OECD 301B) for Hydransafe HFC-E, and "ultimately biodegradable" (OECD 301B) for Hydransafe HFDU 46. The FR EHC data sheet makes no biodegradability claim.

Can I buy fire-resistant hydraulic fluid in Perth?

Yes. Collect from the TotalEnergies Perth warehouse at 22 Wildfire Road, Maddington WA 6109, or Bulk Lubricants Australia freights to site anywhere in Australia. Price, pack and freight are confirmed on the quote, and the TotalEnergies technical and safety data sheets are available on request.

Catalog / Hydraulic Oils

Fire-resistant hydraulic fluid guide

Fire-resistant hydraulic fluid in Australia: HFA, HFC, HFDU and HFDR grades

Fire-resistant hydraulic fluids come in four main classes: water-based HFA and HFC fluids, and synthetic HFDU (ester) and HFDR (phosphate ester) fluids, and TotalEnergies lists each Hydransafe grade below against ISO 12922. Bulk Lubricants Australia supplies Hydransafe in all four: HFA S7 for longwall roof supports, HFC-E 46 and 68 for underground mining and tunnelling hydraulics, HFDU 46 and 68 for hydraulics near flames or molten metal, and FR EHC for steam turbine control systems. Pick the class your equipment maker names, then collect in Perth or have it freighted anywhere in Australia.

Published 25 October 2026. Every figure is from the TotalEnergies data sheets and product pages listed under Sources.

Top takeaways

The class comes first, the viscosity second. HFA, HFC-E, HFDU and HFDR fluids are different chemistries, so match the class your equipment maker names before you look at ISO VG.
Longwall roof supports run on HFA, mixed with water. Hydransafe HFA S7 is a concentrate used at 2–5% in water and lists Cat (HBT) EWN 8350 and Komatsu (Joy) CTR 04-20 approvals.
HFC-E is the water-based choice for mobile and underground hydraulics. TotalEnergies describes Hydransafe HFC-E 46 and 68 as developed to replace standard mineral oils with equal equipment protection, in mobile and stationary equipment.
HFDU is ester-based; HFDR is for turbine control. Hydransafe HFDU is ester-based with a flash point of 310–330 °C. Hydransafe FR EHC is a water-free phosphate ester for steam turbine governor systems.
Switching fluids is an engineering job. TotalEnergies calls for a system flush when converting to HFC-E, and says FR EHC is not miscible with mineral oil and needs fluorinated seals.

Which Hydransafe grade suits which job?

A burst hose on a mineral oil system can spray a fine mist onto a hot manifold, a furnace or a switch cabinet. Fire-resistant fluids cut that risk, either by being mostly water or by using synthetic chemistry that is far harder to ignite. The table compares the six grades we supply, as printed on each TotalEnergies data sheet.

Grade	Best for	Class	Chemistry	Viscosity	Water	Operating temperature	Fire data
Hydransafe HFA S7^{[1, 10]}	Longwall roof supports in underground mining; steel industry hydraulics	HFA; ISO 6743-4; DIN EN ISO 12922; DIN 24320	Water-based concentrate, mineral oil free	No ISO VG; concentrate 1–10 mm²/s at 20 °C	Used at 2–5% concentrate in water	Not stated	Not stated (water-based)
Hydransafe HFC-E 46^[2]	Mobile and stationary hydraulics in mining, tunnelling and offshore	HFC-E; ISO 12922	Water-based	ISO VG 46	Water-based; content not stated	Not stated; pour point −39 °C	Spray ignition (DIN EN ISO 15029-2): RI class D, RL class D, D-index class A
Hydransafe HFC-E 68^[2]	As HFC-E 46, where the equipment calls for ISO VG 68	HFC-E; ISO 12922	Water-based	ISO VG 68	Water-based; content not stated	Not stated; pour point −39 °C	Spray ignition (DIN EN ISO 15029-2): RI class D, RL class D, D-index class A
Hydransafe HFDU 46^{[3, 6, 9]}	Hydraulics near flames or molten metal: steelworks, casting, mines	HFDU; ISO 6743/4; EN ISO 12922	Synthetic ester	ISO VG 46	Not stated	−10 to +70 °C continuous, +120 °C peak; pour point −42 °C	Flash 310 °C, fire point 358 °C, autoignition > 420 °C; Factory Mutual (FM 6930)
Hydransafe HFDU 68^{[4, 7]}	As HFDU 46, where the equipment calls for ISO VG 68	HFDU; ISO 6743/4; EN ISO 12922	Ester-based	ISO VG 68 (71.6 mm²/s at 40 °C on the data sheet)	< 500 ppm	−10 to +70 °C continuous, 120 °C maximum; pour point −42 °C	Flash 330 °C (open cup), fire point 358 °C, autoignition 450 °C; Factory Mutual (FM 6930)
Hydransafe FR EHC^[5]	Electrohydraulic governor (EHC) systems on steam turbines, incl. fine-tolerance servo valves	HFDR; ISO 12922; ASTM 4293	Phosphate ester, water-free	44.5 mm²/s at 40 °C	0.04% w/w	−10 to +120 °C; pour point −24 °C	Flash 262 °C, fire point 354 °C, autoignition 534–540 °C; FM Global 6930 spray flammability Group I

“Best for” is our reading of each data sheet’s applications section. “Not stated” means the data sheet gives no figure, so we leave it blank rather than guess. HFDU operating temperatures are from TotalEnergies’ product pages [6, 7]; HFDU 46’s chemistry is from TotalEnergies Germany’s product sheet [9].

Which approvals and standards do they carry?

The data sheets name OEMs and standards in TotalEnergies’ own words, shown below. Status keeps that wording: an approval listed on a TotalEnergies data sheet is still worth checking against the OEM’s current list, and a bare listing is not an approval.

Grade	What the data sheet says	Status
Hydransafe HFA S7^[1]	Approvals: HBT (CAT) company standard EWN 8350 1-3; Komatsu (Joy) Global specification CTR 04-20 at 2% in No. 19 water. Specifications: ISO 6743-4, 7th Luxembourg report, DIN EN ISO 12922, RAG 762011, DIN 24320.	Approved (as listed on the data sheet); confirm in your manual
Hydransafe HFC-E 46 & 68^[2]	Approved by: GHH, Eickhoff, Robbins. Meets the requirements of: Herrenknecht, Sandvik, Epiroc, Joy. Also lists 7th Luxembourg report, DIN ISO EN 4404-1, ISO 12922, DMT spray ignition (DIN EN ISO 15029-2) and RAG Standard N 762010.	Approved (GHH, Eickhoff, Robbins); Meets (Herrenknecht, Sandvik, Epiroc, Joy); confirm in your manual
Hydransafe HFDU 46 & 68^[3]	EN ISO 12922; ISO 6743/4 HFDU; Factory Mutual in accordance with FM Approval Standard 6930, “Flammability classification of Industrial Fluids”. No OEM names on the data sheet.	Factory Mutual as stated on the data sheet; confirm in your manual
Hydransafe FR EHC^[5]	Listed under “OEM”: Alstom HTGD 690 149; GEK 46357; Siemens KWU TLV 9012 03. International standards: ISO 12922 HFDR, ASTM 4293 HFDR.	Listed without an approval statement; confirm in your turbine manual

Which class do I need: HFA, HFC, HFDU or HFDR?

HFA: longwall and water hydraulics. Hydransafe HFA S7 is a concentrate mixed at 2–5% with water for longwall systems in underground mining and for steel industry hydraulics. Check the mix with a refractometer (factor 4 on the data sheet) [1].
HFC-E: water-based, in ISO VG 46 and 68. Hydransafe HFC-E 46 and HFC-E 68 are designed for all kinds of hydraulic pumps in mobile and stationary equipment, for fire-sensitive work such as mining, tunnelling and offshore [2].
HFDU: synthetic ester. Hydransafe HFDU 46 and HFDU 68 are for hydraulics where a hose rupture or oil mist could meet a flame, molten metal or a switch cupboard: iron and steel works (coking plants, blast furnaces, continuous casting) and mines. TotalEnergies especially recommends them where water contamination is possible, such as offshore and in mines [3, 4].
HFDR: phosphate ester for turbines. Hydransafe FR EHC is designed for electrohydraulic governor systems on steam turbines, including fine-tolerance servo valves [5].

Can I switch from mineral hydraulic oil?

Only with your equipment maker’s agreement. Here is what TotalEnergies says:

To HFC-E: the hydraulic system must be flushed when converting from mineral oil, ester or PAG-based products [8].
To HFDU: TotalEnergies Germany lists Hydransafe HFDU 46 as compatible with mineral oil and ester-based fluids [9].
To HFDR: FR EHC is not miscible with mineral hydraulic oils or water-glycol fluids. In equipment designed for mineral oil, use fluorinated elastomers (Viton, Teflon) for seals and hoses, and avoid normal paints on tanks. TotalEnergies refers users to AFNOR E 48-640 on using fire-resistant fluids [5].
To HFA: the data sheet gives no changeover guidance, so confirm with your OEM.

Our view

Our opinion: start from the class your OEM, insurer or site fire-risk assessment names, not from viscosity or price. If a machine was built for mineral oil and you need more fire resistance, HFDU is the closest to an oil in handling (ISO VG 46 or 68, ester-based), but seals, pumps and filters still need the maker’s sign-off. Keep HFA S7 for longwall and water hydraulics, and FR EHC for turbine control systems that call for HFDR.

Next steps

Find the fluid class (HFA, HFC, HFDU or HFDR) and viscosity in your manual.
Check any approval your OEM or insurer needs against the table above.
Plan the changeover with the equipment maker, including flushing and seals.
Request a price for the grade and pack you need.

Running standard mineral hydraulic oil? See our ISO VG 46 HM hydraulic oil guide.

Common questions

What is fire-resistant hydraulic fluid?: It is a hydraulic fluid that is much harder to ignite than mineral oil if a hose bursts or a leak sprays mist near a flame or hot metal. TotalEnergies' Hydransafe range covers water-based HFA and HFC-E fluids and synthetic HFDU (ester) and HFDR (phosphate ester) fluids, all listed against ISO 12922 on their data sheets.
What is the difference between HFA, HFC, HFDU and HFDR fluids?: HFA and HFC are water-based: Hydransafe HFA S7 is a concentrate used at 2–5% in water for longwall systems, and Hydransafe HFC-E is a water-based fluid in ISO VG 46 and 68. HFDU and HFDR are synthetic: Hydransafe HFDU is ester-based, and Hydransafe FR EHC (HFDR) is a water-free phosphate ester for steam turbine control systems.
Is Hydransafe HFDU 46 Factory Mutual approved?: TotalEnergies' data sheet lists Hydransafe HFDU 46 and HFDU 68 with "Factory Mutual in accordance with FM Approval Standard 6930". If your insurer or site requires an FM-approved fluid, check the current FM Approvals listing as well as the data sheet.
What fluid is used in longwall roof supports?: TotalEnergies' longwall fluid is Hydransafe HFA S7, an HFA fluid for roof support systems that is mixed with water at a 2–5% concentration. It lists Cat (HBT) company standard EWN 8350 1-3 and Komatsu (Joy) CTR 04-20 at 2% under approvals, and has a refractometer factor of 4 for checking concentration.
Do I need to flush the system when converting to a water-based HFC fluid?: Yes, according to TotalEnergies. Its German product sheet for Hydransafe HFC-E says the hydraulic system must be flushed when converting from mineral oil, ester or PAG-based products. Agree the changeover procedure, seals and filters with your equipment maker first.
Can Hydransafe FR EHC be mixed with mineral oil?: No. TotalEnergies says FR EHC is not miscible with conventional mineral hydraulic oils or water-glycol fluids, though it can generally be mixed with phosphate ester fluids. In equipment designed for mineral oil, use fluorinated elastomer seals (Viton, Teflon) and avoid normal paints on tanks.
Are fire-resistant hydraulic fluids biodegradable?: Some are. The data sheets give over 94% (OECD 301F) for Hydransafe HFA S7, over 90% (OECD 301B) for Hydransafe HFC-E, and "ultimately biodegradable" (OECD 301B) for Hydransafe HFDU 46. The FR EHC data sheet makes no biodegradability claim.
Can I buy fire-resistant hydraulic fluid in Perth?: Yes. Collect from the TotalEnergies Perth warehouse at 22 Wildfire Road, Maddington WA 6109, or Bulk Lubricants Australia freights to site anywhere in Australia. Price, pack and freight are confirmed on the quote, and the TotalEnergies technical and safety data sheets are available on request.

Request a quote

Tell us the grade, pack size, quantity and site. Bulk Lubricants Australia confirms price, pack and freight on the quote. Collect from the TotalEnergies Perth warehouse in Maddington, or we freight to site anywhere in Australia.

See the full Hydraulic Oils range Call +61 459 798 569

Sources

How we checked: each figure was read from the TotalEnergies data sheets and product pages on 25 October 2026. Where a data sheet is silent we say so rather than fill the gap. Spot an error? Call us or use the quote form and we will correct it.