Location: Bio-oils Research
2025 Annual Report
Objectives
Objective 1. Resolving processing technologies to convert low-quality and nonfood feedstocks into value-added biobased products.
Sub-objective 1.A. Develop low-quality (vegetable oil refining wastes, used cooking oils and greases and residual oils from ethanol fermentation) and nonfood feedstocks for conversion to biodiesel and biobased products. Resolve pretreatment processes and eliminate (or minimize) needs for chemical preparation of low-quality and nonfood (LQNF) feedstocks.
Sub-objective 1.B. Resolve final process technologies for converting low-quality and nonfood (LQNF) feedstocks to biodiesel and value-added coproducts.
Objective 2. Enable commercial processing of new versatile biobased products useful in multiple markets.
Sub-objective 2.A. Enable novel and cost-competitive biobased products with unique structures for applications in multiple industrial sectors.
Sub-objective 2.B. Investigate functional property of novel biobased structures for lubrication, remediation, surfactant/detergent, polymers and other applications; apply structure-property models to optimize the chemical structures for multi-functional application.
This project is aimed at enabling new commercial technologies, processes, and multi-functional biobased products applicable in multiple markets without further modification or processing. Where applicable, low-cost feedstocks from cheap process waste streams will be used. Developed products will have applications in environmental remediation, household and industrial surfactants and detergents, lubricant base oils and additives, cleaners and solvents, polymers and plasticizers, and biofuels and biofuel additives. The technologies and products from this research will be competitive in cost and performance to those currently in the marketplace. The biobased products targeted in this project will result in significant improvements to the U.S. agricultural economy and the environment as well as to the safety and health of the American people.
Approach
Biofuels and biobased products are essential for maintaining a sustainable bioeconomy, protecting the environment, and enhancing the health and safety of citizens. Their widespread application requires efficient and cost-effective processing of farm-based raw materials. Achieving this goal will require overcoming complex technological hurdles to reduce manufacturing costs and expand their ranges of application. This research plan will develop technology for the conversion of low-cost ag-based raw materials to biodiesel and value-added bioproducts with applications in multiple markets. Bioproducts from this research will be developed with potential applications in the environmental remediation of heavy metals from waste streams, household and industrial cleaners, surfactants and detergents, biobased lubricant additives and base oils, fire-resistant polymers and plasticizers, and biodiesel and biodiesel additives. This research project is organized in two main objectives.
Objective one is tasked with the goals of expanding the feedstock supply for conversion to biodiesel and developing alternate conversion processes that produce biodiesel with enhanced cold flow properties. Sub-objective 1.A will expand the feedstock by the development of cost-effective pretreatment processes for upgrading low-quality oils and free fatty acids (FFA) obtained from vegetable oil refining wastes, used cooking oils and greases, and sorghum distiller’s dried grain with solubles (DDGS). Sub-objective 1.B will develop alternative processes for converting low-quality and nonfood (LQNF) feedstocks to biodiesel with improved cold flow properties. These processes will be designed to yield biodiesel mixed with co-products in one conversion step where the co-products can act as built-in cold flow improvers.
Objective two is tasked with the development of multi-functional biobased products from waste cooking oil (WCO) and other low-cost feedstocks. The biobased products will have versatile structures that will allow them to perform in multiple application sectors. Sub-objective 2.A will enable the synthesis of cost-competitive biobased products such as phosphonates, thiophosphates, disulfides, gemini surfactants and polyurethanes (PU). Sub-objective 2B will enable the characterization of these materials in multiple application sectors such as lubrication, environmental remediation, surfactants, detergents and polymers. Structure-property models will be applied to allow for the synthesis of optimized structures of multi-functional biobased products.
Progress Report
This is the final report for this project which terminated in August 2025. See the report for the replacement projects, 5010-30600-005-000D," Development of New Products and Markets from Novel and Commodity Oilseed Crops to Support U.S. Agriculture” and 5010-30600-006-000D, “Utilizing Vegetable Oils to Produce Renewable and Sustainable Replacements for Environmentally Persistent Industrial Polymers.”
Biomaterials and biofuels are essential for maintaining a sustainable economy, with their widespread application requiring efficient and cost-effective processing of farm-based raw materials. The reported research developed technology that allowed for conversion of low-cost ag-based raw materials into low-cost biodiesel, as well as advances in value-added bioproducts and methods.
Objective 1.A: New oil products from sorghum. Ethanol can be made from many grains, including sorghum, but the milling process produces many byproducts that go to waste, including oil. ARS researchers in Peoria, Illinois, investigated a byproduct of sorghum ethanol, “distillers’ sorghum oil,” to find new uses and markets for it. Sorghum was valued at $1.25 billion USD in 2024, but its production value has historically fluctuated, so a new market for its ethanol byproduct would help stabilize pricing trends and increase income for U.S. sorghum farmers. In the investigation, the researchers identified the main compounds in sorghum oil and created an efficient process to separate oil compounds from wax compounds, splitting the single byproduct into two usable products. This research benefits U.S. sorghum farmers, who will see increased profitability from the new byproduct usage.
Objective 1.A: Biodiesel from a new feedstock was developed to improve properties. Biodiesel has a significant economic value, contributing to job creation, wage income, and overall economic activity in the United States. A new study in 2024 showed the clean fuels industry contributed $42.4 billion USD to the U.S. economy. There is an opportunity for new feedstock or vegetable oils in the production of biodiesel and other biobased materials. New biodiesel from a low-erucic acid pennycress oil was developed by ARS researchers in Peoria, Illinois, to improve the fuel and stability properties. Fuel properties including cold flow properties, oxidative stability, viscosity (thickness), density and lubricity (anti-wear) characteristics of the new pennycress oil biodiesel were measured, and the results compared with those for biodiesel fuels made from other vegetable-based materials. This new biodiesel improves fuel properties, allowing it to be used as a drop-in replacement for both diesel and biodiesel in the upper Midwest including the winter months, thus providing farmers and producers additional markets within the U. S. while adding profitability.
Objective 1.B: A new method to measure biodiesel shelf life was developed. Biodiesel, while a renewable and biodegradable alternative, has a shorter shelf life compared to conventional diesel fuel, as it’s more reactive with air. It is generally recommended to use biodiesel within six months of its production date for optimal performance, as quality and physical properties can degrade after six months, making it unsuitable for direct use in engines after a year. Biodiesel production capacity in the United States is more than 2.1 billion gallons per year and maintaining fresh supplies is crucial to the transportation supply chain. A new method to assess the shelf life of canola, palm, and soybean oil biodiesel fuel decomposition was developed by ARS researchers in Peoria, Illinois. These results were used to develop predictive models to calculate the shelf life of biodiesel, thus allowing producers and storage locations ways to effectively manage their fuel supplies by maximizing profits and reducing fuel spoilage.
Objective 2.A: New biobased lubricant additives were developed. Humans generate more than 15 million tons of waste vegetable oil per year. Most of the waste vegetable oil requires discarding, which is expensive, especially in locations that require it to be treated as hazardous waste. Waste cooking oil was converted into lubricant additives by ARS researchers in Peoria, Illinois, creating a new market for these oils while simultaneously reducing hazardous waste. The resulting additives were shown to be effective at reducing wear when used in lubricant formulations. The current lubricant additives market is valued at more than $20 billion USD, so opening this market to waste cooking oil represents a valuable economic opportunity for American restaurants and commercial food factories.
Objective 2.A: Lubricant additives from citrus seed oil were conducted. Citrus seed oil, an unutilized waste product of the orange juice industry, was investigated as a low-cost oil for production of industrial lubricants. The global lubricants market is a significant economic player, with a value estimated at greater than $175 billion USD. Citrus seed oil, provided by ARS researchers in Fort Pierce, Florida, was converted into lubricant additives by ARS researchers in Peoria, Illinois. The new additive was as effective at controlling oxidative stability as standard commercially available materials. This research indicated a commercial outlet for waste citrus seed oil, arising from either the citrus industry or from citrus crops, which was unsuitable for human consumption due to citrus greening disease.
Objective 2.B: An efficient small volume cold flow method to evaluate lubricants was developed. Cold flow properties are an important factor when new liquid materials are being evaluated for potential use as lubricants because lubricants must stay liquid during subzero operating conditions. Industry-accepted methods for these properties require large volumes to test prospective new lubricants, but preparing large volumes of test material in a timely manner can be challenging and wastes federal funds. ARS researchers in Peoria, Illinois, developed, verified, and certified automated small sample volume methods for biobased oils. The results indicate that the small volume methods can be substituted for older methods for biobased lubricants that require larger volumes.
This work will advance the development and utilization of new biobased lubricants and lubricant formulations by helping scientists and engineers evaluate the cold flow properties without the need for large scale production. Thus, small lubricant samples can be evaluated, eliminating the need to waste ag-based raw materials.
Objective 2.B: New models were developed to measure estolides viscosity. Estolides are a sustainable and high- performance alternative to traditional petroleum-based lubricants. The global lubricants market is a significant economic player, with a value estimated at greater than $175 billion USD. To strengthen the adoption of estolides as lubricants, viscosity (resistance to flow) needs to be within tight specifications, but current measurement methods are slow and costly. New theoretical viscosity models were developed for estolides by ARS researchers in Peoria, Illinois. The best model predicted the viscosity of the estolides and allowed both researchers and commercial producers the ability to tailor the estolide size to meet specific applications. Thus, the quick formulation of new agricultural product-based estolides can be used to produce engine oils, hydraulic fluids, and metalworking fluids, without costly measurement methods, boosting sustainability and profitability for industrial producers.
Overall, the project served stakeholders consisting mainly of farmers, producers, consumers, and the U.S. citizen by addressing their technical problems and by the introduction of new processes and products. This project explored feedstocks from new and existing oilseed crops and developed processes to convert agricultural byproducts and residues into useful industrial materials.
Accomplishments
1. Enhanced Raman spectroscopy method represents advancement in food and fuel technology. Raman spectroscopy is a type of laser imaging that is important across many industries, from product development (biodiesel and lubricants) to the farm (detecting pesticide residues and other contaminants on crops and foods products), but it is not without its flaws: contaminants in the material being analyzed can generate signal noise. This noise can affect weak signals in the same way that a picture's bright background can conceal faces under dim lighting conditions. ARS researchers in Peoria, Illinois, developed a new method to analyze noisy Raman data. The method successfully removed the noise from the Raman spectrum to reveal the important signals corresponding to crude biodiesel samples. This new method could increase the use of Raman spectroscopy in the analysis of mixtures throughout society which could help improve detection limits with food contaminants, such as pesticides, mycotoxins, and bacteria, as well as on-farm detection of pesticide. The adapted use of this method would benefit U.S. farmers and consumers by providing safer consumables through lower detection limits.
Review Publications
Winfield, D.D., Dunn, R.O., Marks, M.D. 2025. Fuel properties of high oleic pennycress oil derived biodiesel and its blends with ultra-low-sulfur diesel. Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society. https://doi.org/10.1002/aocs.12968.
Winfield, D.D., Evangelista, R.L., Moser, B.R., Hay, W.T., Winkler-Moser, J.K., Bantchev, G.B., Cermak, S.C. 2025. Physicochemical characterization of Orychophragmus violaceous seeds and oil, a potential source of dihydroxy-fatty acids. Industrial Crops and Products. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2025.121530.