The environment must be protected against pollution caused by lubricants based on petroleum oils. The pollution problem is so severe that approximately 50% of all lubricants sold worldwide end up in ...the environment via volatility, spills, or total loss applications. This threat to the environment can be avoided by either preventing undesirable losses, reclaiming and recycling mineral oil lubricants, or using environmentally friendly lubricants. Vegetable oils are recognized as rapidly biodegradable and are thus promising candidates as base fluids in environment friendly lubricants. Lubricants based on vegetable oils display excellent tribological properties, high viscosity indices, and flash points. To compete with mineral-oil-based lubricants, some of their inherent disadvantages, such as poor oxidation and low-temperature stability, must be corrected. One way to address these problems is chemical modification of vegetable oils at the sites of unsaturation. After a one-step chemical modification, the chemically modified soybean oil derivatives were studied for thermo-oxidative stability using pressurized differential scanning calorimetry and a thin-film micro-oxidation test, low-temperature fluid properties using pour-point measurements, and friction-wear properties using four-ball and ball-on-disk configurations. The lubricants formulated with chemically modified soybean oil derivatives exhibit superior low-temperature flow properties, improved thermo-oxidative stability, and better friction and wear properties. The chemically modified soybean oil derivatives having diester substitution at the sites of unsaturation have potential in the formulation of industrial lubricants.
Ring-opening polymerization of epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) catalyzed by boron trifluoride diethyl etherate (BF₃·OEt₂) in methylene chloride was conducted in an effort to develop useful biodegradable ...polymers. The resulting polymerized ESO (PESO) were characterized using infrared (IR) spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, solid state ¹³C NMR and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The results indicated that PESO materials were highly crosslinked polymers. They had glass transition temperatures ranging from −16 to −48 °C. TGA results showed the PESO polymers were thermally stable at temperatures up to 220 °C. Decomposition of the polymers was found to occur at temperature greater than 340 °C. GPC results indicated the extracted soluble substances from PESO polymers were ESO dimers, trimers and polymers with low molecular weights. The resulting crosslinked polymers can be converted into hydrogels by chemical modification, such as hydrolysis. These soy based hydrogels will find applications in personal care and health care areas.
With increasing environmental concerns and the depletion of petroleum resources, the development of lubricant additives from bioresources has attracted much attention recently. In this review, we ...reported a few polymers and polymer composites that are synthesized from vegetable oils (soybean oil, sunflower oil, rice bran oil, and castor oil) and used as multifunctional additives in the formulation of eco-friendly lubricant compositions. We mentioned the preparation of vegetable oil-based homo- and copolymers and their characterization by different spectral techniques (FTIR/NMR). The average molecular weights of the polymers are determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Performance evaluations of the polymeric materials mainly as a viscosity index improver (VII), pour point depressant (PPD), and most importantly antifriction additives when blended with lubricating base oils are indicated. Standard ASTM methods have been applied to evaluate their performances. The findings have shown that all the additives discussed are non-toxic, biodegradable, and showed excellent performances compared to commercial petroleum-based additives.
Vegetable oils are promising candidates as base fluid for eco-friendly lubricants because of their excellent lubricity, biodegradability, viscosity–temperature characteristics and low volatility. ...Their use, however, is restricted due to low thermo-oxidative stability and poor cold flow behavior. This paper presents a systematic approach to improve the oxidation behavior and low temperature fluidity of vegetable oil derivatives. Among the various possible avenues available, the combination of chemical additives, diluent (polyalphaolefin), and high-oleic vegetable oils 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 such as pour points compared to commercially available industrial oils such as bio-based hydraulic fluids. The above vegetable oil-based formulations compare at par with petroleum-based lubricants for use in high-temperature applications and often outperform the competition in some of its properties.
Five branched oleochemicals were prepared from commercially available methyl oleate and common organic acids; and their lubricant properties were determined. These branched oleochemicals are ...characterized as 9(10)-hydroxy-10(9)-ester derivatives of methyl oleate. These derivatives show improved low temperature properties, over olefinic oleochemicals, as determined by pour point and cloud point measurements. The derivatization also increased thermo-oxidative stability, measured using both pressurized differential scanning calorimetry (PDSC) and thin film micro oxidation (TFMO) methods. Branched oleochemicals were used as additives both in soybean oil and in polyalphaolefin. Their lubrication enhancement was evaluated by both four-ball and ball-on-disk wear determinations. These derivatives have good anti-wear and friction-reducing properties at relatively low concentrations, under all test loads. Their surface tensions were also determined and a trend was observed. The materials with larger side chain branches had lower surface tension than those containing smaller side chain branches. An exception to this trend was found when studying the compound with the carbonyl containing levulinic acid side chain, which had the highest surface tension of the branched oleochemicals studied. Overall, the data indicate that some of these derivatives have significant potential as a lubricating oil or fuel additives.
This work describes the tribochemical evaluation of vegetable oil based antiwear additive obtained through chemical modification. The Sulfur was incorporated using a chemical reaction of epoxidized ...vegetable oil and common thiols, resulting in formation of a hydroxy thioether derivative of vegetable oils. The synthesis retains the vegetable oil structure, eliminates poly-unsaturation in the molecule, and adds polar functional groups that significantly improve adsorption on metal surfaces. These additives are obtained by chemical modification of oils originated from natural resources. The tribochemical behavior of sulfur incorporated vegetable oil was studied by measuring friction coefficient using ball-on-disk configuration and wear scar diameter using four-ball configuration. Comparative tests with commercial antiwear additives demonstrate the effectiveness of these derivatives. The derivatives were found useful as agriculturally based antiwear additives for lubricant applications.
Owing to the unfavorable impact on the environment of mineral oil-based lubricants, there has been a steady increase in the demand for biodegradable, environment-friendly lubricants. However, ...development of a biodegradable base fluid that could replace or partially substitute conventional mineral oil is a big challenge. Vegetable oils are recognized as rapidly biodegradable and are thus promising candidates as base fluids in environment-friendly lubricants. Vegetble oils have excellent lubricity, but poor oxidation and low-temeprature stability. This paper presents a series of structural modifications of vegetable oils using anhydrides of different chain lengths. The reaction was monitored and products were confirmed by NMR, FTIR, gel permeation chromatography, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Experimental conditions were optimized for research quantity and for laboratory scale-up (up to 4 lb=1.8 kg). The thermo-oxidation stability of these new lubricant base fluids was tested using pressure differential scanning calorimetry and TGA. The chemically modified base fluids exhibit superior oxidation stability in comparison with unmodified vegetable oils. These base fluids in combination with suitable additives exhibit equivalent oxidation stability compared with mineral oil-based formulations.
In recent years there has been considerable interest in using natural plant fibers as reinforcements for plastics. The motivation includes cost, performance enhancement, weight reduction, and ...environment concerns. High performance flax fiber could potentially substitute for glass or carbon fibers as reinforcements for plastics. This study reports the “green” composites obtained from a mixture of epoxidized soybean oil and epoxy resin, 1,1,1-tris(p-hydroxyphenyl)ethane triglycidyl ether (THPE-GE), reinforced with flax fiber. The compression molding method is used for making the composites. Curing agents triethylenetetramine and diethylenetriamine provide better physical properties of the composites than Jeffamine agents D-230 and EDR-148. Both the flexural modulus and the tensile modulus of the composites increase as the amount of THPE-GE increases. The flexural modulus increased at a fiber content of <10 wt %, but there is a decrease beyond 10 wt %. The tensile modulus increases with fiber content until a maximum at 13.5 wt %, and then it decreases. The flax fiber length affected the mechanical properties of the composites: the longer the fiber length, the better are the mechanical properties observed. Keywords: Epoxidized soybean oil; flax fiber; 1,1,1-tris(p-hydroxyphenyl)ethane triglycidyl ether (THPE-GE); composite
The use of oleochemicals as biobased lubricants is of significant interest. This article presents the oxidative stability of synthesized epoxidized methyl oleate (EMO), epoxidized methyl linoleate ...(EMLO), and epoxidized methyl linolenate (EMLEN), as well as that of a commercial epoxidized soybean oil, and epoxidized 2-ethylhexyl soyate. The epoxides show increased stability over olefinic oleochemicals by both pressure differential scanning calorimetry (PDSC) and thin film micro oxidation (TFMO). Also reported are the viscosity indices, pour point, and cloud point of the compounds. All of the data indicate that some of these epoxides have significant potential to be used as a fuel additive or lubricating fluid, important areas in the replacement of petrochemicals with environmentally friendly biobased alternatives.
Purpose: This work is intended to develop and evaluate a new polymer-lipid hybrid nanoparticle system that can efficiently load and release water-soluble anticancer drug doxorubicin hydrochloride ...(Dox) and enhance Dox toxicity against multidrug-resistant (MDR) cancer cells. Methods: Cationic Dox was complexed with a new soybean-oil-based anionic polymer and dispersed together with a lipid in water to form Dox-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (Dox-SLNs). Drug loading and release properties were measured spectrophotometrically. The in vitro cytotoxicity of Dox-SLN and the excipients in an MDR human breast cancer cell line (MDA435/LCC6/MDR1) and its wild-type line were evaluated by trypan blue exclusion and clonogenic assays. Cellular uptake and retention of Dox were determined with a microplate fluorometer. Results Dox-SLNs were prepared with a drug encapsulation efficiency of 60-80% and a particle size range of 80-350 nm. About 50% of the loaded drug was released in the first few hours and an additional 10-20% in 2 weeks. Treatment of the MDR cells with Dox-SLN resulted in over 8-fold increase in cell kill when compared to Dox solution treatment at equivalent doses. The blank SLN and the excipients exhibited little cytotoxicity. The biological activity of the released Dox remained unchanged from fresh, free Dox. Cellular Dox uptake and retention by the MDR cells were both significantly enhanced (p < 0.05) when Dox was delivered in Dox-SLN form. Conclusions The new polymer-lipid hybrid nanoparticle system is effective for delivery of Dox and enhances its efficacy against MDR breast cancer cells.