Design, Polymerization, and Properties of High-Performance Seed-Oil-Derived Lubricants

There is a significant amount of interest and research in seed-oil-derived lubricants because of elevated environmental consciousness among producers and consumers. While slowly making inroads into selected applications, performance deficits at low temperature and poor thermooxidative stability have consistently relegated seed oil derivatives to roles where biodegradability is paramount or where the performance requirements are relatively low. In this article, the structural attributes that result in seed-oil-derived lubricant properties are defined and quantified. Also, the seed oil triglyceride components are segregated, functionalized, and polymerized to provide a lubricant design that allows flexibility in defining the specified viscosity, while providing an improved low-temperature performance and removing the source of thermooxidative instability.