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(Adopted March 6, 2009)(Amended July 9, 2010) 

RULE 1144 METALWORKING FLUIDS AND DIRECT-CONTACT 

LUBRICANTS 

(a) Purpose 

The purpose of Rule 1144 is to reduce volatile organic compound (VOC) 

emissions from the use of metalworking fluids and direct-contact lubricants at 

industrial facilities. 

(b) Applicability 

The rule applies to all persons who use metalworking fluids and direct-contact 

lubricants on products and parts during manufacture and assembly; and all 

manufacturers and suppliers who supply, sell, or offer for sale metalworking 

fluids and direct-contact lubricants for use at industrial facilities. This rule shall 

apply to all VOC containing fluids used for metalworking including metal 

removal, metal forming, metal treating or lubricating operations where the 

metalworking fluid or direct-contact lubricant comes into direct contact with 

products and parts including, but not limited to, blanking, broaching, coining, 

cutting, drilling, drawing, forming, forging, grinding, heading, honing, lapping, 

marquenching, milling, piercing, quenching, roll forming, rolling, stamping, 

tapping, threading, turning and wire drawing. The rule also applies to VOC 

containing fluids used for metal protection, including rust and corrosion 

prevention and inhibition, during the manufacture and assembly of products and 

parts. The provisions of this rule shall not apply to repair, maintenance or 

research operations. 

(c) Definitions 

For the purpose of this rule, the following definitions shall apply: 

(1) ASSEMBLED AIRCRAFT is any machine that is a complete vehicle, 

assembly of parts at an aircraft assembly facility or major partial section 

including wheel wells, fuselage sections, pressure decks, wings, blades or 

cockpit, designed to travel through the air, without leaving the earth’s 

atmosphere, including airplanes, balloons, dirigibles, helicopters and 

missiles. 

(2) DIRECT-CONTACT LUBRICANT is a fluid that comes into direct 

contact with the product or part during manufacturing or assembly and is 

used to reduce friction and to prolong the life of machine tools and 
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machinery. A direct-contact lubricant is not a metal forming fluid and is 

not a metal removal fluid.

(3) EXEMPT COMPOUND is as defined in Rule 102. 

(4) GRAMS OF VOC PER LITER OF MATERIAL is the weight of VOC per 

volume of material and can be calculated by the following equation: 

Grams of VOC per liter of material = 

W W W s w e s − −

V m

Where: Ws = Weight of volatile compounds in grams 

Ww = Weight of water in grams 

Wes = Weight of exempt compounds in grams 

Vm = Volume of material in liters 

(5) LAPPING is a manufacturing method that employs particles of an 

abrasive material, suspended in a liquid carrier, between rotating plates. 

(6) MANUFACTURING is the use of tools and labor to make things for sale. 

(7) METAL FORMING FLUID is a fluid used at the tool and workpiece 

interface to facilitate the flow of metal over the tool and to extend the life 

of the tool. Common metal forming operations include, but are not limited 

to, blanking, coining, drawing, forming, forging, heading, piercing, roll 

forming, stamping and wire drawing. 

(8) METAL PROTECTING FLUID is fluid that inhibits or prevents the 

corrosion of metal surfaces. It is applied independently of any other 

metalworking, lubricating or cleaning application. 

(9) METAL REMOVAL FLUID is a fluid used at the tool and workpiece 

interface to facilitate the removal of metal from the part, cool the part and 

tool, extend the life of the tool, and to flush away chips and debris. 

Common metal removal operations include, but are not limited to, 

broaching, cutting, drilling, grinding, honing, lapping, milling, tapping, 

threading and turning. 

(10) METAL TREATING FLUID is a fluid used to remove heat from metal 

parts, affect their hardness, and/or change the grain structure of the metal. 

Common metal treating operations include, but are not limited to, 

marquenching and quenching. 

(11) METALWORKING FLUID is a fluid that facilitates operations involving 

the working, protecting or modification of metals, including metal 
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forming, protecting, treating and removal, and may consist of straight oils, 

emulsifiable oils and synthetic and semi-synthetic fluids. 

(12) MILITARY SPECIFIED PRESERVATIVE is a preventative or protecting 

fluid qualified under military specification and used in a military 

application. 

(13) PRECISION METAL REMOVAL FLUID is a fluid used for carbide 

grinding machine tools, where the manufacturer of the machine tool 

specifies the viscosity of the fluid, or for machining of aluminum or 

magnesium in single or multiple spindle automatic machines. 

(14) SINKER ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE MACHINING (EDM) is a 

method of removing material by a series of rapid recurring electric arcing 

discharges between an electrode and the workpiece, in the presence of an 

energetic electric field, in an insulating oil. 

(15) SPACE VEHICLE is a vehicle designed to travel beyond the earth’s 

atmosphere. 

(16) SOLICIT is to require for use or to specify, by written or oral contract. 

(17) SUPER COMPLIANT MATERIAL is any material containing 50 grams 

or less of VOC per liter of material. 

(18) VANISHING OIL is a direct-contact lubricant or metalworking fluid with 

a flash point less than 200°F (93°C). 

(19) VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUND (VOC) is as defined in Rule 102. 

(d) Requirements 

(1) VOC Content

A person shall not use or solicit the use of any metalworking fluid or 

direct-contact lubricant that has a VOC content in excess of the limits 

contained in Table A of this paragraph: 
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Table A – Fluid Categories and VOC Limits

EFFECTIVE

1/1/2010 

EFFECTIVE

1/1/2011 

EFFECTIVE

1/1/2012 

FLUID VOC 

g/l 

(lb/gal) 

VOC 

g/l 

(lb/gal) 

VOC 

g/l 

(lb/gal) 

(A) Vanishing Oil 

50 

(0.42) 

 

(B) Metalworking Fluid 

(i) Metal Forming 

 75 

(0.63) 

(ii) Metal Removal 

(a) General 

 75 

(0.63) 

(b) Precision Metal 

Removal 

 130 

(1.08) 

(iii) Metal Treating 

 75 

(0.63) 

(iv) Metal Protecting 

 

(a) General 

300 

(2.50) 

 50 

(0.42) 

(b) Military Specified 

Preservative 

 340 

(2.83) 

(C) Direct-Contact Lubricant 

 50 

(0.42) 

(2) Prohibition of Sale 

(A) No person shall manufacture for use, offer for sale, sell or 

distribute directly to a person any metalworking fluid or directcontact lubricant for use in the District which, at the time of sale or 

manufacture, contains more VOC per liter of material after 

recommended dilution, and after the effective date, as listed in 

Table A. 

(B) The prohibition of sale shall not apply to any manufacturer or 

supplier of metalworking fluid or direct-contact lubricant provided 

the product was sold to an independent distributor that was 

informed in writing by the manufacturer or supplier that the 
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metalworking fluid or direct-contact lubricant is not to be used in 

the South Coast Air Quality Management District. 

(C) The prohibition of sale shall not apply to any manufacturer or 

supplier of metalworking fluid or direct-contact lubricant collected 

and directed to an emission control system pursuant to subdivision 

(e). 

(3) Sell-Through Provision 

 Any metalworking fluid or direct-contact lubricant that is manufactured 

prior to the effective date of the applicable limit, and that has a VOC 

content above that limit (but not above the limit in effect on the date of 

manufacture), may be sold, supplied, offered for sale, or applied for up to 

six months after the specified effective date. 

(e) Control Equipment 

A person may use metalworking fluids and direct-contact lubricants in excess of 

the limits provided all metalworking fluids and direct-contact lubricants are 

controlled by an emission control system that meets the following: 

(1) The control device reduces VOC emissions from an emission collection 

system by at least 95 percent by weight or the output of the air pollution 

control device is no more than 5 PPM VOC by volume calculated as 

carbon with no dilution; and 

(2) The emission collection system has been demonstrated to collect at least 

90 percent by weight of the VOC emissions generated by the sources of 

VOC emission. 

(f) Administrative Requirements 

(1) Effective January 1, 2010, containers, for sale or distribution, of any 

vanishing oil or metal protecting fluid subject to this rule shall display the 

date of manufacture of the contents or a code indicating the date of 

manufacture. The manufacturers of such vanishing oils or metal 

protecting fluids shall file with the Executive Officer of the District an 

explanation of each code. 

(2) Effective January 1, 2012, containers for sale or distribution, of any 

metalworking fluid or direct-contact lubricant subject to this rule shall 

display the VOC content and either the date of manufacture of the contents 

or a code indicating the date of manufacture. The manufacturer or 
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supplier of such fluids shall file with the Executive Officer of the District 

an explanation of each date code. 

(3) For each calendar year (January 1 through December 31) beginning with 

2011 and continuing with each subsequent calendar year until 2013, a 

metalworking fluid or direct-contact lubricant manufacturer or supplier 

shall submit to the District by April 1 of the following calendar year, an 

annual quantity and emissions report for products subject to the rule sold 

within the District. The report format shall be approved by the Executive 

Officer, and shall include the annual sales volume and VOC content of 

metalworking fluids and direct-contact lubricants sold or distributed 

within the District. 

(g) Recordkeeping Requirements 

(1) An owner or operator shall develop and maintain a VOC listing of all 

metalworking fluids and direct-contact lubricants purchased for use at the 

facility. The list shall be kept in a format specified by the District or in an 

equivalent format and shall contain the following data: 

(A) Name and AQMD facility identification number (if applicable) of 

the stationary source; 

(B) For each metalworking fluid and direct-contact lubricants: 

(i) Manufacturer, a manufacturer product number, ID, or code 

that uniquely identifies the VOC-containing fluid, and a 

fluid category; 

(ii) Grams of VOC per liter of material; 

The VOC Listing shall be updated within seven (7) calendar days from the 

date of receipt of a new metalworking fluid or direct-contact lubricant at 

the facility. 

(2) An owner or operator shall record the following information on a monthly 

usage log in a format specified by the District or in an equivalent format: 

(A) Name and AQMD identification number of the facility; 

(B) Manufacturer product number, ID, or code from the VOC Listing; 

(C) Amount of each VOC-containing fluid purchased on a monthly 

basis; 

(D) Initials of the person entering the data; and 

(E) Date the data was entered. 
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(3) An owner or operator of a stationary source shall maintain and make 

available to a District representative upon request all of the information 

necessary to verify the amount of metalworking fluids and direct-contact 

lubricants used at the facility including, but not limited to purchase records 

identifying the supplier's name, date, and amount purchased. 

(4) In lieu of meeting paragraphs (g)(1), (g)(2) and (g)(3), records may be 

maintained pursuant to Rule 109 for all applications subject to this rule. 

(5) Any person using an emissions control system as a means of complying 

with this rule shall maintain daily records of all key system parameters, 

including hours of operation, temperatures, pressures and flow rates, that 

are necessary to ensure control efficiency requirements. 

(6) Manufacturers utilizing the provision of subparagraph (d)(2)(B) shall 

maintain notification letters for five (5) years, which shall be made 

available to the Executive Officer or designee upon request. 

(7) Manufactures or suppliers of metalworking fluids and direct-contact 

lubricants shall maintain records to verify data used to determine VOC 

content in preparing their annual quantity and emissions report. The 

records shall be maintained for five (5) years and made available upon 

request by the Executive Officer. Such records shall include: 

(A) Laboratory reports; or 

(B) VOC content calculations. 

(h) Test Methods and Procedures 

The following test methods and procedures shall be used to determine compliance 

with this rule. Other applicable test methods may be used if they are determined 

to be equivalent and approved in writing by the Executive Officer, the California 

Air Resources Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

(1) Determination of VOC Content 

 (A) ASTM E 1868 - 10 Standard Test Method for Loss-On-Drying by 

Thermogravimetry. Quality assurance and quality control 

procedures shall be conducted using SCAQMD Additional 

Requirements to ASTM Standard Test Method E 1868-10 for 

Metalworking Fluids and Direct-Contact Lubricants. Water 

content shall be determined by ASTM D 4017 (Standard Test 

Method for Water in Paints and Paint Materials by Karl Fischer 

Method) if applicable to the specific sample. The exempt solvent 
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content shall be determined by SCAQMD Method 303 

(Determination of Exempt Compounds) contained in the 

SCAQMD "Laboratory Methods of Analysis for Enforcement 

Samples" manual; or, 

(B) Exempt Perfluorocarbon Compounds 

The following classes of compounds: 

cyclic, branched, or linear, completely fluorinated alkanes; 

cyclic, branched, or linear, completely fluorinated ethers 

with no unsaturations; 

cyclic, branched, or linear, completely fluorinated tertiary 

amines with no unsaturations; and 

sulfur-containing perfluorocarbons with no unsaturations 

and with sulfur bonds only to carbon and fluorine, 

will be analyzed as exempt compounds for compliance with 

paragraph (d), only when manufacturers specify which individual 

compounds are used in the coating formulation. In addition, the 

manufacturers must identify the USEPA, CARB, and the 

SCAQMD approved test methods used to quantify the amount of 

each exempt compound. 

(2) Determination of Flash Point 

ASTM D93 - 07 Standard Test Methods for Flash Point by PenskyMartens Closed Cup Tester. 

(3) Determination of Efficiency of Emission Control System 

(A) The capture efficiency of an emission control system shall be 

determined by verifying the use of a Permanent Total Enclosure 

(PTE) and 100% capture efficiency as defined by U.S. EPA 

Method 204 “Criteria for and Verification of a Permanent or 

Temporary Total Enclosure.” Alternatively, if a U.S. EPA Method 

204 defined PTE is not employed, capture efficiency shall be 

determined using a minimum of three sampling runs subject to data 

quality criteria presented in U.S. EPA technical guidance 

document “Guidelines for Determination Capture Efficiency, 

January 9, 1995.” Individual capture efficiency test runs subject to 

the U.S. EPA technical guidelines shall be determined by: 

(i) The Temporary Total Enclosure (TTE) approach of U.S. 

EPA Method 204 through 204F; or 
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(ii) The SCAQMD “Protocol for Determination of Volatile 

organic Compounds (VOCs) Capture efficiency.” 

(B) The efficiency of the control device and the VOC content 

measured and calculated as carbon in the control device exhaust 

gases shall be determined by U.S. EPA's Test Method 18, or Air 

Resources Board (ARB) Method 422 for the determination of 

emissions of Exempt Compounds and U.S. EPA's Test Methods 

25, 25A, SCAQMD Method 25.1 for the determination of Total 

Gaseous Non-Methane Organic Emissions as Carbon, or

SCAQMD Method 25.3 for the determination of Low 

Concentration Non-Methane Non-Ethane Organic Compound 

Emissions from Clean Fueled Combustion Sources, as applicable. 

 (C) The overall efficiency of an emission control system shall be 

determined using the following equation: 

Overall Efficiency 

 = (Capture Efficiency) x (Control Equipment Efficiency)/100 

(i) Exemptions 

(1) Paragraph (d)(2) and subdivision (f) shall not apply to metalworking fluids 

and direct-contact lubricants subject to the California Air Resources Board 

consumer products regulation found in Title 17 of the California Code of 

Regulations, beginning at Section 94507. 

(2) Until January 1, 2011, paragraph (d)(1) shall not apply to metalworking 

fluids and direct-contact lubricants subject to the California Air Resources 

Board consumer products regulation found in Title 17 of the California 

Code of Regulations, beginning at Section 94507. 

(3) The provisions of this rule shall not apply to metalworking fluids and 

direct-contact lubricants sold in this District for shipment outside of this 

District or for shipment to other manufacturers for repackaging. 

(4) The provisions of subdivisions (d) and (f) of this rule shall not apply to 

metalworking fluids and direct-contact lubricants subject to VOC limits in 

other Regulation XI rules. 

(5) The provisions of subdivision (d) shall not apply to the following 

operations: 

 (A) Lapping; 

 (B) Sinker EDM; 
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 (C) Avionics and assembled aircraft; 

 (D) Space vehicle components; 

 (E) Fluids utilizing the control device option in subdivision (e); 

(F) Until January 1, 2011, metal protecting fluids used in association 

with a military specification, military standard, Department of 

Defense document or Production Part Approval Process (PPAP). 

The specifications for the part shall be made available to the 

Executive Officer upon request. 

(6) The provisions of subdivision (g) shall not apply to any Super Compliant 

Material(s). This exemption shall only apply to facilities that demonstrate 

that total permitted and non-permitted facility VOC emissions do not 

exceed 4 tons in any calendar year, including emissions from the Super 

Compliant Material, as shown by annual purchase records. 

(7) Paragraphs (d)(1) and (d)(2) shall not apply to the use of dimethyl 

carbonate used as a cooling solvent in computed numerically controlled 

(CNC) machines where permeable media are used to maintain a vacuum 

that holds the part in place during cutting provided that the equipment 

existed at the time of rule adoption, is enclosed and an exhaust fan 

discharges the exhaust air from the equipment outside of the building.