Project Grant 20236702139543

** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** DUE TO LIMITED FOSSIL-BASED HYDROCARBON RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS, THE DEVELOPMENT OF BIO-MATERIALS HAS ATTRACTED SCIENTIFIC ATTENTION TO REPLACING PETROLEUM PRODUCTS WITH RENEWABLE MATERIALS. HOWEVER, MOST ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN CONCENTRATED ON THE PRODUCTION OF BIOFUELS RATHER THAN VALUE-ADDED MATERIALS. LUBRICANTS ARE EXTENSIVELY USED IN INDUSTRIAL MACHINERY. BASE OILS ARE KEY COMPONENTS (75-90 WT. %) OF COMMERCIALLY FORMULATED LUBRICANTS AND ACCOUNT FOR UP TO 75-80% OF LUBRICANT COST. HOWEVER, THE MAJORITY OF THE CURRENT BASE OILS ARE PETROLEUM-BASED. RECENT STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT BIO-LUBRICANTS DERIVED FROM VEGETABLE OILS CAN BE A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE FOR PETROLEUM-BASED LUBRICANTS, BUT ALL BIO-LUBRICANTS SUFFER FROM AT LEAST ONE OF THE FOLLOWING: POOR LOW-TEMPERATURE CHARACTERISTICS, LOW OXIDATION STABILITY, LOW VISCOSITY INDEX, POOR SOLUBILITY OF ADDITIVES. THESE NEGATIVE PROPERTIES MAKE THE EXISTING BIO-LUBRICANTS UNCOMPETITIVE WITH THEIR PETROLEUM-BASED COUNTERPARTS. IN THIS PROJECT, WE HAVE DEVELOPED A NOVEL APPROACH FOR THE PRODUCTION OF VALUE-ADDED BIO-LUBRICANTS FROM WASTE COOKING OIL, PLANT-BASED OILS, AND ANIMAL FATS. THE PROPOSED PATHWAYS WILL RESULT IN THE SYNTHESIS OF BIO-BASED LUBRICANT BLEND STOCK THAT CONTAINS 1) LONG AND LINEAR HYDROCARBON CHAINS TO PROVIDE GOOD LUBRICITY AND VISCOSITY INDEX, 2) LOW TO ZERO UNSATURATION TO OBTAIN EXCELLENT STABILITY, 3) MINIMAL BRANCHING TO ACHIEVE LOW WEARING RATE, 4) NAPHTHENIC RINGS AND CYCLIC STRUCTURES TO INCREASE OXIDATION RESISTANCE, AND 5) POLAR MOLECULES TO PROVIDE GREAT BOUNDARY LAYER WITH A METAL SURFACE. THUS, THISTECHNOLOGY WILL RESOLVEALL SHORTCOMINGS OF THE EXISTING BIO-LUBRICANTS AT THE SAME TIME, MAKING OUR FINAL PRODUCT POTENTIALLY COMPATIBLE/INTERCHANGEABLE WITH PETROLEUM-BASED LUBRICANTS.