ARS | Publication request: STRUCTURE INDUCED THERMO-OXIDATIVE BEHAVIOR OF BIO-BASED SYNTHETIC LUBRICANTS

Submitted to: Annual Meeting and Expo of the American Oil Chemists' Society
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: May 20, 2003
Publication Date: May 20, 2003
Citation: ADHVARYU, A., ERHAN, S.Z., HWANG, H. STRUCTURE INDUCED THERMO-OXIDATIVE BEHAVIOR OF BIO-BASED SYNTHETIC LUBRICANTS. ANNUAL MEETING AND EXPO OF THE AMERICAN OIL CHEMISTS SOCIETY. 2003. p. 81.

Technical Abstract: Environmental awareness has led to new generation of lubricants and fluids based on renewable resources that are nontoxic and eco-friendly. These fluids are potential replacements for mineral oil in various agricultural, marine, forestry and industrial equipment and therefore prevent polluting the environment via total loss, accidental spillage, etc. Much of the development work on synthetic lubricants is limited due to their molecular structure resulting in thermo-oxidative instability. Poly-unsaturation and presence of bis-allylic hydrogens in fatty acids are the primary sites of oxidative degradation. A series of vegetable oil ester derivatives were prepared having various substitutions at unsaturated sites. Data based on energy calculation and steric geometry of synthetic fluids with different molecular structure will explain thermal loss, oxidation and formation of high molecular weight products. This information can be used to model fluid performance at elevated temperatures.