The development of the petroleum industry over the past few decades has enabled mineral or rather fossil oils to be used as efficient and cost-effective lubricants. Today, most of the lubricants used for industrial needs are made from non-biodegradable materials such as synthetic oils or petroleum derivatives. However, they pose a great deal of environmental hazards. Typically, a lubricant comprises more than 90% of base fluid, corrosion inhibitors and extreme-pressure wear protectants that facilitate the upgradation of functional properties or prevents the base fluid against degradation.
Bio-lubricants or bio-based lubricants have begun to replace non-biodegradable fossil-based lubricants in industrial purposes. The term ‘biolubricants’ basically refers to all types of lubricants which are biodegradable and non-toxic for both human and aquatic environments. A bio-lubricant can be available in two forms; either as vegetable oil-based or as synthetic esters manufactured from mineral oil-based products.
Bio-based lubricants or bio-lubes contain biological materials or renewable domestic agricultural materials such as plant, animal and marine materials or forestry materials. From an environmental perspective, the use of bio-lubricants significantly reduces the carbon footprint than other non-biodegradable mineral oil based sources of crude oil or coal. It is in fact a matter of great concern that millions of tonnes of hydraulic, machinery and industrial oils are discharged every year into water sources such as rivers and seas, thus leading to groundwater contamination. This can ultimately inhibit the growth of plant life and prove extremely toxic to aquatic life.
The use of bio-based lubricants by industries is still in its infancy stage and there’s much left to be done. However, quite recently, a team of experienced researchers from the University of Huelva successfully developed an eco-friendly lubricating grease based on ricin oil and cellulose derivatives. This bio-lubricant does not contain any polluting component used in the manufacture of traditional industrial lubricants. Eco-friendly greases mainly use cellulose derivatives from plants and ricin oil as a lubricant base. In another scientific advancement in the field, the scientists in the University of Almeria have succeeded in genetically altering the castor-oil plant in order to use it to produce bio lubricants.
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