Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Bio-oils Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #312491
Title: Estolides: Bioderived synthetic base oils

Author
item BREDSGUARD, JAKOB - Biosynthetic Technologies
item THOMPSON, TRAVIS - Biosynthetic Technologies
item Cermak, Steven - Steve
item Isbell, Terry

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/6/2015
Publication Date: 5/2/2016
Citation: Bredsguard, J.W., Thompson, T.D., Cermak, S.C., Isbell, T.A. 2016. Estolides: Bioderived synthetic base oils. In: Sharma, B.K., Biresaw, G., editors. Environmentally Friendly and Biobased Lubricants. Boca Raton: CRC Press. p. 35-49.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: One novel technology to reach the lubricant market in recent years is the estolide, a class of high-performance, environmentally acceptable lubricant base oils. Estolides have been tested against a set of similar competing base oils from the marketplace, and the results show that they have excellent performance in the areas of oxidative stability, hydrolytic stability, evaporative loss (volatility), viscosity index (VI), and wear protection, in addition to environmental benefits including high renewable content, biodegradibility, and nonbio-accumulative nature. These benefits, among others, have led formulators to begin using estolides in a variety of industrial and automotive lubricant applications. For example, a high-performance estolide-based motor oil formulation has been certified by the API as having met the most current performance specifications for motor oils, API SN-RC (International Lubricants Standardization and Approval Committee [ILSAC] GF-5). In addition, a field trial using estolide-based formulations was conducted in Las Vegas, Nevada, where estolides demonstrated their ability to keep engines looking clean with minimal varnish. Furthermore, an estolide-based motor oil underwent environmental testing to determine the effect on biodegradability, if any, of (1) blending the estolide-based oil with additives and (2) using the formulation in an engine. The results show that blending the base oil with additives did not have an effect on the biodegradability of the estolide, and using the formulation in an engine appeared to slightly improve the biodegradability of the estolide.