Due to the rise in petroleum prices as well as increasing environmental
concerns, there is a need to develop biochemicals and bioproducts that
offer realistic alternatives to their traditional counterparts; this
book will address the lack of a centralized resource of information on
lubricants and greases from renewable sources, and will be useful to a
wide audience in industry and academia. It is based on 20 years of
research and development at the UNI-NABL Center, and discusses the
various types of vegetable oils available, comparing their
characteristics, properties and benefits against those of typical
petroleum oils as well as discussing common evaluation tests and giving
examples and case studies of successful applications of biobased
lubricants and greases. Whilst scientific and engineering research data
is included, the book is written in an accessible manner and is
illustrated throughout.
- Focuses on an industrial application of lubrication technology
undergoing current explosive growth in the global market.
- Includes a detailed review of the material benefits of plant-based
lubricants that include a better viscosity index and lubricity even at
extreme temperatures, lower flammability due to higher flash points
and lower pour points.
- Covers the basic chemistry of vegetable oils as well as their profiles
for use in lubricants and greases and environmental benefits.
- Includes examples and case studies of where vegetable-based lubricants
have been successfully employed in industry applications.