Lubricants are well known to act as substances for minimization of friction in locomotive engines and other spare parts. As we know they can be synthesized from multiple synthetic and natural sources and some of which prove to be environmentally recalcitrant and pose adverse effects.Studies indicate that nearly 12 million tonnes of lubricants are eliminated after usage and majority of them are disposed in a biologically unsafe manner. To reduce their prolonged existence, people are in relentless efforts to identify and formulate eco-safe lubricant substances.
The answer to this query has been recently addressed though biodiesel produced from castor oil.It is not surprising to implicate castor oil for lubricant synthesis as some of its prominent derivatives as 12-hydroxy stearic acid are well characterized lubricants. Now, castor biodiesel what is to be fed as a fuel possesses typical properties to yield biodegradable lubricants with desired functions as oxidation stability, thermo-tolerance and high viscosity index etc. Researchers of this study have witnessed that the fluids generated from castor biodiesel esters are lubricative due to the presence of ricinoleic acid.
The results seem to be exiting to watch in a perspective where castor biodiesel effectively fails to compete with conventional fuels on certain fuel parameters. So, research initiatives on castor biodiesel such as this would add up its industrial scope in different dimensions with ecological significance.
For reference: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ls.1205/abstract
Get to know more about related derivatives:
- Castor Meal / Castor Residue
- Methyl Undecylenate
- Esterols
- Undecylenic Aldehyde
- 2 Hydroxy Stearic Acid (12 HSA)