Obtaining a biodegradable lubricant by ethylic epoxidation of sunflower oil
Keywords:
Biodegradable lubricant, Lubricating oils, Sunflower oil.Abstract
Lubricating oils, derived from petroleum, play a crucial role in the industrial landscape, aiming to reduce wear resulting from friction between metal parts. Predominantly, mineral lubricants are the most widespread commercial choice globally, representing an intricate composition of paraffinic, olefinic, naphthenic and aromatic hydrocarbons, containing between 20 and 50 carbon atoms. This complex mixture results from the combination of two main components: the base oil, extracted in the oil refining process, and chemical additives, responsible for altering, preserving and intensifying the product's physical and chemical properties. Although they exhibit greater stability to oxidation and a more affordable cost compared to other lubricants, mineral lubricants also stand out for their low biodegradability, as well as releasing toxic materials into the environment (Karmakar et al., 2017).
