• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.195-204
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• 2015

Several researches are focused on improving the value of fine chemicals based on biomass resources due to environmental and other concerns associated with the use of petroleum-based products. Therefore, the synthesis and application of estolides derived from plant-based waste oil materials and their application as lubricants and as processing oil for butyl rubber products have been studied. Four kinds of estolide were prepared with conversions of 71~92% over 24h using various vegetable oils, as determined by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. FT-IR spectroscopy determines the esterification of estolides using 2-ethylhexyl alcohol. The estolides have iodine values of 35~90, α-ester/α-acid ratios of 0.45~0.55, and total acid number of 114~134 mg KOH g^–1. Four ball wear tests show that the wear scar diameters (WSDs) of estolides as base oil significantly decreased to 0.328~0.494 mm, compared to WSDs of 0.735 and 0.810 mm of WSD for 150N and Yubase 6, respectively, as general base oil. Thus, the estolides have better wear resistance and satisfying design objectives for the engineering of a variety of lubricant base oils.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.256-264
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• 2014

Enhancing the value of fine chemicals based on biomass resources is an important objective for addressing environmental and other concerns such as demand for renewable or green products, as well as from the political perspective to reduce dependence on fossil feedstock associated with the use of petroleum-based products. Based on these considerations, we studied the synthesis of estolide using waste plant-based oil materials and their application as lubricants and pour point depressants. Five estolides were prepared by varying molar ratio of palmitic acid (PA) to oleic acid (OA) using a reaction time of 48 h. The estolides were characterized by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The isolated yields were in the range of 57-78 % and purity was 93-97%, showing iodine values of 18.2-37.8, total acid numbers (TANs) of 75.6-94.2 mg KOH/g and estolide numbers (ENs) of 1.2-1.8. Increasing the ratio of OA to PA in the synthesis decreased the kinematic viscosity and clouding point of the estolides. Four ball wear test of the estolides as a base oil demonstrated that the wear scar diameter (WSD) of the estolides was significantly lower (0.320-0.495 mm) than the WSD of general base oils such as 150N and Yubase (0.735 and 0.810 mm, respectively), indicating better wear resistance of the estolides. However, the lubricant property was found to be independent of the amount of OA in the estolides. These new materials are prospective candidates for application as a lubricant base oil.