Biolubricant production from edible and novel indigenous vegetable oils: mainstream methodology, and prospects and challenges in Iran

Abstract

The reduction in crude oil resources, its volatile prices, and the irreparable environmental pollution caused by their production and consumption have led to worrying global challenges. At the same time, ever‐increasing population growth and growing industrialization have resulted in an increasing demand for petroleum‐based crude oil products, including lubricants. In this respect, the proper management of biomass to produce higher value‐added products such as biolubricants is very important. Iran, with a population of more than 80 million, is the fourth largest producer of crude oil and one of the largest lubricant producers in the region, but the development of clean bio‐based lubricants has always been neglected there, mostly due to the abundance of petroleum. The present study, reviewing the status of Iran's lubricant industry and its technical and environmental challenges, investigates the potential use of conventional edible oils and introduces novel drought‐resistant native edible oil sources, for the production of biolubricants. It is believed that this case study could be of assistance to researchers and specialists in developing countries, enabling them to take action to confront the challenges ahead by relying on sustainable development based on renewable and environmentally friendly products. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Biolubricants from Rapeseed and Castor Oil Transesterification by Using Titanium Isopropoxide as a Catalyst: Production and Characterization

“…Catalysts 2020, 10, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 12 consequently, a key for the development of local economies [5][6][7][8]. Indeed, they have been used as raw materials for biolubricant production from different ways [1,9,10].…”

“…Moreover, the fatty acid component of biolubricants can form layers and a stable film on the surfaces of rubbing zones, avoiding the contact between surfaces and therefore, corrosion and wear [4]. Many raw materials (such as rapeseed or castor) could contribute to the sustainable development, being an alternative to rotate typical crops in many regions and being an alternative to petroleum fuels or products and, consequently, a key for the development of local economies [5][6][7][8]. Indeed, they have been used as raw materials for biolubricant production from different ways [1,9,10].…”

Biodiesel and biolubricant production from different vegetable oils through transesterification

“…Moreover, the use of heterogeneous catalysts could also be a good alternative to traditional ones, especially making the catalyst removal from the final product easier 17 . This way, if the production of biolubricants is based on transesterification, the raw material could play an important role in the development of a biorefinery, as many other similar sources have been considered in the literature 18‐22 (see Figure 1). However, not many studies have pointed out the feasibility of the design of a biorefinery based on vegetable oils through transesterification, although some parts of the process (for instance fatty acid methyl esters [FAMEs] production) have been widely studied 22 .…”

“…For instance, by using rapeseed (which is an interesting plant for rotation crop as it has a long tap root, showing good yields and resistance) as the basis of a biorefinery (as seen in the literature 18,20 ), in this case three main products are found: oil, biodiesel (FAMEs) and biolubricant (fatty acid complex esters). For the first conversion, transesterification with oil and methanol produces biodiesel, whereas for the second conversion, transesterification with biodiesel and another alcohol (molecularly more complex than methanol or ethanol, such as 2‐ethyl‐1‐hexanol) produces the corresponding biolubricant.…”

Computational and Experimental Studies of Biolubricant Stability Derived from Oleic Acid

“…Biolubricant is one of the renewable materials which is currently being developed to substitute fossil-based lubricants [1,2]. Fossil oils have been the main source of current lubricant and are depleting in an increasing rate each year, while on the other hand, plant oils remain an untapped alternative of renewable and hence sustainable source of biolubricant in the near future [3][4][5]. Biolubricants derived from plant oils are biodegradable, non-toxic, and abundantly available, thus it is possible to produce them on a large commercial scale [6,7].…”