Vaporization and flow properties of biobased oils

Authors: KARIS, THOMAS - Tek Data Systems; Biresaw, Girma; IACCARINO, P - Koehler Instrument Company, Inc; SHAH, R - Koehler Instrument Company, Inc

Submitted to: Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/26/2019
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: There is an ongoing need to improve the fuel efficiency of engines and drive trains by decreasing the viscous dissipation in rolling and sliding contacts. Improved formulation starts with innovative base oils designed to have lower viscosity without an increase in evaporation loss rates. In this investigation, we focus on biobased oils that have recently become available for commercial formulation. The thermodynamic activation energy and entropy were derived from viscosity and vapor pressure measurements on these oils to investigate the effect of molecular structure on the relationships between the viscosity and vapor pressure. In general, the vapor pressure increases with decreasing viscosity for a given base oil molecular structure. The derived thermodynamic properties provide insight into the link between the molecular structure of the biobased oils relative to the synthetic and mineral oils. These results suggest that the key to the design of a base oil with lower viscosity and comparable vapor pressure is to control how the molecule deforms while transitioning through the flow activation state as measured by the flow activation entropy.