Formulation of bio-lubricant based on modified rice bran oil with stearic acid as an anti-wear additive

Abstract

Bio-lubricants are commonly manufactured from vegetable oils. Rice bran oil is found to be an ideal choice as a base stock for industrial lubricants, among many other vegetable oils, based on its fatty acid composition capable of yielding favourable tribological properties. To improve the chemical properties of rice bran oil, chemical modification through transesterification is attempted. Even though transesterified rice bran oil exhibits better chemical properties, the tribological and rheological properties are found to be compromised. The addition of bio-additive stearic acid is found to substantially improve the wear properties of transesterified rice bran oil. A novel bio-lubricant for medium-temperature applications is thus formulated based on rice bran oil.