ARS | Publication request: HIGH OLEIC VEGETABLE OIL BASED LUBRICANTS

Submitted to: UJNR Food & Agricultural Panel Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: September 1, 2005
Publication Date: October 22, 2005
Citation: Erhan, S.Z., Sharma, B.K. 2005. High oleic vegetable oil based lubricants. In: Proceedings of the United States/Japan Natural Resources (UJNR) Food and Agriculture Panel Meeting, October 23-29, 2005, Fuji, Japan. p. 129-135.

Technical Abstract: The emphasis on environmentally friendly lubricants is largely due to the rapid depletion of world fossil fuel reserves and increasing concern for environmental pollution from excessive mineral oil use and their disposal especially in loss lubrication, military applications, and in outdoor activities such as forestry, mining, railroads, dredging, fishing and agriculture hydraulic systems. Vegetable oils are promising candidates as base fluid for eco-friendly lubricants, but their use is restricted due to low thermo-oxidative stability and poor cold flow behavior. This paper presents a systematic approach to improve the oxidation and cold flow behavior of vegetable oil derivatives using pressure differential scanning calorimetry (PDSC) and Rotary Bomb Oxidation Test (RBOT). Among the various possible avenues available, the combination of high-oleic vegetable oils and chemical additives offer the best option for achieving the ultimate goal. Vegetable oil-based lubricants formulated using the above approach exhibit superior oxidative stability, and improved low temperature properties compared to some of the commercially available bio-based industrial oils, and are at par with petroleum-based lubricants for use in high-temperature and high-pressure applications and often outperform the competition in some of its properties.