Chemical Modification of Vegetable Oils for Lubricant Basestocks

Use of vegetable oil based lubricants will reduce petroleum imports and have a favorable environmental impact. The vegetable oils are derived from a renewable sources, biodegradable, non-toxic, possess high flash points and have low volatility. Inadequate oxidative stability and poor low-temperature properties of vegetable oils limit their utilization as lubricants. In this study, we report the development of chemical modification methods to improve these functional properties. The resultant vegetable oil derivatives having diester substitution at the sites of unsaturation shows comparable properties to mineral base fluids.